Angus Brayshaw reveals he spent almost two weeks in a dark room battling concussion after-effects

ANGUS Brayshaw missed much of last season due to concussion and now the emerging Melbourne midfielder reveals the lengths he went to to rid himself of the after-effects.

EXCITING Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw has revealed how he spent almost two weeks in a darkened room battling the after-effects of concussion last year, but stressed he is now thankful the club took a conservative approach to his welfare.

The 21-year-old Demon was restricted to 12 games last season — including the last seven — owing to a knee injury suffered in the opening minutes of the first preseason game and two separate concussions that temporarily halted his season midyear.

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But a fit and fired-up Brayshaw has enjoyed an almost seamless preseason campaign ahead of the 2017 season, and is eager to make up for lost time.

“Personally it has pretty much been an injury-free one for me, other than a bit of a calf niggle,” Brayshaw said. “It has been good to get through and learn a bit more about the way ‘Goody’ (coach Simon Goodwin) wants us to play.”

Angus Brayshaw is fit after an up and down year in 2016. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Brayshaw had two head knocks in the space of three weeks, the first of which came from an errant kick from teammate Alex Neal-Bullen — with whom he shared a 21st birthday in January — to the back of the head. He was stood down from football for more than a month as a precaution.

“I had six weeks mandatory off from contact, which was annoying,” he said. “But it (concussion) is not something that you want to mess around with.”

“It is hard to explain to people who haven’t had concussions before. They are terrible things and they are really personal for each person. You can experience different symptoms.

“For the first couple of weeks I can just remember that I could not leave the house. I was in a dark room, doing nothing.

“It is a very isolating experience. The advice is to do nothing and rest your brain.

“I have got through all that now, and hopefully I don’t have to experience that again.”

He was experiencing similar symptoms to former teammate Heritier Lumumba, who retired from the game after he became concerned his issues could affect him in life after football.

Angus Brayshaw with year 5 students from Bentleigh West Primary School for a community camp. Picture: Hamish Blair

As much as it frustrated him at the time, Brayshaw said the club’s conservative approach was the right pathway, and gave him the confidence to finish last year full of running.

“The club was terrific in the way they looked after me,” he said. “We were really confident I was ready to go when I came back and it was good to at least get something out of the year.”

One of the Demons’ emerging talents, Brayshaw said the club’s bulging midfield stocks can prove a significant boon as they chase their first finals berth in a decade.

“It is an absolute strength for us,” he said. “We bat very deep through the midfield.”

“As a team, we haven’t set any limitations on what we can achieve. We are just confident in the work we have put in and trusting that will take us in the right direction.

“The general way we play the game hasn’t changed too much (under Goodwin). Obviously we want to stay a contest team, and I think ‘Goody’ has added a bit more flair, too. It’s an exciting time to be around the club.”