An eight-goal performance for Caulfield Grammar as a midfielder was enough for Graeme ‘Gubby’ Allan to tell Shiel’s parents Tony and Karen that the AFL’s newly formed 18th team would be choosing their son as one of the club’s 17-year-old pre-selections.
“I remember playing one game, we were playing Haileybury in the wet and I was lucky enough to kick a few goals from the midfield,” Shiel said.
“Gubby Allan was there and told my parents that day that I’d be coming to Greater Western Sydney. We weren’t called the GIANTS then, just Team GWS. I didn’t really believe it when I was told after the game.
“But I was excited just to be getting on to an AFL list ... Knowing that I was going to be on an AFL list and flying up to Sydney pretty much two days after my last Year 12 exam.”
Fast forward four years and Shiel will this week line up for his 50th game as a GIANT. Both Shiel and the club have come a long way.
“We started out on the dance floors at Rooty Hill RSL,” he said.
“To move into our new facility here at Sydney Olympic Park, it’s been a massive step forward for the club.
“It’s been a real privilege to say that I’ve been here from the start along with a handful of other guys that are still here. Those first couple of years are years we’ll never forget.”
Shiel’s progression has almost been in sync with the club’s.
Foot problems and appendicitis interrupted Shiel’s first pre-season at the club but he still lined up in the GIANTS’ inaugural game against the Swans at ANZ Stadium in Round 1, 2012.
He played 12 of the club’s first 13 games and earned a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination following a 21-possession, two-goal game against Geelong. More foot problems limited him to 12 games for the season but he took his promising form into the following season when he played 21 games.
After suffering a quad injury in the club’s historic win over the Swans in Round 1 this year, Shiel has taken his game to a new level since his return.
In his 16 games for the year, Shiel has averaged more than 22 touches and almost four marks a game as well as kicking nine goals.
The ultimate professional, Shiel leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of becoming an elite footballer, including converting to the Paleo diet this year.
“I try to get everything perfect and struggle to face the fact that you can’t get everything perfect in life,” he said.
“In terms of my footy, I try and do all the right things. I work as hard as I can, I try and get the best out of myself and always looking to improve just that little bit more each day.”
But it’s not all about football for the 21-year-old who is studying Commerce and Marketing at university and has developed a passion for coffee, even becoming a qualified barista.
With 49 games under his belt, a typically understated Shiel shared his hopes for the next chapter in his football career.
“I’d like to hopefully play finals within the next 50 games and just want to continually improve and (have) the club hopefully become a really strong team,” he said.
“I’ll be going into my fourth year next year and hopefully can establish myself as a good AFL footballer.”
