ANGUS Brayshaw says he couldn’t have asked for a better debut when he laid a game-high nine tackles in Melbourne’s 26-point win over the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG on Saturday.
Brayshaw said all he wanted to do was play his role and help his teammates in his first match.
“Tackles were something I was really focusing on as a strength [of mine],” he told Dee TV.
“It was nice to have nine tackles, but it was better that I played my role.
“It’s 10 years since we’ve won a round one game and the fans loved it – and they were getting up and about – and all of the players loved it and it was perfect. It was the perfect debut.”
Brayshaw, whose grandparents travelled from Western Australia to watch him play his first AFL match, said he tried to keep his pre-match preparation as normal as possible. But he conceded he had a few butterflies in the stomach once he was in the rooms pre-match.
“I woke up once or twice and was pretty nervous. I woke up in the morning and felt pretty normal and I was excited and so was my family,” he said.
“I had a few photos with the grandparents and then I drove to the game. I started thinking about it and getting more excited [and when I] arrived at the ‘G, it hit me then that [I’m playing] round one at the MCG.
“Then I was really clear on what to do … and I ran out from there and just played footy.”
Brayshaw said he was able to cope with the change of pace in the game by keeping it simple.
“It was certainly a step up from the VFL and I didn’t get a go in the NAB Challenge, so I thought I’d really make a focus on first gives and keeping it simple, so I wouldn’t get caught up in the change of pace,” he said.
“Roosy didn’t have to have too many sprays at me – he kept me real calm and confident, because he was really clear with his messages.
“It was a good debut in the sense that I was able to go out there and play my role for the team, which was good.”
Brayshaw was philosophical about his round two prospects, suggesting that he could play for Casey, given Chris Dawes and Bernie Vince have been earmarked for a return.
“I’ve just got to play my role for the team, [whether] that’s for the Demons or for Casey,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s just more tackles and when it’s my turn to put my head over the ball, I’ll win the contest or the tackle, so that’s what I’ve got to do.”
