Demonland

“He'll make his mark”: Lyon looks on the bright side for retired Melbourne hero Brayshaw Thursday was a sad day for our game. The AFL world was forced to say goodbye to Melbourne star Angus Brayshaw with the 28-year-old announcing his retirement from this beautiful game, effective immediately. His ongoing battle with concussion reached the point where it was having a significant impact on his brain which meant any further knocks would impact his life post-footy. And when you look at it like that, it’s a good thing that Brayshaw, alongside his family and club, had the resources to come to that decision. Brayshaw will go down as a hero of the Melbourne Football Club. He was a pivotal member of that drought-breaking premiership team that saw Melbourne supporters experience some of their greatest memories as a football fan in the midst of another COVID-forced lockdown. The photo of him sucking down a cigar in the middle of Optus Stadium is iconic. Bradshaw made wearing helmets cool and when you go down to your local Auskick in the coming months, you’ll see young girls and boys donning a helmet with the number 10 on their backs. His infectious personality has a positive impact on people. I’ve never met Angus Brayshaw, but you can tell he’d be a cracking bloke that you'd love to spend some time with. A highly specialised scan in recent months revealed microscopic changes to Brayshaw’s brain that had developed since his concussion sustained during the Demons' 2023 Qualifying Final loss to Collingwood. Brayshaw’s hand was forced, and the game has seen the last of a player that starred in this competition over his 167-game career. He embodied the spirt of the red and blue for close to a decade and his impact on the club will live on for years to come. I read a beautiful tribute from a Melbourne fan to Brayshaw on Wednesday night, it read: “We pay tribute to Angus Brayshaw, whose indelible mark on the AFL landscape leaves an enduring legacy for generations to come. Brayshaw’s legacy transcends the realm of sport, encompassing values of resilience, determination and perseverance.” You couldn’t have put it better yourself and the hundreds of tributes made by former titans of the game, past teammates and neutral fans far and wide show how respected Brayshaw was in the football fraternity. But February 21 was a sad day for all involved and I spoke with Melbourne great Garry Lyon to find out what Brayshaw meant to him and how significant this is for the AFL as we continue to deal with sensitive situations like the one that forced a premature retirement. “He’s one of 23 heroes of mine that helped deliver a premiership to a footy club and supporter group that thought they’d never get to see one, he’s one of those 23 heroes and always will be forever and a day,” Lyon told SEN.com.au. “Apart from that, he’s a Brayshaw and that’s got a lot going for him, he’s an articulate and clever young man that’s got a great sense of humour with a great outlook on life. “He made his mark in the world of footy and has been pulled up short, but he’ll make his mark somewhere along the way because he’s got the world in front of him. “Angus always put the team first, he’s such a selfless kid, he finished third in the Brownlow in 2018 and he could’ve easily banged the table and said, ‘why aren’t I playing more midfield time?’, but at various stages he had to play a role for the club, and he accepted it with great grace. “He’s a super player, a great young man that’s got a big, long life ahead of him.” Brayshaw joins a growing list of players that have had their career cut short due to concussion and Lyon hopes that Brayshaw’s story can be a learning curve and cautionary tale for everyone in the AFL world. “Hopefully now people can stop trying to make decisions for players that have no idea about what the player is going through,” Lyon added. “I’m talking about us in the media, those who write stories urging players to retire. “Surely, we can just sit back and trust that there’s a system in place where the right things will be done by the player, the player’s family and their club. “In the end, footy isn’t the be-all and end-all, his health is. “He’s 28-years-old with another 65 years of life to live and that’s a good thing, they’ve been able to find the issue and think about his long-term future.” As for the impact his departure will have on Simon Goodwin and the playing group, Lyon says it is unquestionable that this will have a monumental bearing on how the Demons go in 2024, but it's the last thing he’s thinking of as this sad news sinks in. “He’s a huge loss, there’s no questioning or sugar-coating that, he’s in the best five or six players in the team and you don’t lose those players without leaving a hole,” Lyon added. “But I emphasise this - that’s footy and he’s a huge loss from a footy point of view - but there’s more important things at play here. “Of course, we’re going to miss him but we’re bloody lucky, thankful and happy that they’ve found the issue at hand and that his life going forward is going to be better for that.”

LIONS SQUAD 1. Kai Lohmann, 3. Joe Daniher, 4. Callum Ah Chee, 5. Josh Dunkley, 6. Hugh McCluggage, 11. Lincoln McCarthy, 14. James Madden, 15. Dayne Zorko, 16. Cam Rayner, 17. Jarryd Lyons, 18. Keidean Coleman, 20. Jaxon Prior, 22. Harry Sharp, 23. Charlie Cameron, 27. Darcy Gardiner, 28. Jaspa Fletcher, 29. James Tunstill, 30. Eric Hipwood, 31. Harris Andrews, 32. Darcy Fort, 33. Zac Bailey, 35. Ryan Lester, 37. Brandon Starcevich, 40. Jack Payne, 44. Darcy Wilmot, 46. Oscar McInerney Notable absentees: Lachie Neale, Jarrod Berry, Conor McKenna, Tom Doedee, Deven Robertson, Will Ashcroft SUNS SQUAD 2. Rory Atkins, 3. Sam Flanders, 6. Alex Sexton, 7. Nick Holman, 8. Brayden Fiorini, 9. Ben Ainsworth, 10. Charlie Ballard, 11. Touk Miller, 12. Sam Day, 13. Jack Lukosius, 15. Noah Anderson, 16. Tom Berry, 18. Matt Rowell, 19. Bailey Humphrey, 20. Ethan Read, 21. James Tsitas, 22. Ben Long, 23. Sean Lemmens, 24. David Swallow, 25. Sam Collins, 26. Will Graham, 28. Jarrod Witts, 30. Levi Casboult, 31. Mac Andrew, 32. Bodhi Uwland, 33. Sam Clohesy, 34. Ben King, 35. Connor Budarick, 36. Will Rowlands, 37. Oskar Faulkhead, 38. Lloyd Johnston, 40. Joel Jeffrey, 41. Malcolm Rosas jnr, 42. Jack Mahony, 44. Darcy Macpherson, 45. Sandy Brock, 46. Caleb Graham, 47. Hewago Oea, 49. Ned Moyle, 50. Jy Farrar Notable absentees: Brandon Ellis, Lachie Weller, Wil Powell, Alex Davies, Jed Walter, Jake Rogers MATCH FORMAT 6 x 20-minute periods, plus time-on

We should have big dollars by years end and we need to start throwing it around to quality.

Melbourne legend left devestated by Angus Brayshaw’s shock retirement