“It wasn’t until I got to Essendon and said hello to Sean and his family that I realised they actually thought it had been my decision to trade Sean to Essendon,” Shaw recalled. “His family thought it was Robert Shaw who had stuck a knife into their son.”
“I did want Jarman at Adelaide but I didn’t want that come about as the result of losing a good young player. I was about building a young side and when that is the case you don’t go and trade one of your best young players. Quite frankly, I was totally against the idea.”
“It was something that I was told about at the last minute. I wasn’t asked if it should happen, I was basically told that it had happened. I’m not going to name names but they were far higher authorities than me. They know who they are and how they did the deal. Fortunately Sean and I have been able to develop a very good relationship over the past four years now he understands what really happened.”
Wellman will play his 150th game for Essendon this weekend.
“There is no doubt that trade worked well for all parties,” Shaw said. “Sean Wellman has been an excellent player for this football club – a leader both on and off the field. That was something this club quickly recognised when they made him a vice-captain after only three years at the club.”
