Brayden Maynard and Angus Brayshaw have come together since the sickening between the two on Thursday night, it can be revealed.
SEN’s Tom Morris took to Twitter to detail how Maynard reached out to the Melbourne defender after he knocked out Brayshaw in the opening term of Thursday night’s Qualifying Final.
It’s an incident that has seen Maynard referred directly to the AFL Tribunal, with Brayshaw left in the league’s concussion protocols and unable to play next week.
The two are former teammates at the Hampton Rovers as juniors and it’s understood Maynard is genuinely apologetic.
The Collingwood defender looked to explain the incident in its immediate aftermath on Channel 7.
Brayden Maynard dropped over to see Angus Brayshaw at his house yesterday with a bottle of red wine 🍷.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) September 9, 2023
They had a chat (not a drink obviously) and the gesture was well received. The two are old Hampton Rovers teammates. @1116sen
"It's a footy act - I came forward, I jumped to smother the ball, and unfortunately I just got (Brayshaw) on the way down.
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 7, 2023
"It's all love - I absolutely love that guy to bits."
Brayden Maynard on the collision with Angus Brayshaw that may land him in hot water. #AFLPiesDees pic.twitter.com/M2dRtJA0wz
It comes as former Collingwood assistant Brenton Sanderson weighed in on the incident.
Sanderson, who was at Collingwood with Maynard for five seasons, described the 26-year-old as the ultimate competitior on field, but a perfect gentleman off it.
“If you don’t know Maynard, he has classic white line fever,” Sanderson told AFL Nation on Saturday.
“He plays like an absolute angry animal every time he takes the field but he’s one of the most gentle, kind people off the field and he would have genuine empathy for Brayshaw and his family.
“The AFL are rightly so are doing everything they possibly can to eliminate head contact from our game, there’s too many young men and women who are suffering from serious ramifications of concussion and head knocks.
“I agree wholeheartedly with what the AFL are doing… but I just feel in this singled out case, Maynard should get off.”
New AFL executive GM of football Laura Kane is understood to have intervened in Maynard’s MRO process and played a pivotal role in the incident being referred to the Tribunal.
If Maynard’s act is deemed a suspendable action, he’ll miss at least three weeks.