WEST Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett says Andrew Gaff was playing golf with Hamish and Andrew Brayshaw just days before the Eagles star broke Andrew Brayshaw’s jaw with an ugly punch.

Gaff looks set to head to the AFL tribunal for punching Brayshaw in Sunday’s derby.

Nisbett described the situation as “difficult” and “extraordinary”, especially given the trio had spent time together just days earlier.

“It’s a difficult situation, I think five days ago the brothers and Andrew Gaff were on the golf course together,” Nisbett said on Monday.

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“So it’s an extraordinary situation that we all find ourselves in at the moment.

“We’re very grateful Andrew Brayshaw’s in reasonable shape considering what happened and his parents are accepting of Andrew Gaff’s apology.

“I think it’s a genuine friendship. The kids come through the system all the time and it wouldn’t surprise you — with Hamish at our club — that there is a reasonable relationship there.”

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Nisbett said the Eagles had apologised to “the Brayshaw family and the Fremantle Football Club for the incident” and checked in with Brayshaw and his father, AFL Coaches Association president, Mark Brayshaw.

“If anyone knows Mark, he’s a great guy, he’s played footy with Adam Simpson, he understands the club that we’ve got here, Hamish is playing here and consequently he was very understanding of the incident that had gone wrong,” Nisbett said.

“So it was something that, it was a really good and fruitful conversation so I was really pleased that I got hold of him.”

Hamish and Andrew Brayshaw. Picture: David Smith Source: News Corp Australia

When asked how he would approach handling having Andrew’s older brother Hamish on the same list as Gaff, Nisbett said while it wasn’t “difficult”, the circumstances were “unusual.”

“It’s not difficult, I mean both kids are great kids who are trying to forge their careers at the two clubs in town,” he said.

“So consequently we just have to deal with each player as an individual, however this is quite an unusual circumstance and consequently, knowing Mark (Brayshaw), and I’ve known Mark for a number of years, it wasn’t an easy conversation.

“But it’s a conversation that we’ve had and Adam’s also spoken to Mark and consequently we’ve now got a process to follow with our own player to ensure that we follow the rules and go through this process.”

Nisbett said the incident was “totally out of character” for Gaff, but noted the midfielder’s remorse didn’t exonerate him of the action.

He said the 26-year-old had been “beside himself” over the incident.

“It’s totally out of character when a player who has never been reported at any level, through juniors, through all his senior 174 games and it just came out of the blue, so we’re as disappointed as we are with andrew and the incident,” Nisbett said.

“It just seemed extraordinary that it happened yesterday.

“I spoke to Andrew Gaff last night and he was beside himself with what happened.

“I think people saw the remorse he has under this situation but it deosn’t go to exonerating him from the action and he has to take responsibility for the action, which he’s taking, but he’s taking it pretty tough.”

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