Angus Brayshaw Biography

Less than a month after medically retiring from the AFL, Angus Brayshaw joins the Demons' coaching staff in a part-time role, predominantly working from the bench on match days.

"He's going to be just dipping his toe into some of the part-time work later in the week," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"He brings enormous energy to our club and today was the first step of that and we'll just continue to assess what that looks like."

Following a history of struggling with concussion, Angus Brayshaw announces his retirement, effective immediately.

“I am devastated that I can no longer play the game that I love, but I respect the verdict of the medical professionals, and the importance of putting my health before my career,” Brayshaw said.

“I am really proud of what I have achieved over the past decade. I have been able to live out my childhood dream and while it’s been cut short, I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved."

Brayden Maynard has backed the AFL's crackdown on smothers that was prompted by his own controversial Tribunal case which followed him causing Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw to be concussed in the qualifying final.

"It's obviously the right thing to do because everyone's health is a priority. For them to bring out that rule, obviously (I'm) all for it and I'm definitely in favour," Maynard said.

Players will have a greater duty of care to avoid high contact when attempting to smother opponents under a proposed AFL rule change in the fallout of Brayden Maynard's controversial Tribunal case during the 2023 finals series after his bump that left Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw concussed.

The AFL releases a statement on the decision of the independent AFL Tribunal to dismiss the Rough Conduct charge against Brayden Maynard for his collision with Angus Brayshaw that resulted in the Demon midfielder being knocked out on the field.

"Our game’s uniqueness as a contact sport, while celebrated, involves risk of some high contact occurring. The decision to refer the incident to the tribunal was made so the unusual circumstances of this high contact incident could be closely examined, and a thorough and independent process could be run. Whilst the Tribunal’s decision was not the outcome the AFL sought when it issued its match review findings, the AFL respects the reasoning of the Tribunal Panel in arriving at its decision," the statement read.

Melbourne says the health of Angus Brayshaw remains a top priority as the Dees midfielder returns to training after being severely concussed following a knock to the head in a football collision with Brayden Maynard during the Demons' qualifying final loss to Collingwood.

"We need to make sure the athlete, in this case Angus, is clear, is functioning fully and we're really clear about what looks like moving forward. But I think nothing's off the table at this point. We need to make sure he works through these protocols the right way," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

Brayden Maynard is free to play in the Magpies' preliminary final after having his three-match ban for knocking out Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw overturned by the AFL Tribunal.

Maynard had jumped off the ground in an effort to spoil Brayshaw's kick early in the first quarter of the qualifying final between the two clubs before bracing for contact and collecting the Demons midfielder in the head, rendering him unconscious for two minutes.

Clayton Oliver makes a successful return to football after recovering from a much-scrutinised hamstring injury.

"The way he came out and played is a credit to how he got through the process. It's been him and it's been our high performance staff, I know they've put a heap of work in," Demons teammate Angus Brayshaw said of Oliver.

"It's great to have him back and hopefully now the headlines about it all disappear and we can focus on the footy."

Angus Brayshaw signs a six-year deal to remain at Melbourne until the end of 2028.

Angus Brayshaw will miss the rest of the 2020 season after injuring his foot against Sydney.

"He's had a weightbearing scan, which has identified some ligaments under the bottom of the foot that need to be operated on," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"It's one of those things that the further you investigate the more significant the injury was and he wasn't going to get back at all this year."

Angus Brayshaw's playing time has been reduced significantly in 2020.

Brayshaw played just 65 per cent game time in Melbourne's round 8 loss to Brisbane, the fourth time in seven matches so far in 2020 that he has spent more than an entire quarter on the bench.

"He's a really good player. He obviously had a quiet game last week, but his form leading up to that has been solid. He probably hasn't quite been at his best, but we'll get a response out of him. He'll be back to his best very soon," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

Angus Brayshaw strains a ligament in his left elbow after attempting to smother a kick during pre-season training.

"Scans have showed there is some moderate ligament damage to his left elbow," Melbourne's football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"Angus will be wearing a protective device on his left arm, which is part of the management of the injury. We anticipate he will resume full training in approximately four weeks but will be able to continue his running program during this time."

Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw are locked in a sugar-free battle as they attempt to shave off pre-season skinfolds.

The star midfielders have entered into a competition over who can last the longest without giving in to temptation.

