AFL 2024: Melbourne footy boss Alan Richardson reveals club’s shock over Angus Brayshaw’s brain scans

All the information Melbourne had received was positive, and Angus Brayshaw was picked to play against Richmond. Then, as footy boss Alan Richardson explains, last week’s news shocked them all.

Melbourne was left in “shock” when a brain scan last week ended Angus Brayshaw’s career.

The 167-game premiership player announced his retirement on Thursday, but first knew his playing career was over days before when results of the scan revealed microscopic changes.

Melbourne football boss Alan Richardson confirmed that the scan results were out of the blue for the club and it had little indication Brayshaw would be soon hanging up the boots.

The valuable midfielder had trained throughout pre-season after taking some time to recover from the qualifying final knockout, that has now ended his career.

He had graduated to contact training this month and was picked to play in a practice match against Richmond on Sunday before being withdrawn due to “illness” following the bombshell medical results.

Angus Brayshaw at training this month. Picture: Michael Klein

“It did hit us as a shock last week,” Richardson told SEN on Friday.

“Not because we had a lack of information but because it was different information we got.

“Everything was progressing really well.

“Testing even at that early stage (after the qualifying final) and as he recovered … it was all pretty good.

“It was only really last week when he had his final scan that there had clearly been some shift in terms of injury to the brain and the decision was made from his neurologist that contact sport was not going to be.

“That was a bit of a shock, certainly to Gussy and the rest of us, because it had been going so well.”

Only a small group of people knew Brayshaw would call time on his career early in the week.

The playing group had Monday to Wednesday off and the 28-year-old was desperate to keep his news under wraps until he told his teammates at 11am on Thursday.

After telling his mates, Brayshaw said it “feels like a weight off my shoulders”.

While shattered to be forced into retirement, he said he walked away with plenty of good memories.

“I said to the boys, I have three brothers and I remember growing up pretending to be an AFL player in our backyard kicking the footy on the MCG,” he told the club website.

“So I got to live my dream out, I am a premiership player, played 100 games, a life member of the club. No-one can take that away from me. It is emotional but I am so lucky and grateful.”

Richardson confirmed Melbourne would work with the AFL on how the salary cap will be hit by the five years remaining on Brayshaw’s contract.

Melbourne can’t replace him on their playing list until the mid-season draft.

Brayshaw will stay involved at Melbourne after retiring on Thursday. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The Demons and Brayshaw will also work on creating a role for the retiree to stay involved this year and he has spent time working in finance to develop his life post-football.

Richardson again knocked back questions of whether Melbourne has a drug culture, as the Sport Integrity Australia investigation into cocaine charges against forward Joel Smith continued.

The footy boss said onballer Clayton Oliver was continuing to make progress but a decision on his availability for opening round was yet to be made.

“He is pushing hard, he could have his leg hanging off and he would want to play,” Richardson said.

“We are hopeful and the more he played and trains and lives the way he is at the minute, that goes from hope to optimism.”