Collingwood's Heath Shaw says he is desperate to remain at the AFL club, after the drink-driving saga that placed his Magpies career in jeopardy.

Shaw and teammate Alan Didak were suspended for the rest of the season earlier this year for lying to the club over an incident in which Shaw drove drunk and Didak was a passenger.

But Shaw was counting on the forgiving nature of Collingwood officials and players to keep the pair in the black and white next year.

"It took a week or two to get people back on side, but players and the admin and everyone around the club are really forgiving and they support us a hell of a lot," he told Melbourne's Triple-M radio.

Shaw said he had learnt from his mistake and would not place himself in a similar situation again.

He said both he and Didak were keen to get a chance to earn back the respect of their teammates in 2009.

"I definitely want to play for Collingwood. I grew up barracking for Collingwood all my life, my dad, uncle and my brother played there so it's somewhere I want to be," he said.

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