Melbourne’s dynamic midfield duo Angus Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver are already up and running

The AFL last snubbed Brownlow Medal bolter Angus Brayshaw but the league will surely send an invite based on the Melbourne midfielder’s display against Richmond.

Jon Ralph

2 min read

March 4, 2019 - 10:42AM

Richmond star Dustin Martin keeps a close eye on Melbourne’s Christian Petracca. Picture: Michael Klein

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Memo to AFL House: His name is Angus Brayshaw and this time you need to pick him up for the Brownlow Medal in a stretch limousine.

And while you are at it, swing by and get the red head too.

Melbourne headed north to Shepparton aware a dozen post-season operations and a short pre-season has put them behind the Eight ball.

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They jumped Richmond despite a half-strength side, went to sleep mid-match then mounted a late comeback to lose by only 12 points.

What they don’t have to worry about is the form of their dynamic midfield duo in Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver.

Brayshaw was famously shafted for a Brownlow Medal invite and spent the night over a few tinnies in a mate’s basement as he finished third with 21 votes.

Oliver polled 13 votes and between them after the preliminary final loss they went on a summer sugar-free diet to get their skinfolds down.

Angus Brayshaw finished third in last year’s Brownlow Medal despite missing out on an invite. Picture: Michael Klein

Take it as read that it worked.

Oliver was first up after double shoulder surgeries but looked like he was deep in an AFL season, so crisp was his touch and vision.

Between Brayshaw, Oliver, James Harmes and Christian Petracca they had 38 possessions in a rampaging seven-goal first quarter.

Oliver had a dozen of those, and the nine precise kicks as he surged past the pack were perhaps a reason why he was so fancied by the umpires voting for the Brownlow.

Melbourne’s centre square advantage was neutralised when Dustin Martin got to work, but with Max Gawn and Jack Viney to come back into the side the early signs were impressive.

YOU ARE GONE, DUSTY …

Christian Petracca can claim the first ball-and-all tackle of Dustin Martin this year, pinning him with a holding-the-ball call in the early minutes.

He also showed us some typical Petracca flair, shimmying through traffic to bomb accurately for a 50m goal.

There was also some of the touch Paul Roos tried to coach into him, hitting a lateral target to free a player in space when his instinct was to simply thump the ball forward.

Petracca finished only 15th in the club best and fairest last year but after overcoming some knee soreness should be ready for a breakout season.

Clayton Oliver crashes into Richmond’s Riley Collier-Dawkins. Picture: Getty Images

REPLACING HOGAN

Joel Smith has amazing pedigree as the son of high flyer Shaun Smith but has mostly been used as a medium-sized defender in his 11 games for the Demons.

He got a start as a forward and immediately made his mark.

He climbed high for a strong mark and nailed the set shot, then quickly had his second in the board when he converted a down-field free kick.

When Sam Weideman took his own strong park mark and converted, the Demons’ post-Hogan strategy was taking shape.

ROUND 1 BOLTERS

Last year it was Bailey Fritsch who surged into Round 1 contention with a sparkling JLT Series.

Melbourne has high hopes for its bunch of kids, including Collingwood VFL star Marty Hore, James Jordan and Tom Sparrow.

Hore played a solid role as a medium-sized back but Jordan and Sparrow had quiet afternoons in a team that needs to bring back 10 of its best players.