Luke Shuey

Early career

Shuey was raised in Melbourne and attended Marcellin College, playing for the school football team. One of his teammates was David Zaharakis, who was also drafted into the AFL. Outside of school football, Shuey played his junior football for Bulleen-Templestowe. In 2008, his final year of high school, he was selected for the Oakleigh Chargers, a TAC Cup team. He also represented Vic Metro at the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships, winning the team's best and fairest award. Shuey placed fourth in the beep test at the 2008 AFL Draft Camp. At the 2008 National Draft, he was selected in the second round, taken by West Coast with the 18th pick overall.

AFL career

As part of West Coast's affiliation with the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Shuey was allocated to East Perth upon his arrival in Perth. However, he did not play senior football at all during the 2009 season (in either the WAFL or AFL), suffering a series of injuries which included osteitis pubis, a broken leg, and two hernias. Shuey later said his injuries were in part due to playing too much football during the previous year. After a strong pre-season, Shuey made his AFL debut in round one of the 2010 season, against the Brisbane Lions. He scored a goal with his first kick. However, after just three games at AFL level, Shuey suffered a knee injury. He was due to return midway through the season, but then contracted a virus which was eventually diagnosed as glandular fever. He eventually returned for West Coast's last three games of the season, as well as two WAFL matches for East Perth.

Shuey established himself in West Coast's midfield line-up during the 2011 season, playing in all 25 of his team's matches (one of only seven West Coast players to do so). He was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award in round two, after a 27-disposal and three-goal game against Port Adelaide. He eventually finished runner-up to Essendon's Dyson Heppell in the award, with Heppell polling 44 votes and Shuey 37 votes. This was the best finish by a West Coast player since Chris Judd was runner-up in 2002. Shuey also polled 12 votes in the 2011 Brownlow Medal, and including three votes in the round-18 Western Derby against Fremantle (although Dean Cox won the Ross Glendinning Medal). In the round-nine game against the Western Bulldogs he had kicked a career-high five goals and recorded 27 disposals, but was only awarded two Brownlow votes. During the 2012 season, Shuey was suspended on two occasions – for one week after striking Fremantle's Paul Duffield in round nine, and for two weeks after striking North Melbourne's Lindsay Thomas in round 15. He polled 11 votes in the 2012 Brownlow Medal, including best on ground performances against Greater Western Sydney in round three (25 disposals and five goals) and against Gold Coast in round 14 (32 disposals and three goals).

After a career best season in 2016, Shuey was named in the initial All-Australian 40-man squad, though he did not make the final team. He also won the John Worsfold Medal as the club best and fairest. In September 2017, Shuey kicked a goal after the siren against Port Adelaide to win the first elimination final at Adelaide Oval. It was the first after-the-siren goal in extra time in AFL history.

Personal life

In February 2009, Shuey's younger sister Melanie was struck and killed by a motorcycle while a pedestrian. He was given indefinite leave from football after her death, and stayed in Melbourne for six weeks before returning to Perth.