West Coast coach Adam Simpson has lent his support to embattled Eagles star Andrew Gaff as the fallout of his jaw-breaking punch on Dockers youngster Andrew Brayshaw continues.
Gaff will front the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night to learn his fate over the horrific incident which saw 18-year-old Brayshaw hospitalised with a broken jaw, displaced teeth and a split lip.
Ruled out for the season with the injuries, Brayshaw underwent surgery on Sunday night, and won't be able to eat solids for a month.
Gaff, however, looks odds-on to be rubbed out for the rest of the season - and maybe even the early part of next year - with calls for the West Coast midfielder to be hit with a ban ranging from anywhere between six to 12 weeks.
MORE: Gaff could get jail time according to David Galbally QC | Gaff played golf with Brayshaw prior to Derby punch
However, Simpson leapt to Gaff's defence, suggesting he was trying to hit Brayshaw in the chest when he broke the Dockers youngster's jaw.
Putting it simply, Simpson believes Gaff didn't mean to punch Brayshaw in the face.
"Hand on heart, and knowing Andrew and speaking to him post game, he legitimately said to me he didn’t mean to hit him in the head," Simpson told Channel 7 on Monday night.
"We need to own the incident, and he did, and there’s going to be consequences.
"But I think about 30 seconds before (the punch) he hit him in the chest, and I think he tried to do the same thing and got it horribly wrong."
Gaff was regarded as one of the league's fairest players - and a genuine Brownlow hopeful - before his punch on Brayshaw turned his world upside down in a heartbeat.
Visibly distraught following the incident during the game, Gaff struggled to compose himself on the field, and was a heavy target for angered Fremantle players, furious that their young teammate had been felled.
MORE: "I feel sick. I feel sick about it" | Brayshaw injury update after surgery
Simpson revealed Gaff was struggling to cope in the aftermath of the incident.
"Andrew is devastated. He's really disappointed in himself and he’s let himself down, and the club," Simpson said.
"But he's not the victim of course, we know that, our thoughts are with Andrew Brayshaw.
"I think it was grossly out of character, and something that Andrew is very disappointed in.
"We need to own it, and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again."
Gaff joined West Coast integrity services manager Peter Staples at at Perth Airport early on Tuesday, where they boarded a flight to Melbourne.
The pair left Perth on a 6am flight on Tuesday, and landed in Melbourne just after 11am, where they were immediately met by security in a car on the tarmac.
While it's unusual for a non-Victorian-based player to travel interstate for a tribunal hearing - with such matters usually sorted by video link - the exceptional circumstances of Gaff's case, in conjunction with the fact he is a Victorian and will be supported by family, meant a trip to Melbourne was inevitable.
West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett - who addressed the media on Tuesday - has also been seen at AFL House in Melbourne.
“We have checked in with Andrew Brayshaw, we spoke to Mark. Fortunately he is in a reasonable position considering what happened. We take full responsibility for the incident, as does Gaffy. We are very apologetic to the Brayshaw family and to the club.” CEO Trevor Nisbett pic.twitter.com/b74C8lURo4
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 6, 2018
“It’s extremely unusual circumstance, five days ago the three of them were on the golf course together. They have a genuine friendship.” Nisbett on Gaff playing golf with Hamish and Andrew Brayshaw
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 6, 2018
Perched in second on the ladder, West Coast play Port Adelaide (A), Melbourne (H), and Brisbane (A) in their remaining regular season games as they bid for their first premiership since 2006, and first grand final since 2015.
