Rhyce Shaw's stature at the Sydney Swans continues to grow.

In 2011, Rhyce played all 24 games and finished tied with Josh Kennedy as joint runners-up to Adam Goodes in the Bob Skilton Medal. Remarkably, he polled votes from the match committee in all but two of the Swans games.

Whether playing as a rebounding defender, running with some of the game's best, or even bobbing up in the forward line, the 29-year old fulfilled his role for the team exceptionally.

Since Rhyce was recruited by the Swans in 2008, he has become a member of the leadership group and is known around the Club for his selflessness, ability to lift the players, and the care he takes of others. It's these characteristics - which clearly shine through in his last answer - which saw him awarded the Barry Round Shield for Best Clubman at Friday night's Club Champion Dinner.

Rhyce spoke to sydneyswans.com.au about his varying roles in 2011.

How successful was the year in a team sense?

In 2011 we improved on last year. We’ve got a game style that will hold  up if we’re consistent with it over four quarters but if we’re not, we get found out. The fact that we’ve blooded a lot of young kids and they’ve taken over the load has helped.

Overall we improved  our trademark style of football and our skills on 2010 but we still have a long way to go in that. There is still inconsistency but we got a bit better.

Which of the debutants this year impressed you?

It’s hard to narrow it down. Of the guys aged under 20, Luke Parker, Sam Reid and Alex Johnson, guys like that, coming in and contributing straight away was fantastic.

How did you rate your own season, when you played shutdown roles, and also as a running half-back and sometimes a forward?

I just do what the coaches tell me. Some games they tell me to go and get the ball and get 30 touches; some games they tell me to mind someone and that is the way you’ve got to do it these days. It is not about individuals, it is all about the team and that is where my role has changed since I got here back in ’09.

My first year here it was just about getting the ball as much as I could and linking and setting up but now, getting a bit older, you have to play a role for the side and you see that with Ryan O’Keefe as well in games, and Jude Bolton. Sometimes we have to just do a bit of the grunt work for  the young kids.

Did you feel like you were still learning and improving this year?

Knowing that I can play anywhere on the field now gives you the confidence to go into games where sometimes I used to go into games thinking if I didn’t get 30 touches, I was pretty useless. Now if I don’t get 30 touches I can take an opposition player out of the game, or maybe go forward and snag a goal at a crucial time so that helps and it’s good.

In game one of the season, the draw against Melbourne, you put your body on the line and won a critical contest. How important are those small acts?

That hurt, a lot! That really hurt and I didn’t have exactly the best game, I tried to shut down Aaron Davey and that is just the way it’s got to be, you play for the Sydney Swans you have to put your body on the line and I’m just one of the 22 that does it every week.

You’ve been here three years and meanwhile you’ve seen your brother win a premiership with Collingwood and play in another grand  final. Do you still feel you made the best decision, coming here?

No doubt. I wouldn’t be playing AFL footy if I didn’t come here.

What can the team achieve in 2012?

From where we started with Horse (John Longmire) a year ago, we can only improve, and 12 month’s of Horse’s game style and his coaching, even though it was disappointing to go out, we were probably a year away from having a crack so I think we can finish top four and that gives you a good chance.

What was the most pivotal point in the season because after the horrible Richmond loss things changed?

The Richmond game was pivotal but it was the Geelong game in terms of where we were going and where we’d come from that week. That was probably one of the toughest weeks I’ve been involved in at a footy club, and for the guys to play the way they did…in my 12 years now in the AFL that was one of the most inspiring moments I’ve ever seen. It was pretty hard and the boys just played out of their skin. Everyone thought we had no chance down there. The Geelong Advertiser had already printed a liftout about their record number of consecutive wins. How about that!

What is it about this group of players that made that win at Geelong possible?

One of the key things about this group is that hardly anyone is from around here. There are only a handful of blokes that come from NSW and we all hang out, we have dinner every second night together. We are all close, we are all brothers and we all do anything for anyone. Jetts doesn’t drive and everyone picks him up. Guys look after each other and if they get a bit homesick we get around them. It is a really good culture to be involved in.

I’m so rapt that I came up here, it’s been really good.