GREATER Western Sydney defender Heath Shaw has declared the Giants' young midfield better than Collingwood's on-ball division in their premiership season of 2010.

It’s a huge vote of confidence for his teammates from the experienced Shaw, who plays his 200th match against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Magpies' 2010 premiership side featured stars like Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Dale Thomas, but Shaw believes the talent running around at GWS has them covered.

"Obviously the midfield that I had at Collingwood was very similar to here, this one is probably a little bit better. Hopefully we can get to that stage, but we're a long way off that,” Shaw said on Thursday.

Shaw pointed to the sheer speed of the Giants as the main point of difference between the two midfield brigades, even if his comments came with his usual tongue in cheek.

"'Swanny' wasn't that quick. 'Pendles' wasn't that quick, there was a lot of old, slow guys running though the Collingwood midfield, so we had to adjust our game around that,” Shaw said.

"These guys are very explosive, when they get the ball they want to go. It's exciting to watch and that’s the sort of footy we want to bring."

The 29-year-old Shaw, one of the club's older players, says the exciting depth of emerging talent at the club has helped to keep him young.

"Last year we had 26 players turn 21, so I was going to a few parties I hadn't been to for a while," Shaw said with a grin.

"The fresh faces are willing to learn, always asking questions, so it's good to be like the older brother to these young guys."

With his family a Collingwood institution, Shaw's move north was a decision he admits took a while to adjust to.

"I never thought I'd leave Collingwood. It was fairly tough, a bit of a shock to the system, but 16 months have gone by and I haven't regretted the decision at all," Shaw said.

"I'm enjoying being up in Sydney away from the bubble in Melbourne and enjoying playing footy up here."

Saturday's clash with the Bulldogs will also be a massive occasion for another Giant, former Dogs' captain Ryan Griffen.

Griffen rocked the footy world last year when he requested a trade to GWS after the season, effectively walking out on the club he'd been with his whole career.

At the time, the Bulldogs' best player said he'd lost his passion for the game and had considered retirement.

The 28 year-old expects some nerves come Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium, and knows he'll be a target for the Bulldogs and their fans.

"I think there'll be hard moments, there'll be plenty of emotion, but I'm just looking forward to getting out there and playing some good footy," Griffen said.

"I'm sure there'll be a bit of banter from my old teammates. I spoke to Jakey Stringer earlier in the week and he said a bit, but he's a character and it should be good fun.

"I probably will get booed but I reckon that will get me fired up. It's because they're so passionate about the Bulldogs and I'm sure they'll be into me."

Griffen has been the subject of heavy opposition pressure in 2015, allowing younger teammates like Dylan Shiel, Adam Treloar and Stephen Coniglio to thrive.

The dual Bulldogs' club champion and 2013 All Australian revealed his move to the Giants has rejuvenated his love for footy and was exactly what he needed.

"I was in a deep hole, I wasn't enjoying training and wasn't enjoying the game so it's been a great decision by me," Griffen said.

"It's freshened me right up, I enjoy training again and I enjoy playing with this group.

"I know these guys look up to me, they want to learn and they listen, but at the moment I'm learning from them. It's been really exciting this year."