Andrew Brayshaw Biography

Andrew Brayshaw says he is more than happy to continue sacrificing parts of his game if it helps the Dockers keep winning.

"We just want to win games, whatever it takes," Brayshaw said on Monday.

"If I have to go out on the wing and let someone go in and crack in, I'm happy to do it. I'm probably being a bit more flexible now.

"All of us mids, now that we have so many guys that can play inside, need to have that ability to either go forward or wing."

Fremantle names Alex Pearce as its new captain, with Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw to serve as vice-captains.

Andrew Brayshaw claims his first Doig Medal as Fremantle's club champion for the 2022 season.

Brayshaw polled 273 votes to finish clear of defender Brennan Cox (200), who finished in the top 10 for the first time after a career-best season, and midfield gun Caleb Serong (197).

Nat Fyfe will captain Fremantle for a sixth straight year in 2022, heading a five-man leadership consisting of Andrew Brayshaw, Alex Pearce, David Mundy, and newly promoted Caleb Serong.

Michael Walters has decided to step down from the leadership group in 2022 after five years in the role.

Andrew Brayshaw says he wasn't that bothered by Nathan Vardy's recent jibe, but he appreciates the apology put forth by West Coast.

Vardy twice yelled out Brayshaw's name in an attempt to distract teammate Andrew Gaff as the Eagles midfielder lined up for a birthday shot at goal at training.

The jibe was in reference to the incident last year when Gaff broke Brayshaw's jaw in an off-the-ball hit. Gaff said Vardy's comments were in poor taste, and apologised publicly to Brayshaw. Eagles coach Adam Simpson also made a public apology on behalf of the club.

"When I heard it (Vardy's comments) I was a little bit disappointed, but at the end of the day I've physically and emotionally moved on from it, so it didn't bother me that much," Brayshaw said.

"And to hear Andrew (Gaff), Simmo, and the whole club support me a bit, I was really appreciative of that. It didn't really bother me that much to be honest."

Dockers coach Ross Lyon says he is unimpressed that Andrew Brayshaw's name was called out by a West Coast player trying to put Andrew Gaff off a kick for goal at training.

The Eagles posted a video on their Instagram story where a teammate twice calls Brayshaw's name as Gaff lines up and misses a shot.

Gaff was suspended for eight weeks last year and missed West Coast's premiership after breaking Brayshaw's jaw and displacing teeth during the round 20 Western Derby.

"In light of how serious that injury was, and the incident, it’s really disappointing," Lyon told Channel Seven.

Andrew Gaff will make his return to football this weekend after serving his eight-game suspension for his round 20 strike on Fremantle youngster Andrew Brayshaw.

"I'm just looking forward to getting on with it and playing with the boys again – I haven't been able to do that for a while, which has been tough," Gaff said.

"No doubt it's hard not to think about it. But that's the way it goes and all my doing."

The 26-year-old left it until after the John Worsfold Medal count in October to recommit to the Eagles, and admitted to sleepless nights agonising over his decision.

Gaff spent a month in Melbourne after his suspension after his father Paul underwent heart surgery, and considered his family situation before re-signing, with the call also partly influenced by wanting to face up to the tough period in the west.

"Obviously if anything family-related pops up, I'll be back there straight away to help out a family member in need," Gaff said.

"But I've really enjoyed my football career to date at West Coast and looking forward to continuing that with hopefully even more success."

Andrew Brayshaw has marked Fremantle's first pre-season match as the final step in his psychological recovery from the serious facial injuries he suffered in last year's wild round 20 Western Derby.

"The last step in that recovery process would be playing a competitive AFL game, so JLT One for me is that last step in my recovery," he said.

"After that, I really think the incident and the injury is over with and I'm just back to being myself and playing my best footy, I think."

Ross Lyon says Andrew Brayshaw's return to football will come with serious mental hurdles.

"Our brain's wired to protect ourselves. An AFL ground was the last place that he got significantly hurt, so I think at a deep level he'll have to work through that," Lyon said of Brayshaw.

"It would be a bit naïve whether you're his coach, brother, family member or a member of the media, to not even think about that.

"I think it's on the radar, but he'll step his way through because he's a tough kid."

Carlton draftee Liam Stocker admits that running and his fitness base are areas for improvement in his game.

Stocker called upon his old Haileybury and Sandringham Dragons teammate Andrew Brayshaw for advice on how to improve his tank.

"Once I was allowed to run again I stole Andy's midfield program," Stocker said.

"I started toiling away at that and doing a bit of gym work. I tried mainly to do rehab on the shoulder to make sure it wasn't an issue when I got here, so that's what I've done.

