Angus Brayshaw's uncle James shares sad update after AFL champion's retirement

The uncle of Angus Brayshaw has lifted the lid on the "great shock" the former Demons midfielder felt after being told he needs to medically retire from the AFL. Channel 7's James Brayshaw revealed his nephew had been struggling since announcing his retirement from the game two weeks ago.

The 28-year-old was knocked unconscious by Brayden Maynard in Melbourne's clash with Collingwood in the first week of the finals last year after the Pies defender jumped to smother the ball and came down with his shoulder on Brayshaw's head. Maynard escaped a ban, despite huge criticism levelled at the Collingwood star.

Brayshaw shocked the AFL world by announcing his sudden retirement from the game after extensive neurological testing showed his brain had deteriorated since he was concussed. Two weeks on from his medical retirement, James says his nephew is feeling "numb" and is still in complete shock about being unable to continue playing the game he loves.

"I think there was great shock around when he called into the club and they said you’re done," James said on Channel 7’s Talking Footy. "He’s 28 years old, 167 games, just signed a long-term deal, so in his own mind, he would’ve seen himself playing till he was 32, 33 — and happily because he genuinely loved the game of footy.

"He was one of those blokes who just had this glorious passion for playing football. To suddenly have that plug pulled out on you, age 28, I think he would be numb and shocked would be the way I describe him."

Danielle Frawley's awful reality amid Angus Brayshaw's retirement

Brayshaw is currently engaged to Danielle Frawley, the daughter of late St Kilda legend Danny Frawley and his wife Anita. His medical retirement comes just years after Frawley was rocked by the death of her father Danny in 2019, with the AFL icon found to have been suffering from severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after dying by suicide. CTE is caused by repeated head injuries and can only be properly diagnosed after death.

Angus Brayshaw's retirement intensifies concussion debate

Brayshaw's retirement has reignited the concussion debate, with two further pre-season incidents intensifying the AFL's attempts to minimise head injuries. Ahead of the 2024 season, the code warned players that they have a duty of care when tackling after a surge in concussions and concussion-related issues for current and past players.

Despite that warning, days after Brayshaw's announcement, Port Adelaide's Sam Powell-Pepper was handed a four-week ban for a 'reckless' high shot on Crow Mark Keane. Then a week later North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin was left unable to continue after he was hit high and late by St Kilda's Jimmy Webster as the Roos midfielder tip-toed the boundary line.

Webster left the ground and struck Simpkin with the full force of his body and a tucked elbow in the first quarter of the pre-season clash. Simpkin - who has a history of concussion issues - took no further part in the match and is expected to miss round one.

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The sickening hit on Simpkin saw the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night hand down the biggest suspension in six years in a landmark ruling amid the AFL's crackdown on concussion issues. Webster told the tribunal there was "no excuse" for what he did, despite the Saints unsuccessfully attempting to argue for a reduction in the length of the ban.

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