"We've got a little bit of a bet on to see who can hold out the longest for not eating chocolate, soft drink or any sugar," Oliver explained.

"(It's been) since day one because we've wanted to get our 'skinnies' down, which is pretty important and keep your muscle-to-weight ratio higher. Hopefully the lower skinnies, the better.

"They've (skinfolds) been the best they've been so it's obviously worked a fair bit. (I'm) running real well and so is Gussy, Gussy's flying."

Angus Brayshaw is scathing when asked of his opinion of Andrew Gaff's vicious strike to the face of his brother, Andrew Brayshaw.

"If this has happened at a nightclub or on the streets, it's an assault," Angus said.

"I'm not a lawyer … but you could probably get in jail for something like this, I would imagine. The one-punch thing has been a huge campaign."

Melbourne is confident of re-signing Angus Brayshaw in the near future despite the high draft pick's breakout season putting him on the radar of rival clubs.

Brayshaw remains out of contract after a run of form this season that has him averaging nearly 27 disposals over 14 games.

"He's performed the way we thought he would when we took him so high in the draft and it's probably worked in his favour holding off [signing] in this occasion," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We're really happy with how it's going and we don't think we're far away from getting something done now."

Angus Brayshaw raises eyebrows after being seen low-fiving umpire Ray Chamberlain who was more than happy to engage in the social interaction with the Demons midfielder.

"I fully expected to have a free kick paid against me, so it was a nice little surprise when 'Razor' looked after me, so I thought, 'You know what? Why not give a little high five and show him my gratitude?'," Brawshaw, who had kicked the ball out of bounds, said.

"Normally they're pretty hot on it, so what's wrong with a little bit of player-umpire love going both ways? Hopefully they don't fine me for intentional conduct, but it was a bit of fun."

After a best-on-ground effort against Adelaide, Angus Brayshaw credits a frank meeting with co-captain Nathan Jones and coach Simon Goodwin for putting his season back on track.

Eyebrows were raised Brayshaw missed senior selection in the opening rounds of 2018.

"We had an honest conversation – me, 'Goody' and Nath Jones, being a mentor of mine and a really good mate who genuinely cares about how I'm going and what I'm doing," Brayshaw said.

"Goody's been great, because he was honest about why I wasn't playing … and also, which I really appreciated, (he told me) 'Here's the road map to get yourself back to playing'.

"They were huge in getting me through all that and I think now I've come out a better player."

Angus Brayshaw has laughed off reports suggesting he could leave Melbourne at the end of the year.

Brayshaw is out of contract at season's end and has reportedly attracted opposition interest after missing out on selection in the opening three rounds of the season.

"There's absolutely no truth from my end into it and I love Melbourne and I haven't even thought about (leaving)," Brayshaw said.

"Then this (report) pops up; I find it almost comical."

Brothers Hamish Brayshaw and Andy Brayshaw will be pitted as rivals after joining West Coast and Fremantle respectively at Friday night's NAB AFL Draft.

They will join older brother and Melbourne Demon Angus Brayshaw as AFL players.

"Angus was the most natural out of all of them and the other two just sort of came along behind him and grew into themselves," mother Deborah said.

"It was only sort of recently that both of them realised they had the potential having seen how Angus made it.

"It was great having Angus as their role model.

"I just keep pinching myself. Lucky I had that hypnotherapy last year, I think I might be going back for some more."

After being overlooked in the 2017 draft, Hamish Brayshaw knows he may not get the opportunity to join his brothers in the AFL.

Angus Brayshaw is listed with the Demons while younger sibling Andrew Brayshaw is expected to be picked up in 2018.

"I'm lucky enough to have finished school and be at uni. I'm studying and working, so I've got other things in my life besides football, so it's not as if it's just the be all and end all for me - I do have something to fall back on," Hamish said.

"A lot of people who are in the situation where they're not sure (if they will be drafted) don't have other people that are already playing or almost certain to go, so it's a bit of a different dynamic, but I couldn't be happier for the two of them."

Angus Brayshaw survives a heavy head knock with St Kilda's Koby Stevens in his first game back since recovering from concussion.

"I think that was as hard a contest as what I'm probably going to face," Brayshaw said.

"That just shows how far I've come. A month ago I probably wouldn't have been able to do that."

