Brayden Maynard's 'awkward' visit to Angus Brayshaw as sad fiancee detail emerges

The families of Angus Brayshaw and fiancee Danielle Frawley have reportedly been heavily affected by the Melbourne Demons player's sickening KO at the hands of Brayden Maynard. Collingwood player Maynard was cleared at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday evening and is free to play after his frightening collision with Brayshaw.

Maynard clattered into Brayshaw and knocked him unconscious after he leapt in the air to try and smother a kick, but came down with his shoulder straight into Brayshaw's head. Speaking on Monday night, Melbourne great Garry Lyon said the Brayshaw and Frawley families have been left rattled by the incident, which could end Brayshaw's career.

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The Demons player is engaged to the daughter of the late Danny Frawley, who died in 2019 after a battle with mental health issues. Frawley was later found to be suffering from severe CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) - a brain disorder caused by repeated head knocks.

“We just want to give a shout out to the Brayshaw family. There’s emotion around this everywhere – Angus has had history of course for a long period of time,” Lyon said on Fox Footy. “For his mum and dad, it would have been a harrowing experience.

“I’m led to believe he was out cold, not concussed, but out cold for a period of time. Of course his fiancee is Danielle Frawley, who’s part of the Frawley family. Our great friend Danny had posthumous CTE issues and mental health issues and for (wife) Anita and the Frawley family, it’s been pretty traumatic as well. We just want to shout out to the Frawley family.”

Brayden Maynard's visit to Angus Brayshaw angers Demons

Also on Monday night, Sam Edmund of SEN revealed how Maynard had paid an 'awkward' visit to Brayshaw's home while several Demons players were there. “He was allowed in but the awkwardness was actually heightened by the fact that Brayshaw already had multiple Melbourne teammates visiting him the day after the game," Edmund reported, saying Maynard came with flowers and wine.

“From what I’ve been told, one of those teammates was particularly angered by Maynard’s presence and had to remove himself from the room just to make sure nothing untoward eventuated. The teammate removed himself – a Melbourne player.

"Despite Maynard’s good intentions, this wasn’t a well-received visit. According to the people I’ve spoken to close to this, it was more of an awkward ‘well we’ll let him in because we can’t turn him away’ and then it just got more awkward from there.”

Elaborating on the story later on Monday night, Caroline Wilson said Maynard also rang Brayshaw's mother, who wasn't overly impressed. “The reason (Maynard) was let into the house I think was because Max Gawn and Christian Petracca happened to be there and Max Gawn let him in,” Wilson said on Channel 9.

“It was pretty tense, I understand, I’m not sure the flowers actually made it to a vase. I think Brayden Maynard also contacted Brayshaw’s mother Deb, I don’t think that conversation went very well at all.”

Brayden Maynard cleared by tribunal over Angus Brayshaw hit

According to AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson, the Brayshaw family wanted Maynard suspended and are fuming about some high-profile figures defending him. “The Brayshaw camp want a suspension. There’s a few people close to Angus who believe that was a deliberate act by Maynard to hurt Angus Brayshaw,” Robinson said.

“So there’s another layer to the legal complexities, there’s the concussion debate overall … but the emotional layer is there’s a lot of angst. I wouldn’t say it’s outright anger, but there’s a lot of angst that a player can get knocked out for two minutes – which is very emotive … this is just a sport and they want justice.”

Wilson also revealed: “Melbourne are absolutely filthy at this, they’re disgusted at some of the excuses that are coming out of Collingwood’s mouths and some of the commentators’ mouths, that the player should get off.

“They are filthy partly because they lost one of their best players very early in the game. They keep saying: ‘This is not a concussion, this was a two minute loss of consciousness.’ Even if Melbourne win this week, I very much doubt he’ll play in the preliminary final, he’s even in doubt for the grand final.”

Over the weekend, concussion campaigner Peter Jess said the incident could be career-ending for Brayshaw considering his history of concussions. The 27-year-old took an extended break from the game in 2017 after suffering four concussions in the space of 12 months. He has worn a helmet ever since.

Demons teammate Christian Petracca said Brayshaw is "not doing great" in the aftermath of the hit, while brother Hamish said he will get brain scans this week. “I spoke to him earlier on today – he’s having some scans on his brain from the same doctor who looked after him a few years ago,” Hamish said on Monday. “Health comes number one and he’s got a life to live after football.”

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