# Andrew Brayshaw

Andrew Brayshaw (born 8 November 1999) is a professional Australian rules footballer and the co-vice-captain of the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

## Early career

Andrew was born in Adelaide, South Australia to parents Mark and Debra Brayshaw, as the youngest of four brothers. Brayshaw grew up in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. After an impressive junior career for his school, Haileybury, TAC Cup side Sandringham Dragons and the Victorian Metropolitan representative side, he was recruited by Fremantle with the second overall selection in the 2017 AFL draft.

## AFL career

He made his AFL debut for Fremantle in the opening round of the 2018 AFL season after a series of impressive pre-season games. His debut season was cut short when, in Round 20, he was struck by West Coast Eagles player Andrew Gaff in an off-the-ball incident. Gaff was subsequently suspended for eight AFL matches, while Brayshaw suffered a fractured jaw and three dislodged teeth.
Brayshaw played every game in 2020, averaging 20 disposals per game. He signed a four-year contract extension at the end of the season, tying him to Fremantle until 2025.
Brayshaw had a stand out game during round 20 of the 2021 AFL season, in which he gathered a career-high 39 disposals during Fremantle's four point win over Richmond.
| Celebratory games |
| Year | Tally |
| 2018 | 1st Game - Round 1 versus Port Adelaide |
| 2020 | 50th Game - Round 12 versus Carlton |
| 2022 | 100th Game - Semi Finals versus Collingwood |
In Round 21, 2021 he was found guilty of making unreasonable eye contact to Jarrod Berry of the Brisbane Lions and was given a one-game suspension. Brayshaw challenged the ban at the AFL tribunal but was unsuccessful in getting it downgraded.
Round one of the 2022 AFL season saw Brayshaw gather a career-high 40 disposals. The 2022 season would prove to be a break out season for Brayshaw, in which he played every game and won Fremantle's best and fairest award, the Doig Medal. Brayshaw also earnt his first All Australian selection, named on the interchange bench of the 2022 All-Australian team. Brayshaw's career best form throughout the season saw him as a front runner for the Brownlow Medal, and arguably the best two-way midfielder in the competition. He finished the 2022 Brownlow Medal count polling equal-fourth with 25 votes. Brayshaw also finished the season with the sixth most disposals in the league collecting 640 across 22 games. Following the 2022 season Brayshaw was named co-vice-captain of Fremantle alongside Caleb Serong.
Brayshaw was among Fremantle's best in round 20 of the 2023 AFL season, during their 7-point win over Geelong at Kardinia Park, collecting 28 disposals. He finished the year as runner-up in Fremantle's best and fairest award, as well as having played every game for the second consecutive season. Brayshaw was also second in the league for total disposals with 671 across 23 games, and finishing just four disposals shy of league leader and teammate Caleb Serong.
Brayshaw was impressive in Fremantle's opening game of the 2024 AFL season against the Brisbane Lions at Optus Stadium collecting 32 disposals. He again made a significant impact the next week against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, collecting 27 disposals, four clearances and kicking a crucial goal in the third quarter. Brayshaw collected a game-high 38 disposals and seven tackles against Carlton during the Gather Round in Adelaide. Brayshaw collected a career-best 41 disposals in round nineteen during Fremantle's 50 point win over the Melbourne Football Club at Optus Stadium. He would equal this record one month later during the Dockers narrow loss to the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the Sydney Showground. He finished the season having played every game for the third year in a row, and runner-up in Fremantle's best and fairest award. He was one of five Fremantle players named in the initial 44-man 2024 All-Australian team. Brayshaw signed a six-year contract extension in March of 2025, tying him to Fremantle until at least 2031.

## Personal life

Brayshaw's older brother Angus also played in the AFL for the Melbourne Demons and his other older brother Hamish previously played for the West Coast Eagles. His father, Mark Brayshaw, played for North Melbourne, his uncle, James, is a radio and television broadcaster and former cricketer and his grandfather Ian Brayshaw is a former state cricketer.
In January 2024, Brayshaw got engaged to long-time partner Lizzie Stock.

## Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2024 season.
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Votes |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | Votes |
| 2018 | Fremantle | 8 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 127 | 144 | 271 | 49 | 75 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 15.9 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Fremantle | 8 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 167 | 205 | 372 | 46 | 113 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 7.6 | 9.3 | 16.9 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 1 |
| 2020 | Fremantle | 8 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 147 | 191 | 338 | 49 | 83 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 8.6 | 11.2 | 19.9 | 2.9 | 4.9 | 9 |
| 2021 | Fremantle | 8 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 265 | 303 | 568 | 101 | 93 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 13.3 | 15.2 | 28.4 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 10 |
| 2022 | Fremantle | 8 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 354 | 350 | 704 | 112 | 149 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 29.3 | 4.7 | 6.2 | 25 |
| 2023 | Fremantle | 8 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 322 | 349 | 671 | 87 | 143 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 14.0 | 15.2 | 29.2 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 10 |
| 2024 | Fremantle | 8 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 305 | 365 | 670 | 99 | 117 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 13.3 | 15.8 | 29.1 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 22 |
| Career | Career | Career | 146 | 50 | 48 | 1688 | 1907 | 3595 | 542 | 773 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 11.6 | 13.1 | 24.6 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 77 |
Notes
* ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Honours and achievements

Individual
* 3× 22under22 team: 2020, 2021, 2022 (c)
* Geoff Christian Medal: 2021
* Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2022
* All-Australian team: 2022
* Doig Medal: 2022