Shuey was recruited from the Oakleigh Chargers with pick 20 in the 2008 National Draft. After a series of injuries, he made his AFL debut during the 2010 season. He was runner-up in the AFL Rising Star award in 2011. Shuey won the John Worsfold Medal as West Coast's best and fairest player in 2016, and again in 2019, and finished third in the award in 2014 and 2017. Awarded 'Player of the finals' in 2019, adding to his September reputation where a year earlier he played in the club's victory over Collingwood in the 2018 Grand Final, and was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground.
Early career
Shuey was raised in the Melbourne suburb of Templestowe and attended Marcellin College, playing for the school football team. One of his teammates was David Zaharakis, who was also drafted into the AFL.[1] Outside of school football, Shuey played his junior football for Bulleen-Templestowe.[2][3]
As part of West Coast's affiliation with the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Shuey was allocated to East Perth upon his arrival in Perth to pursue his career.[5] However, he did not play senior football at all during the 2009 season (in either the WAFL or AFL), suffering a series of injuries which included osteitis pubis, a broken leg, and two hernias.[6][7] Shuey later said his injuries were in part due to playing too much football during the previous year.[8] After a strong pre-season, Shuey made his AFL debut in round one of the 2010 season, against the Brisbane Lions.[9] He scored a goal with his first kick.[10] However, after just three games at AFL level, Shuey suffered a knee injury. He was due to return midway through the season, but then contracted a virus which was eventually diagnosed as glandular fever.[11][12] He eventually returned for West Coast's last three games of the season,[13] as well as two WAFL matches for East Perth.[14] He established himself in West Coast's midfield line-up during the 2011 season, playing in all 25 of his team's matches (one of only seven West Coast players to do so).[15] He was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award in round two, after a 27-disposal and three-goal game against Port Adelaide.[16] He eventually finished runner-up to Essendon's Dyson Heppell in the award, with Heppell polling 44 votes and Shuey 37 votes. This was the best finish by a West Coast player since Chris Judd was runner-up in 2002.[17] Shuey also polled 12 votes in the 2011 Brownlow Medal, and including three votes in the round-18 Western Derby against Fremantle (although Dean Cox won the Ross Glendinning Medal). In the round-nine game against the Western Bulldogs he had kicked a career-high five goals and recorded 27 disposals but was only awarded two Brownlow votes.[13]
Shuey won the 2018 Norm Smith Medal for his brilliant performance against Collingwood in the AFL Grand Final, recording 34 possessions and a goal. He received eleven out of twelve possible votes from the four judges. His team, the West Coast Eagles, won the premiership.[23]
On 6 December 2019 it was announced that Shuey would become the 11th captain of the West Coast Eagles.
After battling frequent hamstring injuries during his captaincy, Shuey announced on 8 August 2023 that he would retire at season's end.[24]
Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of Round 24 2023.[25]
In February 2009, Shuey's younger sister Melanie was struck and killed by a motorcycle while walking. He was given indefinite leave from football after her death and stayed in Melbourne for six weeks before returning to Perth.[7][26]
Shuey and his wife Dani Orlando have two children.[27][28][29]
Patrick Skene also reports that Luke Shuey has Chinese ancestry. He is likely a descendant of Ah Shuey who came to Australia in 1862.[30] A man with the same name was allegedly robbed in Kensington in 1880 but the defendants were found not guilty by the jury. The judge "expressed his strong disapproval of the verdict,
and said that if tho principal witness had been a European
instead of a Chinaman, it would have been very different.
as it was, the verdict was a positive disgrace to the country".[31]
