Angus Brayshaw’s brother Hamish has shed light on how the family has reacted in the wake of Angus’ harrowing hit from Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard.
Maynard will face the tribunal on Tuesday night following the heavy collision, which occurred during the first quarter of Melbourne’s seven-point qualifying final loss Thursday night, was deemed careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Across his eight-year career, Brayshaw has endured a shocking run with repeat concussions. He took an extended break from the game in 2017 after suffering four concussions in the space of 12 months and has worn a helmet ever since.
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Giving an update on the midfielder’s condition, Brayshaw’s younger brother Hamish revealed the 27-year-old’s concussion symptoms are easing quicker than expected, adding that he would undergo brain scans.
“He’s having some scans on his brain from the same doctor who looked after him a few years ago,” Hamish Brayshaw told media from the Sandover Medal count in Perth on Monday.
“Health comes number one and he’s got a life to live after football.
“I think that’ll be something he’ll assess over the off-season and whether or not his body can keep going. Time will tell.”
Speaking the next day on SEN’s WA Breakfast, Brayshaw admitted he “jumped the gun” with his comments around his brother’s playing future after Angus told him he was feeling improved.
“The way the family has reacted, it’s interesting because initially, I think there was a bit of anger and frustration towards the whole thing, and whether Brayden Maynard meant it or not is irrelevant, but what the main focus for us now is whether or not Angus is okay, and his health is our priority,” he said on Tuesday.
“While initially, as I’m sure everybody can imagine when your son or your brother has been knocked out five minutes into a final and the emotions are pretty high and given his history and given everything that’s going on around concussion at the moment, it was pretty quick to step into, ‘Who cares what happened and let’s just hope he’s okay’.
“My initial reaction when watching it was that, ‘He’s never going to play football again’, and obviously that has since subsided, and I’ve spoken to him, and his symptoms are dying off and he’s okay.
“I probably jumped the gun a little bit early on that one but that’s the nature of his head injuries and his past with concussion and it’s been a really hard one for me and the family to deal with.”
The past few days have undoubtedly been distressing for the Brayshaws, but also the family of the late Danny Frawley with Brayshaw engaged to his daughter Danielle.
Frawley, who died in 2019, battled depression throughout his life and was found to have posthumous chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Hamish Brayshaw has also called for Maynard to receive a multiple-week suspension to prematurely end his 2023 campaign with the Pies.
Speaking on the Shelter FootyCast podcast on Monday, Brayshaw argued that Maynard could have braced differently to avoid making contact with Angus’ head.
“[Bringing up football finals] is the dumbest argument ever. Finals footy, yep, I know you want to be intent, I know you want to be physical but you can protect yourself and protect the person you are about to hit in the face. I think he could have easily done that,” he said.
“If they call it off and say he’s good to play and this is a football act, well, then they can never feasibly ever say that the outcome is affected.”
Brayshaw, who previously played for the West Coast Eagles, on Monday night was awarded the Sandover Medal, awarded for best player in the WAFL.
Angus Brayshaw’s Melbourne teammates were also reportedly angered by Maynard’s visit to the injured Demon’s house on Friday, less than 24 hours after the incident.
Maynard reportedly arrived with flowers and wine to acknowledge the act but walked into a “tense” encounter with several teammates already at the home.
“The reason he was let into the house, I think is because Max Gawn and Christian Petracca happened to be there,” AFL insider Caroline Wilson told Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night.
“Max Gawn let him in, it was pretty tense. I’m not sure the flowers made it to a vase.”
Wilson also revealed Maynard made an unwanted phone call to Brayshaw’s mother after witnessing Brayshaw unconscious for several minutes on the MCG turf before he was taken from the ground on a medicab.
“I think Brayden Maynard also contacted Angus Brayshaw’s mother, Deb. Don’t think that conversation went very well at all,” she said.
However, Hamish Brayshaw has since explained the animosity around the conversation.
“Mum was in a little bit of a shock, and she picked up the phone and said, ‘I’m sorry mate, I can’t speak to you’ because she was off doing something at the time,” he told WA Breakfast.
“However long it will take Mum she will reflect on that and probably be thankful for the call but whether or not she appreciated it at the time is her prerogative, but it was something that was good on him for reaching out and going over.
“He obviously meant it with sincerity that he was apologising and I’m thankful for him for reaching out.”
Angus Brayshaw returned to light duties during Melbourne training on Tueday.