Affirmation of Luke Shuey’s rise into an elite midfielder came at tonight’s West Coast Eagles Club Champion Award, when he finished third in the John Worsfold Medal.

For the last couple of years, explosive midfielder Shuey has been identified by opposition players as the most important man to negate in the West Coast midfield.

For all the John Worsfold Medal coverage, click here.

More often than not, if the opposition opted to deploy a run-with player, it was Shuey they tried to lock down, rather than Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis or another West Coast club champion, Scott Selwood.

Dealing with the extra attention of an opponent more intent on preventing you from getting the ball than winning the footy himself takes some adjusting. As kids it’s all about winning the football, but wearing a ‘hard tag’ is something completely different.

Shuey, who boasts the attributes of an elite midfielder, with explosive pace and sublime skills off both sides of his body, deserves special attention. Given the opportunity to run unchecked and he can be trigger for as ferocious assault on the opposition.

At the back end of 2014, Shuey showed a capacity to deal with the extra attention in what was arguably his best season in senior football.

In his 20 games this season he averaged 24 disposals and four tackles, but significantly he was prominent in some of the club’s biggest wins. Against Collingwood in round 20 he accumulated a career-high 31 disposals, a week earlier in an epic victory over Adelaide he had 20 handballs and against Gold Coast in round 23 he had a season-high 19 kicks.

Even in the loss to Richmond in round 18, he had 11 tackles.