The 21-year-old was forced onto the sidelines after suffering his fourth concussion in 12 months while playing for Casey in the VFL in May.

"It's been what 18 weeks since I last played in the AFL. It's a big crowd, a big game for the club and I've just missed it so much," Brayshaw said.

"These 10 minutes after games is the best feeling ever and you miss this so much."

Angus Brayshaw will make his return to football for the Casey Demons in the VFL this week after recovering from repeated concussions.

"It's probably Gus' third or fourth week where he's been training with the group full contact," Demons high performance manager Dave Misson said.

"Importantly, he's very keen to get out there and play again, as are we to get a quality player back."

Angus Brayshaw is back on the training track after his latest concussion setback.

"We're taking a week-by-week approach with Angus," Demons coach Simon Goodwin said.

"He's back doing some training and some running, and we'll get him back to his best as quick as we can."

Angus Brayshaw will take an indefinite break from the game after suffering his fourth concussion in the past 12 months.

"He's having a small period away from the club, just to recover from his latest head knock," Melbourne captain Nathan Jones said on RSN radio.

"There's a process of getting tests and seeing how he's progressing with the normal SCAT (concussion) testing and whether that testing goes to another level.

"We expect (him) to getting back playing again."

Angus Brayshaw will miss at least the next two weeks after he suffered his fourth concussion in a year but the hard nut says the reoccurrence of the injury is just "bad luck".

"It's just footy, isn't it? It's bad luck. I got hit after I got rid of it three weeks ago, and on the weekend I was just going for a 50-50 ball and got a pretty solid whack," Brayshaw said.

"It's just really bad luck. That's the best way to describe them and that's the way I'm looking at it.

"The tests that I've had done certainly say my brain's healthy so I think you've just got to take each of them (the concussions) by themselves."

Angus Brayshaw suffers yet another head knock in the opening minutes of Casey's VFL clash with the Northern Blues.

Brayshaw lasted just three minutes in the opening quarter and was slow to get to his feet, appearing groggy as he left the ground and going straight to the rooms.

North Ballarat player Hayden Walters has been offered a one-match suspension for the forceful hit that resulted in a third concussion in 12 months for Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw.

Walters laid a late bump on Brayshaw in Saturday's VFL clash against Melbourne affiliate Casey, with a clash of heads resulting in the young midfielder's concussion.

Angus Brayshaw's immediate playing future is clouded after he suffered another concussion in the VFL.

The 21-year-old received his latest head knock in a contest during the second quarter of the Demons' 46-point win over North Ballarat, and did not appear after half-time.

Casey coach Justin Plapp said that Brayshaw would be monitored closely in the coming days given his concussion history.

"With his background last year, the medicos felt it was the right decision to finish him up and assess him through the week," Plapp said.

"Initially they might've felt it was on the mild side, but to what extent at the moment, we don't know."

Angus Brayshaw says he isn't bothered by his concussion issues anymore after a disastrous run of bad luck in 2016.

"I think probably early on, it was difficult mentally to work my way into contact training, thinking about what could happen if I have another concussion," Brayshaw said.

"But the club were terrific in the way they managed me and they let me go at my own pace where I was comfortable.

"I played the last seven games in a row and didn't have to worry about it and even now, I don't even think about it anymore.

"Hopefully all my good luck has been saved for this year because I've spent all of my bad luck last year."

Draft prospect Hamish Brayshaw says he doesn't just want to be compared to his older brother, Angus Brayshaw who has established himself as one of Melbourne's brightest young players.

"I've been compared to Angus quite a bit over the last couple of years," Brayshaw said.

"It is handy because you get the name out there but you also want to prove you're not just Angus 2.0.

"I've really made it a big focus point of mine to show that I'm a different player, so that people don't just pigeonhole me into being another Angus."

Angus Brayshaw’s large head made it difficult for Melbourne to find him a helmet that fit following the midfielder being concussed twice in three weeks.

"They had trouble finding one that fit my head but in the end, they got one," Brayshaw said.

"The guys like to make fun of me about the size of my head, and I need a haircut, so that probably doesn’t help."

His mother pushed for him to wear a helmet but Brayshaw opted not to use it.

"Mum really wanted me to (wear a helmet). She was pushing for it," he said.

"In my mind, I felt like if I was wearing one, then I wasn't confident enough to play.

"I just got to the point where I was comfortable with where I was at, and I didn't need one in the end.