"I think my running still has a little bit to go, but I'm sure (Blues high-performance manager) Andrew Russell will have a bit to say about that as well. It's certainly still my weakness."

Andrew Brayshaw says he has made piece with Andrew Gaff over a game of golf after the sickening punch that left him with a broken jaw and displaced teeth.

"My brother Hamish organised a little meet-up when I was back in WA. We actually played a round of golf," Brayshaw said.

"I just got to know him as a bloke a bit more. It was good to play that game."

Andrew Brayshaw says he has forgiven Andrew Gaff, and revealed he might lose five teeth from the West Coast midfielder's crude hit during the Western Derby.

Brayshaw said his brother Hamish Brayshaw, who has developed a close friendship with Gaff after being drafted by West Coast last year, helped convince him Gaff's blow was out of character.

"The action itself is horrific," an emotional Brayshaw told Channel Seven.

"But the person that Andrew Gaff is, I forgive him and I'm not going to hold a grudge against him as a person.

"Hamish told me that out of all the people he knows, and all the people in the AFL, Andrew Gaff would be the last person to do it.

"(A) good bloke has made a bad mistake."

Andrew Brayshaw's father Mark has spoken with Andrew Gaff's parents in the fallout from the brutal injury suffered by their 18-year-old son.

Mark revealed he and his wife had accepted an apology from Gaff's family.

"Craig (Gaff) rang me and left a message. I called him back straight away. We had a really good chat," Mark Brayshaw told SEN Radio.

"He apologised, and I said, 'It's not really for me to accept it, but both of us, Debra and I, accept your apology.

"'Please, in amongst all your considerations, don't worry about us'. I said, 'I wish I could shake your hand and have a beer about it in person'."

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."

Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas says Andrew Gaff's wellbeing needs to be considered in the fallout from the West Coast star's ugly hit on Fremantle youngster Andrew Brayshaw.

Jonas has been there himself, having been handed a six-game suspension for striking Gaff in round nine, 2016.

"If you do the crime, there's going to be repercussions, but at the same time, you've probably got to take into account the mental health of the person that does it because he's still a human being," Jonas said.

"He'd be taking it pretty hard, as he probably should, but it will get dealt with in due course and both parties will come back from it and still be good footballers."

Andrew Gaff's season is over, with the West Coast star to serve the joint-longest AFL suspension this century after he was banned for eight matches for his punch on Andrew Brayshaw.

Gaff had pleaded guilty to the crude off-the-ball strike that left his 18-year-old opponent with a fractured jaw and four displaced teeth.

However, a "devastated" Gaff told the Tribunal that it was his intention to strike Brayshaw in the chest after a tense examination period that lasted for almost an hour.

"First of all, I just want to say I'm so, so sorry for Andrew and the Brayshaw family and the pain I've caused them over the last 48 hours," Gaff said after his hearing.

"I respect the Brayshaw boys so much and the way they go about it.

"I own my actions and it really hurts a lot. The last 48 hours have probably been the toughest couple of days of my life. The people that I've spoken to know the world of pain I'm in and how much I'm suffering.

"I see myself as a caring, gentle and measured person. That's why it's disappointing.

"I'm disappointed for Andrew, I'm disappointed in myself, I'm disappointed to let my teammates down at an important time of the year and I'm disappointed to let my supporters down as well.

"For the time being, I'm going to surround myself with my friends and family and those who care for me most. But once again, I just want to apologise wholeheartedly to Andrew and I hope he gets better soon."

Andrew Brayshaw will not play again this season and will not be able to eat solid food for a month following surgery on his jaw as a result of the off-the-ball punch delivered by Eagle Andrew Gaff.

The Dockers have been left seething by the Gaff hit, with Brayshaw – pick No.2 in last year's NAB AFL Draft – having an operation to repair his broken jaw and have three displaced lower teeth put back in place and splinted.

Brayshaw is now recovering at home with his parents Debra and Mark.

West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett dismisses calls for Andrew Gaff to face criminal charges after his off-the-ball strike left Fremantle youngster Andy Brayshaw with a broken jaw and displaced teeth.

"Some of those inflammatory comments by some people just are unwarranted, because everyone knows we've got a process in the AFL and the club will take the process to the Tribunal," Nisbett said.

"The AFL will deal with it. The player will get the penalty that the AFL Tribunal deems as deserved in this case."

Nisbett and coach Adam Simpson have spoken to Brayshaw's father Mark, the AFL Coaches' Association boss, and the family accepted the club's apology.

"As a club, obviously we're very disappointed at the incident. We take full ownership of the incident, as does Andrew," Nisbett said.

