Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney have agreed to exchange AFL players Heath Shaw and Taylor Adams.

Veteran defender Shaw, who played 173 games with Collingwood, will head north while midfielder Adams, 20, is returning home after being originally drafted from the Geelong Falcons in 2011.

“Taylor is a player a lot of clubs thought highly of when GWS picked him initially, and a player a lot of clubs were interested in when it became apparent this year that, for family reasons, he wanted to return to Victoria,” Collingwood national recruiting manager Derek Hine said.

“He comes to us with a deserved reputation for being strong in the contest, a talented stoppage player who has great endurance.

“Importantly, we feel there is a lot of development in his game still to emerge.”

Adams said he was “absolutely stoked” to be closer to his family.

“It was really a decision based on a desire to be closer to my family and friends and the idea of playing for a big club in Melbourne.

“I met the coaches and saw the facilities and knew then I wanted to be a part of it.”

Shaw leaves the club his father and uncle both captained after 10 seasons.

Collingwood senior coach Nathan Buckley wished him well.

“Heath brought passion and heart to everything he did at Collingwood. I hope he’s proud of what he achieved here. He should be,” Buckley said.

“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.”

Syliva looks for fresh start at Dockers

Colin Sylvia’s AFL career has been a roller coaster ride so far, but the former Demons midfielder is confident the best bit of the journey is just around the corner.

Sylvia was officially unveiled in Fremantle colours on Wednesday after linking up with the Dockers as an unrestricted free agent on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old was heavily criticised for his inconsistency during his 10-year, 157-game stint with the struggling Demons but the No.3 pick from the 2003 draft hopes his move to Fremantle under renowned taskmaster Ross Lyon will help bring out his best.

“I don’t feel like I’ve reached my potential yet,” Sylvia said.

“I still definitely think my best football is ahead of me, and hopefully over the next few years we can see that.

“As you know it’s been quite a roller coaster ride at the Melbourne football club.

“There’s no excuses at all. I don’t think I’ve had a terrible 10 years.

“It has been a little bit up and down and I have been criticised for my inconsistency.

“But that’s part of footy. You’ve got your critics and I’m just excited to be here now.

“I think playing with a football club like Fremantle that demands excellence, hopefully they can take me to the next level to play at a higher, consistent level for a longer period of time.”

Sylvia played in just one winning final during his time at Melbourne – back in 2006.

But that’s set to change at Fremantle, who are in premiership mode after reaching this year’s grand final.

Sylvia said it was sad to leave Melbourne, but he was looking forward to the next chapter in his career.

AAP