Andrew Brayshaw could be taken with Brisbane’s pick No.1 but hopes brother Hamish is also drafted
ANDREW Brayshaw won’t have to wait long until his name is called out at the national draft but would be just as thrilled if his brother Hamish — who was overlooked last year — also gets picked up.
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ANDREW Brayshaw won’t have to wait long to kiss mum Deborah on the cheek and shake dad Mark’s hand as the cameras flash on Friday night.
They will attend the national draft at Sydney’s Olympic Park, where Brayshaw is a chance to be selected by Brisbane Lions with the No.1 selection.
The Lions should settle on this year’s dux at a list meeting on Wednesday.
If they plump for Cameron Rayner, another club with a top-five pick is certain to take Brayshaw.
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Brayshaw will probably then receive a congratulatory text from oldest brother Will, who is in Queensland as a lieutenant in the army, and Hamish and Angus, who will watch from home in Sandringham.
“For him to get the privilege and the honour of being the No.1 name called out would be unbelievable, so we’ll be holding our breath,” Hamish said.
But the family’s night doesn’t end with Andrew.
It is hoping for a footy trifecta — for Hamish to join Andrew and Melbourne midfielder Angus on AFL lists.
“I think I’d be just as excited if Hame got drafted as if I got drafted,” Andrew said.
“If I got picked up, I’d still be watching and just hoping with fingers crossed he goes as well.”
Andrew and Hamish have spent the past two seasons at Sandringham Dragons.
In 2016 they won the TAC Cup premiership as the bruised brothers — Andrew tweaked a medial ligament and Hamish had long been playing with a broken navicular bone in a foot.
When draft night rolled around, Hamish was left on the shelf.
“It was a rough night,” Andrew said.
“I don’t think I said anything to him that night. He walked up into his room, and he didn’t come out.”
Andrew decided to give Hamish time and space. Little was required.
“Pretty much the next day he said he’s going to have another crack and come back to Sandy (as a 19-year-old),” Andrew said.
Hamish is a lot more relaxed heading into this draft. He knows he has done everything possible.
Hamish played 11 TAC Cup games and averaged 131 SuperCoach points this year.
Andrew played 10 TAC Cup games and averaged 131.
Andrew spent most of his other weeks captaining Haileybury, where he won the 2016 best-and-fairest, to an undefeated premiership.
Hamish spent his other weeks playing for Sandringham Zebras in the VFL, notably collecting 24 disposals and laying 10 tackles against Geelong at Kardinia Park.
Against Northern Knights in September, Hamish kicked five goals from 30 disposals and laid 11 tackles.
Recruiters love the character of the brothers and say clubs could do a lot worse than taking Hamish with a late pick.
If it doesn’t happen, Hamish will spend next year in the VFL and try again.
“I won’t give up the dream,” he said.
“I haven’t had a full pre-season the last two years and so I’d go, have a full pre-season and give it another crack.”
The pair have inside knowledge of what’s required.
Outside of dad Mark flipping through a range of high-level roles in the AFL, they watched Angus be drafted at pick No.3 in 2014 and the No.4 pick, Clayton Oliver, moved in with the family in his first year with the Demons.
Angus’s selection made the AFL dream seem tangible.
“As a kid you think AFL players are superheroes,” Hamish said.
“But then your brother gets drafted and it’s kind of like, well they’re just normal people. It’s weird.”
Andrew remembers Angus leaving for pre-season training and then crashing to bed when he returned after lunchtime.
Andrew and Angus are regulars at the gym together, sometimes lifting dumbbells in Nathan Jones’ garage.
The past five Christmas Days have started with the two older Brayshaw boys running 100 100m sprints. Andrew has sweated it out with them since 2014.
The quietest of the three, Andrew is a different player to Angus.
“Angus is really skilful and can crack in hard, you’ve seen that from his head knocks — maybe a bit too hard,” Andrew said.
“I might have a little bit more pace ... I might be a little bit more outside, whereas he’s a little bit more in.”
Likened to Brownlow medallist Trent Cotchin, Andrew is regarded as the complete package. And that is why he could go No.1.
Originally published as Andrew Brayshaw could be taken with Brisbane’s pick No.1 but hopes brother Hamish is also drafted
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