AFL Tribunal rules Andrew Gaff will miss rest of season over Andrew Brayshaw punch

An emotional Andrew Gaff has again apologised to Andrew Brayshaw after being banned for eight weeks.

Andrew Gaff’s hit was described by Andrew Brayshaw’s brother Angus as “assault”. Picture: Getty Images

An emotional Andrew Gaff has again apologised to Andrew Brayshaw after being banned for eight weeks for a blow that broke the Dockers jaw and rocked the AFL.

The West Coast midfielder’s season is over and his premiership ambitions in tatters as a result of a punch delivers in a spiteful derby on Sunday.

“I want to say I am so, so sorry to Andrew and the Brayshaw family for the pain I have caused the over the last 48 hours,” he said.

“I respect the Brayshaw boys so much for the way they go about it. I am extremely disappointed in my own actions. It really hurts a lot.

“The last 48 hours have probably been the toughest 48 hours of my life and everyone I have spoken to and everyone who has seen me through that time knows the world of pain I am in and how much I am suffering.

“I see myself as a caring, gentle, measured person and that is why it is disappointing so much more. I am disappointed, disappointed for Andrew, disappointed in myself and disappointed for letting my teammates down at an important time of the year and I am disappointed to let my supporters down as well.

“For the time being, I am going to surround myself with my friends and family and those who care for me most but once again, I just want to apologise wholeheartedly to Andrew and I hope he gets better soon.”

The one-time Brownlow Medal fancy was punished for an act that prompted AFL counsel Jeff Gleeson to call for a “historically significant sentence” as a deterrence and example for all leagues.

An AFL Tribunal panel that included recent Hall of Fame inductee David Neitz opted instead for middle ground between the 12 week penalty Gleeson called for and the submission by West Coast counsel David Grace, who pleaded for a lower range sentence given Gaff’s impeccable character.

The 26-year-old received evidence detailing his prior unblemished character from past school masters, charity leaders, teammates including Brownlow Medallist Matt Priddis and coaches such as John Worsfold, all of whom were shocked at Gaff’s involvement in the brutal act.

In evidence, Gaff said he was shattered by what had occurred and stressed repeatedly that he was trying to make contact to the chest of Brayshaw, rather than the young Dockers head, in a bid to shake a tight tag.

He sought out Brayshaw immediately after the game, making contact via text message with him in hospital after receiving the phone number from Hamish Brayshaw, the older brother of the Docker who coincidentally is a teammate of Gaff.

In an unusual precursor, federal police whisked the Eagle away from Melbourne airport on landing, allowing him to avoid waiting media.

Doubts also emerged as to the veracity of an anecdote told by West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett on Monday.

The Eagles chief executive said that Gaff had golfed with Brayshaw, who is at risk of needing dental implants due to the ramifications of the blow, in the days prior to the derby.

ANDREW BURRELL

The elder brother of Fremantle player Andrew Brayshaw says West Coast star Andrew Gaff would be facing prison for assault if he had committed his brutal punch on the street, as he pushed for the AFL tribunal to impose a season-ending suspension of at least seven weeks.

“I’d be really upset if he got less than seven,” Angus Brayshaw, who plays for rival AFL club Melbourne, said today.

But Brayshaw said his 18-year-old brother was not keen to lodge a complaint with police over the off-the-ball strike in Sunday’s match that left him with a broken jaw, three displaced teeth and unable to eat solid food for a month.

Gaff, 26, will face an AFL tribunal tonight (5pm AEST) and is expected to receive a lengthy suspension.

“If this had happened at a nightclub or on the streets, it’s assault,” Brayshaw told the AFL Exchange podcast.

Adam Simpson, coach of the Eagles, walks with Andrew Gaff. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m not a lawyer … but you’d probably (go to) jail for something like this.

“People say he (Gaff) would never do anything like this. But the fact of the matter (is) I am watching this thing and he’s squared up to him, he’s looking at him and then just absolutely ruined Andrew’s mouth with his fist.”

Amid calls by some lawyers for a police investigation, Brayshaw said he believed his brother would not take the matter further and that he wanted it “swept under the rug”.

“I don’t think it should be taken any further,” he said. “Hopefully it’s sorted out by the tribunal and we can move on from it.”

Angus described his brother as “the most respectful, kind kid”.