In terms of sour AFL grand final memories, Rhyce Shaw's are up there with the most regrettable and replayed.

As a fresh-faced 21-year-old, Shaw took to the MCG in 2003 for Collingwood with grand hopes of stopping Brisbane's march to a third consecutive premiership.

He left devastated.

The Lions strolled to a 50-point win and one of the game's most memorable moments came when Shaw handed possession to Alastair Lynch, a man 14 years his senior who wheeled around to kick a goal with apparent ease.

Shaw can laugh about it now.

"It was just one of those times in games. Funnily enough Lynchy's my manager now, so we have a bit of a joke about it," he said on Monday.

"It was a pretty tough day for all involved. I just knew it was really exciting at the start, and it was terrible at the end.

"It's way out of my mind."

Saturday's grand final against Hawthorn is no laughing matter for Shaw, who has turned his career around in Sydney since being traded by the Magpies at the end of the 2008 season.

"I think I've grown up a lot (since the 2003 grand final). Back then I probably didn't know what happened," Shaw said.

"It was pretty new, I was a young bloke and we had a young side that year.

"I'm at a different club now, we've got a really good team and really good leadership and we really need to make the most of it."

The 30-year-old was one of Sydney's best in their preliminary final against Collingwood, his rebounding run setting up so many of the Swans' forward surges.

"Horse (Swans coach John Longmire) has given me the confidence to do that and the boys want me to do that, so I just do that," he said.

However, his off-field influence has become just as helpful to Longmire.

"Shawy's an experienced football person and he knows his footy," Longmire said.

"He's very good to bounce things off, he understands the game very well."