IF he wasn't tagged and scragged, Heath Shaw was dragged so far away from the play in recent weeks that he was rendered invisible. Making the Collingwood playmaker disappear has been an opposition priority.

The struggles of the younger Shaw became such a talking point last week that Shaw's uncle Tony weighed into the debate, bagging Mick Malthouse's tactical handling of his nephew — a barb from his coaching predecessor that Mick, needless to add, would not have enjoyed.

The younger Shaw had been so successfully contained against Carlton that he touched the ball only once to half-time. The Blues were so intent on restricting Heath, they happily sacrificed a No. 1 draft pick, Bryce Gibbs, for Operation Not Shaw.

The Magpies had to come up with a method for getting their defensive generator back into the action, and get his hands on the ball. While others had suggested that Shaw needed to be freed up, Malthouse maintained that Heath was a defender, and defenders play on forwards.

Finally, Malthouse and co came up with a stunningly simple plan: put Shaw on a good player, and ask him to beat his man.

The opponent was the redoubtable Brad Johnson, a champion who, after 15 years and 300-plus games, is making the difficult transition from great to merely good player. Johnson has been a matchwinner just once or twice this season, his contributions more cameos than the usual sustained excellence, Robert Murphy having usurped his position as the dominant under-sized key forward.

To a degree, Colllingwood didn't have much choice but to play Shaw on a quality opponent. The Bulldogs' forward line contains Johnson, Jason Akermanis and Murphy. He had to play on one of them.

Johnson was never going to drag Shaw away from the ball, not initially at least. Johnno is a proactive player who cannot help getting into the play. He didn't so much lead Shaw to the ball, as fail to lead him in the other direction.

At half-time last night, Shaw had had 18 disposals, and had set up camp across half-back, directing play. When the Dogs kicked to Johnson, they risked a dangerous rebound.

Rodney Eade has never been slow to rectify or redress a mismatch, so in the second half Johnson was sent deep, to the goal square. For a moment, the veteran found himself matched, not to Shaw, but to the much less able Alan Toovey, whom Johnson out-manouevred in a marking contest for a goal.

This was a significant moment for both clubs. Collingwood had a stark choice — either move Shaw upfield (to half-back) and risk Johnson cutting loose on Toovey or perhaps Tyson Goldsack, or allow Shaw to be forced to play on the last line, where his rebound would be diminished.

The Pies chose to leave him on Johnson, who, having been chopped up for the first hour, curbed Shaw's influence greatly in the third quarter. Chained to within 30 metres of goal, Shaw had two touches for the third quarter, Johnson three — a victory for the Dogs that was reflected in their surge to take the lead.

Removed from the action, Shaw and Johnson would return to the fray in the final quarter when the game was on the line. Johnson had his most energetic period. He slipped away to mark and goal, and would have created one for Akermanis had Aka not been run down.

But Johnson entering the action also had the effect of allowing Shaw to re-enter the play, and sure enough, the ball soon found its way into his hands again.

Seemingly Dog-tired, so to speak, he would not roll over. Shaw had 11 touches in the final term and was one of the reasons Collingwood kicked again and drew within a kick during time-on.

Johnson had the last shot on goal of the match, and sent it wide. He was well beaten on the evening by the younger star, yet played his part in his team's triumph. No longer a great player, he leads what might be a great team.