Shiel got his season off to a bang, kicking three supergoals in the NAB Challenge match against St Kilda at Wagga Wagga back in February.
But after some scintillating early-season form, Shiel was sidelined for five of the first six matches with a quad injury.
He quickly got into his stride though and become one of the side’s most consistent performers. The midfielder averaged 23 touches and just under five tackles a game.
He led from the front in the club’s big loss to Richmond, collecting 34 touches and laying eight tackles. He also picked up 30 touches against Essendon in Round 12 and 31 disposals in the GIANTS’ final-round win against the Bulldogs.
Shiel also hit the double-figure tackle count in the Round 14 win against Carlton, with 10 tackles.
It was in that same game that Shiel took the ball from half-back, running the length of the ground, evading three tackles and slotting an incredible goal on the run from 50-metres. This effort won him the Virgin Australia Goal Of The Year at the Kevin Sheedy Medal, also finishing in ninth place in the Club Champion voting.
