Collingwood defender Heath Shaw says he doesn't regret lying to the club in 2008 about Alan Didak's involvement in the infamous drink-driving affair, and says he would probably do it again in similar circumstances.
Speaking on Saturday morning after Collingwood's 21-point win over the Western Bulldogs, a candid Shaw, who is part of the Magpies leadership group, defended lying to club president Eddie McGuire and then coach Mick Malthouse about Didak's presence at a Sunday afternoon drinking session almost four years ago.
Shaw was driving under the influence of alcohol with Didak in the passenger seat when he crashed his car, but when quizzed about Didak's presence at the incident, declared that his good friend simply arrived at the scene in the moments after the accident.
Shaw did this to protect Didak after the Magpies playmaker was heavily criticised for his involvement in a wild night in 2007 with Melbourne CBD murderer Christopher Wayne Hudson, one which he didn't report to police, in the months before Hudson's rampage.
When Shaw's lie came to light, the club suspended both himself and Didak for the remainder of the 2008 season - six matches all up - with current Magpies coach Nathan Buckley calling the incident 'unforgiveable' at the time.
But in a revealing interview on Melbourne radio, Shaw said he felt he'd done the right thing at the time.
"Once you start the ball rolling, you can't go back," Shaw told SEN when asked whether he regretted the initial lie.
"But, to be honest, I reckon I would probably do the same thing if I had my time over again.
"Because I think footy clubs and friendships are built around trust and you know you'd do anything for your mates and Dids is my best mate and I'd do anything for him.
"I think anyone outside of footy, if they were in that same position just in everyday life, I think they'd do the same thing so, yeah I wouldn't change it."
Shaw also revealed he'd been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder when he was a teenager.
"I think it was Year 8, Mum got sick of dealing with me," Shaw said.
"(She) thought I needed some help and it was actually Christmas Day morning, we went to the hospital to do the test because that was the only time I could get in and yeah it was from then on I was diagnosed with that.
"(So) I went on medication from Year 8 all the way up to Year 12. It was a few tablets a day just during school days.
"It was interesting 'cause the tablets suppress your appetite a bit so you lose a lot of weight and going into the start of Year 12 I think I was weighing about 61 kilos.
"Halfway through the year it was affecting my footy (so) I went off those tablets and put on about eight or nine kilos in the space of about five or six months.
"It was something that I had to deal with when I was younger but now it's much better, I've grown out of it and I'm in the leadership group and I have to be all mature and all that.
"It takes a lot of hard work sitting through meetings," Shaw added when asked how if the condition impacts on his football now.
"Sometimes the meetings go for about an hour and it's tough for me to sit down and be able to concentrate for that whole time.
"But you know, I think it's sort of worn off as I've got older and as I've matured, I hope, a little bit."