"Gaffy's not in great shape himself, but we understand the incident happened and we are fully apologetic to Andrew Brayshaw and the family and the Fremantle Football Club for the incident."

Eagles coach Adam Simpson insists Andrew Gaff did not intend to strike Andrew Brayshaw in the head, but in the chest.

"Hand on heart, knowing Andrew and speaking to him post-game, he legitimately said to me he didn't mean to hit him in the head," Simpson said.

"I think about 30 seconds before he hit him in the chest and I think he tried to do the same thing and he got it horribly wrong.

"Andrew's devastated, he's really disappointed in himself. He's let himself down and the club. But he's not the victim, of course, we know that. Our thoughts are with Andrew Brayshaw."

Andrew Gaff's Brownlow Medal hopes appear dashed and his season is in doubt over a brutal off-the-ball hit on Andrew Brayshaw.

The strike left the 18-year-old Docker lying on the grass with a bloodied mouth in the third quarter of Sunday's Western Derby at Optus Stadium.

He was taken to hospital with a 'fractured jaw and four displaced teeth', according to Dockers coach Ross Lyon.

Gaff is likely to be sent straight to the Tribunal, facing a minimum of three weeks on the sidelines.

Speaking to Fox Footy post-match, Gaff was remorseful and prepared to cop his penalty.

"I just want to apologise to Andy. I feel sick. I did the wrong thing and it doesn't indicate my character and my main thought is how he is," Gaff said.

"What happened, happened, but my only thought is how Andy is and what will happen (to me) will happen."

Dockers coach Ross Lyon says he had to calm his players down after they wanted retribution following West Coast onballer Andrew Gaff's off-the-ball strike on Dockers young gun Andrew Brayshaw.

Lyon was emotional during his post-match press conference on Sunday, describing the scenes in the rooms as Brayshaw's mother, Debbie, broke down in tears.

"Andrew Brayshaw was king-hit 100m off the ball. He's got a fractured jaw and four displaced teeth that are caved in, and he'll be undergoing surgery tonight," Lyon said post-match.

"I think it's self-evident (what my thoughts on the incident are). I've got an 18-year-old kid that I saw in a real mess when I came down to the rooms and his mum in tears as I was walking in.

"He was pretty distraught. I gave him a hug. It's hard to keep the emotion back yourself. To see his mum, it's pretty tough.

"It's a tough enough business as it is. It's a pretty significant moment I would've thought. Our No.2 pick won't play again this year, I wouldn't have thought."

Andrew Brayshaw makes his AFL debut for Fremantle at Adelaide Oval with 12 disposals (4 kicks and 8 handballs), 3 marks and 2 tackles in a 50-point loss to Port Adelaide.

Lachie Neale says Fremantle teammate, and housemate, Andrew Brayshaw's competitive edge will make him a valuable cog in the Dockers midfield.

"I think you saw throughout the pre-season competition what he brings, just hardness around the ball, puts his head over it, loves a tackle and he'll bring his absolute best every week," Neale said of Brayshaw.

"We don't expect miracles, but the way he's held himself throughout the pre-season has been fantastic.

"If he can bring that effort week-in, week-out he'll be a really solid contributor for us."

Fremantle has wasted no time in locking up its top pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, signing Andrew Brayshaw until the end of 2021.

"I heard that the club was interested in re-signing me and I’ve been treated really well here and everyone’s been really welcoming, so I just snatched it (the opportunity to re-sign) up as quickly as I could," Brayshaw said.

"I definitely feel there’s something special going on at the club and I’m really excited for the next few years and I definitely want to be a part of that."

Nat Fyfe will have a full house from hosting three Fremantle teammates including Griffin Logue, Alex Pearce and the Dockers' first round draftee Andrew Brayshaw.

Pearce, however, will soon be moving into his own home in a few weeks to make way for the club's new recruit who will make the move from Melbourne.

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."

Highly rated draft prospect Andrew Brayshaw says the possibility of going interstate is part and parcel of a national competition.

"When you sign on the dotted line, you sign up for a national competition, so it's not just Melbourne, you can go interstate - and I think that's an awesome opportunity," Brayshaw said.

"While it would be great to stay in Melbourne, you can make new friends interstate. It's a win-win for me."

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."

Andrew Brayshaw's ascent into top-10 calculations for next month's draft has continued after the midfielder became the first ever winner of the new Yo-Yo test at the NAB AFL Draft Combine.

The Yo-Yo was introduced to the combine's format for the first time this year, replacing the time-honored beep test as it seen to better reflect the running patterns of the game at the top level.