THE SHAW family enjoys royalty status among the Collingwood hierarchy and bear a name that will forever be linked with the famous club.

It would surely be sacrilegious for any Shaw to consider supporting any other AFL team.

But family loyalties will be split when the Pies take on the Sydney Swans in Friday night's preliminary final.

Some familial footballing history will be made at ANZ Stadium, when two sets of brothers will compete for opposing teams in a final for the first time - Rhyce and Heath Shaw and Ben and Sam Reid.

Rhyce Shaw started his career with the Pies and played 94 games for them over nine years before moving to Sydney in 2009.

It may have taken a little getting used to, but it means the Shaws now have a vested interest in a club that isn't Collingwood.

"In my household, my wife Lisa's whole family used to be Fitzroy supporters because they used to live around the Reservoir and Fitzroy area," former Pies skipper Ray Shaw told AFL.com.au.

"But since Rhyce has gone to Sydney, Lisa kind of leans that way now and she says 'you played for Collingwood, you lean the Collingwood way'.

"I'm not sure about the Reids. Like us, it's a situation where one of their boys is going to go through to a Grand Final and the other is going to miss out.

"Unfortunately that's the way the coin has dropped.

"But I support Heath and Rhyce and the result looks after itself. I just enjoy watching them play footy."

It's little surprise there has already been some banter between the brothers, who could end up playing on each other on Friday night.

Following Collingwood's victory over West Coast, Ben Reid conducted a post-match interview that drew a quick response from little brother Sam.

"I got a text off Sam straight after the game basically because I said a silly thing on TV about getting the points," Ben said.

"He got into me a little bit. But that is the sort of thing that happens every week."

Reid added that his whole family will be at the game, including "Mum and Dad, probably my granddad … my uncle and my aunty and all my cousins".

The Reid and Shaw parents make regular trips to Sydney and have become fast friends.

As much as the Shaws have a rich Collingwood history - with Ray captaining the Pies and his brother Tony skippering them to the 1990 premiership - the Swans now consider them part of their inner sanctum.

"I think Rhyce felt as though he needed an opportunity somewhere else and that's what he's been able to do here," Swans coach John Longmire said.

"It's been terrific to have his mum and dad up to the footy. They come up here all the time.

"They obviously watch Heath all the time in Melbourne and then they're with us after our matches.

"The Shaws, the Kennedys, some famous names at some other clubs have been able to come up here and hopefully see their sons play some pretty good footy.

"It's terrific to have those absolute footy people in your club."

Ray and Lisa will be among a significant Shaw presence at ANZ Stadium, including their daughter Laine and granddaughter Sierra.

Little Sierra has a solution when it comes to which uncle she supports.

"My daughter, who is mad Collingwood, and our 16-month-old granddaughter, are coming up with us," Ray said.

"She's got two little jumpers the boys got her when she was born - the Sydney jumper with No.2 on the back and the Collingwood jumper with No.39 on the back.

"She might wear a Collingwood jumper the first half and the Sydney one in the second half."

His allegiances may be somewhat split, yet Ray's true colours might re-surface when he's asked who will win.

"I think it's going to be a great game," he said.

"I know Collingwood have had the wood on them, but Sydney have had a week's rest and Collingwood have had two hard games.

"Sydney have been fantastic all year. But I'm leaning very slightly towards Collingwood."