Warwick Capper. Jason Dunstall. Tony Lockett.
These are usually some of the names you would hear around suburban and regional properties during the standard game of backyard footy.
However, Heath Shaw opted to go down another path in recalling his younger days as a budding footballer when filling in his player profile.
The GWS Giants veteran identified a certain 139-game North Melbourne player as his favourite and has revealed the reasons why.
“Warwick Capper was always my go-to because I was 39 at Collingwood,” he told SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“But I changed it to someone at my brother’s current club, a cult figure - Troy Makepeace.
“His name is obviously great. When people are in the backyard and pretending to be Capper or Dunstall or Lockett, it’s always good to say Troy Makepeace when you are going for a screamer or taking a kick.
“I think he’s the total opposite to me. He’s got tatts, I don’t. He’s a left footer, I’ve never used my left foot in my life. I’m very skilful, he’s not.
“That’s how I came to him.”
Shaw also admits that the teenage Heath, the one who followed Makepeace closely, would be struggling in today’s current climate of isolation.
“I’m not too bad at the moment. I’ve got a good routine I’ve got myself into,” he said.
“It’s nearly two weeks and it’s not too bad but I can see it getting worse and worse.
“That’s when I was on the A.D.D medication (as a teenager). I probably would have been taking a fair bit of that medication in these times.
“I wasn’t into the meditation as much either so I think that’s helping me get through the days. A couple of sessions of meditation a day.
“But my 18-year-old self, he wasn’t the most dedicated or motivated with education or anything outside of football. So I think he’d struggle a fair bit.”
Shaw, who played his 309th AFL game in Round 1 of the 2020 season, says it did take some forcing before he fully came around to the meditation and mindfulness side of life.
“I think the 31-year-old Heath wouldn’t have even believed in that sort of stuff,” he added.
“It was thrust upon us as a playing group and I was the last one to get on board. But Leon (Cameron) steered me in the direction to give it a go to see if I like it or not.
“When I say steer, that means it was compulsory to do.
“I just started to enjoy it. It energised afterwards and relaxed me during. My mind goes a million miles a minute so it’s something where you can totally switch off.
“I meditate 90 minutes out from the game. I’m one of probably three guys that do that in our team. 90 minutes from the game at the ground in preparation for battle.”
