A typically cheeky Collingwood rover, Ray Shaw was recruited from VFA club Preston after winning the J.J. Liston Trophy in 1973.

The eldest of the four Shaw boys, Ray lived his boyhood dream, playing 146 games in the Black and White stripes between 1974 and 1981.

Originally turned away by the Collingwood under-19s as a 16-year-old, Shaw’s work with Preston ensured he received a second chance.

He debuted against Essendon in the opening round of the 1974 season, and capped his year by winning the Best First Year Player and Best Finals Player Awards.

Blessed with good skills and an appetite for the ball, he evolved into a goal kicking rover, finishing his career with 201 majors.

For many, the image of Shaw, long sleeves and thickly moustached, is an iconic one in the days of Hard Yakka and Hafey’s Heroes.

Sadly, Shaw was a member of Collingwood’s five Grand Final episodes of heartbreak between 1977 and 1981, and ended his league career in the ’81 decider against Carlton, after which player and club parted ways and he headed back to Preston.

Although other VFL clubs were interested in securing his services, Shaw could not stomach the idea of playing against the Black and White stripes.

“I just had too many mates here, and I didn’t want to play against them,” Shaw told Michael Roberts’ Century of the Best in 1992.

“I couldn’t have stood coming back here and playing against them in front of the crowd that had looked after me for so long – that would have been very difficult.”

Years later, Shaw would act as an assistant coach to his brother, Tony, and watch his two sons, Rhyce and Heath, make fine impressions as Collingwood heroes of their own.

The same book records Shaw has a devotion to Collingwood that he ‘still hopes one day will be enough to bring him back’.

On Tuesday night, Ray Shaw was honoured with Life Membership of the Collingwood Football Club. Twenty-six years after the book was published, Shaw’s desires are fulfilled once more.