After arriving at Footscray from Sale, Loveless put together just two games in the 1979 VFL season but became their regular full-forward in 1980.AFL Tables: Shane Loveless He had his best run of form mid-season, with eight goals in a win over Fitzroy and another seven against South Melbourne the following week. Another eight goal haul came soon after, against Hawthorn at Western Oval, and he finished the year with 44 goals. It was not enough to top Footscray's goal-kicking, which went yet again to Kelvin Templeton. With Loveless spending the season in the goalsquare, Templeton had been used as a centre half-forward and won the 1980 Brownlow Medal. Loveless was however Footscray's equal leading goal-kicker in 1981, with Jim Edmond on 25 goals, as Templeton was injured for most of the year. In 1982 Footscray recruited WAFL star Simon Beasley, who took one of the club's key-forward positions. As a result, Loveless was stuck in the reserves and despite good performances, was not able to earn a call-up to the seniors and decided to leave the VFL.
