AFL Daily: Angus Brayshaw, Paddy McCartin’s mothers supporting each other through sons’ concussion battles

ANGUS Brayshaw and Paddy McCartin’s mothers have supported each other through their sons’ concussion battles with hypnotherapy a helpful tool. Meanwhile, Richmond’s Nick Vlastuin has copped a one-match ban.

THE mothers of Angus Brayshaw and Paddy McCartin have supported each other during their sons’ concussion battles with Debra Brayshaw a strong advocate for hypnotherapy.

Brayshaw, 22, and McCartin, 22, have suffered a combined 11 concussions in four AFL seasons and will both wear helmets when they play against each other at the MCG. Debra Brayshaw saw hypnotherapist Rohan Gazzard before her son’s return from concussion last year and managed to stay calm as Angus copped another sickening headknock just minutes into his comeback. THE BUZZ: STARTING SPOTS CAN MAKE GAME GREAT AGAIN DAVID KING: RADICAL RULE CHANGES COULD BACKFIRE The Brayshaws discovered the hypnotherapist at Haileybury College, where he performed comedy shows as The Bizarre Gazzard and hypnotised their sons into robot dancing and licking imaginary ice creams on stage. “(Debra) was always a bit anxious about the boys getting hurt,” husband Mark Brayshaw said. “When Angus started playing league footy and getting hurt she said I’m going to see this fellow and it worked. “It works as a means of cooling the nerves and allowing her to watch. It’s to do with breathing and relaxing and she now happily watches the footy. Mark Brayshaw said Debra and Jo McCartin “swap notes” on dealing with their son’s head knocks and Debra almost certainly would’ve recommended hypnotherapy. “All phobia is a normal fear, but at an irrational level,” Gazzard said. RE-CAP THE DAY’S BREAKING NEWS IN THE BLOG BELOW “We’re all programmable and we bring it back to a rational level with a positive trigger.” McCartin and Brayshaw became friends in 2014, when McCartin went at pick No.1 to St Kilda and Brayshaw at No.3 to Melbourne. “My first (concussion) was the first for both of us, and (Paddy) sent me a message after that,” Brayshaw told the AFL Players’ Association. “When he had his I reached out and said, ‘I know what you’re going through’.” Mark Brayshaw said it was common for rivals to reach out. “Kurt Tippett was very generous to Debra and me when we were navigating Angus’ first concussion,” he said. “Kurt was fantastic. (Sydney coach) John Longmire’s an old teammate of mine and Kurt offered to talk to us and he had some really good advice. Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >

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