Fremantle Dockers star Andrew Brayshaw opens up about his brother serving in Defence Force ahead of Anzac Day

Fremantle star Andrew Brayshaw says he would love for the Dockers to become a permanent part of the Anzac Day fixture as he praised his brother Will who continues to serve in the Defence Force. The Dockers will host their annual Len Hall Tribute match on Saturday night and it will be the second season in a row where they have played on Anzac Day. Brayshaw won the inaugural Arthur Leggett Medal last year after a fantastic performance in Fremantle’s win over Adelaide. The Dockers are keen to play on Anzac night every year and invite war veterans to join then players on the field before the game. Brayshaw said becoming a permanent part of the day would be a huge thrill. “Definitely,” he said. “It’s an absolute privilege to be able to play on Anzac Day and to try and play with a bit of Anzac Spirit. To be involved in that weekend, of going out there and trying to represent not only just your club, but everyone who’s sacrificed so much for the country we live in is a massive honour. “Standing side-by-side with war veterans means a lot. It gives you a lot of perspective as well on on how lucky we are to be living in the country that we do. It’s one of those ones on the calendar where you want to be playing with your heart on your sleeve and playing with the Anzac Spirit.” Brayshaw has a strong personal connection to Anzac Day because his brother Will is part of the Australian Defence Force. While Dockers’ assistant coach Adam Read will address the team on Friday about Anzac Day at their Captain’s Run, Brayshaw only needs to think about his brother to feel inspired. “He’s served for a long time now,” Brayshaw said. “He was fresh out of school, went into the Defence Force, and has been serving for about 10 years now. So I’m super grateful for the work that him and the number of people that are in the army and Defence Force do for us. There’s a lot goes on behind the scenes. So I’m very thankful for him and everyone else. “The people that are in Defence are doing it because that’s what they want to do, and they love it. So whenever he has to do a job for us, he’s really excited to do it.”