"I haven't got another knock since."

Angus Brayshaw admits he felt scared after suffering concussion twice in three weeks.

"The first knock that I got, the football was serious and obviously you'd expect to be knocked out if someone kicks a wet, muddy footy in your head, but the second one was a glancing blow," Brayshaw said.

"I was really afraid that another tiny knock could potentially set it off and once you get your third concussion in a short space of time, that's when you're looking at some real long-term consequences."

Angus Brayshaw will be rested for an extended period after suffering his second concussion in three weeks.

Brayshaw suffered a knock early in the Casey Scorpions' VFL clash against Sandringham and took no further part in the game.

"This was Angus' second incident of concussion in a short period of time," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We will take a conservative approach with Angus which will involve an extended period of time before he returns to play."

Angus Brayshaw suffers his second concussion at VFL level in the space of three weeks during Casey's 31-point win over Sandringham.

"I think it's mild but he'll be monitored through the week and be assessed," Casey coach Justin Plapp said.

"A lot of it was based around that he had a head knock two weeks ago, which is unfortunate for the kid because he wants to get back out there playing footy."

Melbourne draftee Clayton Oliver says he is enjoying his time living with teammate Angus Brayshaw.

"They're a really good family and Mark and Deb are really good parents to have as host parents," he said, with Brayshaw's father Mark, the AFL Coaches Association CEO.

"I'm usually pretty cooked, so I just go home, go to bed, play some PlayStation or go to see my girlfriend, who is out in Malvern."

Angus Brayshaw will miss the rest of the NAB Challenge with a left knee injury, but may still play in round one.

"Angus has suffered a low-grade medial ligament strain and some bone bruising on his left knee," Melbourne footy manager Josh Mahoney said.

"This will be treated conservatively, but we expect Angus to begin his running rehabilitation next week."

Angus Brayshaw suffers a low grade strain to his medial ligament in his left knee in the opening seconds of Melbourne's NAB Challenge clash against Port Adelaide.

Melbourne expects the talented young midfielder to recover from his knee injury in time to push for round one selection.

"We think he'd definitely be available for round one, it's on the minor side … he's really confident that he'll pull up fine," stand-in Demons coach Simon Goodwin said.

Angus Brayshaw injures his neck while attempting to tackle Eagles opponent Sharrod Wellingham in the first quarter of Melbourne's clash against West Coast at TIO Stadium.

The 19-year-old was taken to a Darwin hospital for precautionary reasons after the game and Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said he would be monitored in the lead-up to Saturday's game.

"As a precaution, Angus had a neck brace on following the game," Mahoney said.

"He has had a number of scans and he has been cleared of any damage.

"He will now be treated for concussion symptoms through the week and be monitored."

Angus Brayshaw is the round 10 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after tallying 18 possessions (15 kicks, three handballs), six tackles and a goal during Melbourne's 25-point loss to Collingwood.

Melbourne captain Nathan Jones said he had tremendous respect for Brayshaw's work ethic at the club.

"He lives about one minute away from my house so we've been close ever since the day he got drafted," Jones said.

"He's got all the attributes physically but when a young player comes in with the mentality that he has, it's just terrific to see."

Angus Brayshaw makes his AFL debut for Melbourne at the MCG with 9 disposals (7 kicks and 2 handballs), 2 marks and 9 tackles in a 26-point win over Gold Coast.

Angus Brayshaw re-commits to Melbourne until the end of 2018, before playing his first AFL game.

"In the time he's been at the club, he's shown the reasons why our recruiting staff rated him so highly," Melbourne football operations manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We think he's going to become a very important player in the midfield for us in the future."

Angus Brayshaw says he isn't feeling any pressure from Melbourne to make his debut in round one.

"For me and all the players who have been drafted to the club, they've been really clear about not setting any expectations on us, but also not any limitations either," Brayshaw said.

"If we play games they're not going to put a cap on how many we play. But I think for now the focus has been on getting fit, really learning the game plan and basically just improving because we started a couple of weeks after the main group."

Angus Brayshaw is selected by the Demons with pick No.3 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.

"A big, hard midfielder that we wanted to add to the mix who has got a bit of speed outside as well. His footy character is critical to the young midfield group and he is a genuine goalkicking mid," Melbourne's recruiting manager Jason Taylor said about Brayshaw.