Collingwood will pay a small part of Heath Shaw’s salary next year to sweeten the AFL trade that sends him to Greater Western Sydney for Taylor Adams.
The deal was confirmed on Wednesday following several days of negotiations between the two clubs.
Shaw has gone to GWS despite an existing contract with the Magpies.
He will join the Giants on a five-year deal, while securing Adams was a high priority for the Magpies once the 20-year-old revealed he wanted to return to his home state.
It has already been a successful trade period for the Magpies.
While Shaw is the second premiership player to leave the club, following Dale Thomas’ free agency move to Carlton, Collingwood have also picked up Jesse White from Sydney and will have picks six and 10 in the national draft.
Adams was a first-round draft pick two years ago and the midfielder played 31 games for GWS.
“He comes to us with a deserved reputation for being strong in the contest, a talented stoppage player who has great endurance,” Magpies recruiting manager Derek Hine said of Adams.
“Importantly, we feel there is a lot of development in his game still to emerge.
“All things being equal, Taylor should have a long and distinguished career in black and white.”
Shaw joins his brother Rhyce in leaving Collingwood, where their family has iconic status, and going to a Sydney club.
Rhyce was a member of Sydney’s 2012 premiership team.
Heath played 173 games for the `Pies and was a member of their drought-breaking 2010 premiership side.
His father Ray and uncle Tony captained Collingwood, but it became clear towards the end of this season that Shaw would probably go to another club.
“Heath brought passion and heart to everything he did at Collingwood,” Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said in a club statement.
“I hope he’s proud of what he achieved here – he should be.
“Heath will always be a Collingwood premiership player and hopefully the opportunity to build something almost from the ground up with the Giants will see him recapture his best.”
In other Wednesday trade news:
* Apart from Shaw, the Giants also added to their experience with news that they will recruit Geelong’s Josh Hunt next month as a delisted free agent.
* Essendon have revealed that will also use the delisted free agent provision to sign former Cats star Paul Chapman.
* Billy Longer’s manager Paul Connors told the AFL website that he is confident a trade will be struck that will send the ruckman from Brisbane to St Kilda.
* With two days left in the trade period, there are reports that three-club deals may be necessary to send Stewart Crameri from Essendon to the Western Bulldogs and Jared Polec from Brisbane to Port Adelaide.
* It appears certain that Lions player Sam Docherty will go to Carlton, while Collingwood remain the favourites to secure Brisbane’s Patrick Karnezis.
