THE TEXT messages between Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong were sent almost simultaneously as the siren sounded on Grand Final Day in 2021, with the pair sitting in different sections of Optus Stadium but having the same thought at the same time.  

"This needs to be us one day, and we can do it," they said to each other as the siren sounded and Brayshaw's older brother Angus became a premiership player with Melbourne on the Dockers' home ground. 

Andrew was four seasons and 76 games into his career as he watched the Demons beat the Western Bulldogs, and it was a day of mixed emotions that changed him as a footballer and gave him clear purpose in his career. 

Five seasons on as he prepares to play in his first Grand Final as a culture setter, star midfielder and key leader at Fremantle, it is a day he has reflected on frequently this year as he chases 'immortal' status at a club he has helped shape. 

"There were a lot of mixed emotions to be honest on that day. The Grand Final was in Perth obviously and I was so excited and happy for Angus. I just couldn't wait for him to go out there on the big stage and hopefully win," Brayshaw told AFL.com.au this week. 

"After he actually did win, I felt a bit like I didn't really deserve to be celebrating with him, so I just felt a little bit awkward in the rooms. But it gave me a blueprint of 'this is what I want to play for, this is why I want to play footy'.

"Caleb and I weren't sitting next to each other, but we were both at the ground and we just texted each other and said, 'This needs to be us one day and we can do it'. Just words of encouragement, like 'one day this is going to be us' sort of thing. 

"After the siren went, I reckon we sent something almost at the exact same time, so we were both definitely thinking about it. 

"That off-season, there was just a burning fire in the belly, wanting to get to that position and do what Angus did." 

Brayshaw has spoken this season about the importance of the 2021 Grand Final, and how it shaped him, as part of the Dockers' 'for the anchor' days and the powerful presentations that players, coaches and staff have made internally across the year. 

Coach Justin Longmuir spoke to AFL.com.au on the eve of the finals about the program, which effectively started when he handed every player a link in a chain in the aftermath of the heartbreaking elimination final loss to Gold Coast. 

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Every player chose a word that represented their link in the Freo chain before presenting this year on "what that word means to them, why it's a strength, and why they're going to bring it every day".  

Brayshaw's word was 'connection', and he spoke to the group early in the year as part of the sometimes-emotional talks that have taken place in the Dockers' Freo heartland and been a powerful force behind the best season in club history. 

"Our head of leadership, Andrew Sturgess, came up with the idea of getting players and staff to get in front of the group and speak about their reason for coming into work, what they bring to the group, and what makes them who they are," Brayshaw said. 

"From coaches to players to staff members, we've had people get up and share a bit of their story and who they are and what they bring to the footy club on a much deeper level.

"My word is connection, and that's what I think I bring to the footy club. My life has been very fortunate, but my main story was about the 2021 Grand Final and watching Angus. 

"I spoke about Angus having to retire early, and when he reflects on his career he doesn't really talk about the fact that he almost won a Brownlow one year or the amazing games that he played plenty of times. 

"He always talks about that year with Melbourne and the connections that he had with those people.

"So I just spoke about watching in the stands and then afterwards, and now seeing him retired and hearing him reflect on his connections with all of those people.

"That's why I come to work every day, so that we can do the same thing and so that I can build those same connections with everyone here."

Watching his brother win a premiership clearly "flicked a switch" for Brayshaw, and he emerged in 2022 to win a series of individual accolades, including All-Australian selection, the Doig Medal as the Dockers' club champion, and the AFL Players Association MVP, while also finishing fourth in the Brownlow Medal as a 22-year-old. 

He has finished runner-up in the club champion award behind Serong in each of the past three seasons as one of the game's best midfielders, and it wouldn't surprise to see him on the podium again in 2026. If he is, however, it will be for a different reason. 

Brayshaw's season, and every weekly review he has had with midfield coach Joel Corey, has been framed around his link in the chain and one question: 'Am I giving us the best chance to set us up to win a game?' 

It's helped to keep the star onballer accountable and focused when playing a more defensively minded midfield role, with his evolution this season drawing parallels with the changes that three-time Richmond premiership skipper Trent Cotchin made ahead of the 2017 season. 

"At the start of this year, I caught up with 'Smithy' (Corey) and we talked about what I wanted to get out of the year," Brayshaw said. 

"In the past, it's maybe been stuff like play every game, be in the All-Australian squad, and individual stuff, but this year it was just to give the team the best chance to win as many games as possible. 

"Then we talked about what does that best look like for us with the list that we have, and as a result I've moved into more of a defensively minded midfield role. 

"So my whole review every week with 'Smithy' is based around that link in the chain that I've talked about and the conversations that we had earlier in the pre-season.

"Everything I review with him is through the lens of, 'Am I giving us the best chance to set us up to win a game?' And if I'm not doing that, then he holds me accountable. It's been great."

As influential as Brayshaw has been on-field, his off-field impact as a culture builder and standard setter at Fremantle has been a significant reason for the club's rise to the second Grand Final in its history.

The proof of that culture is the long-term contracts signed by Brayshaw (2031) and fellow Victorian stars Serong (2034) and Young (2033). While not necessary forming a pact, the trio made clear to each other what their intentions were as long-term Dockers. 

"I had spoken with Caleb before re-signing and Youngy, and it was more like, 'Hey, I'm just letting you know that I'm not going anywhere if that helps your decision at all'," Brayshaw said. 

"I think Youngy might have been the first to re-sign (in 2024), but we all had conversations that if we can be the nucleus of the midfield for the next however long we're going to re-sign for – which ended up being a long time – then we have a chance to have sustained success. Hopefully this year's the first of many."

Brayshaw, Serong and Young are all part of the Dockers' leadership group under captain Alex Pearce, which should be viewed as the best collection of on-field leaders in the AFL in 2026. 

When it comes to co-vice-captains Brayshaw and Serong, there is a complementary element to the way the close mates lead, with Brayshaw drawing on his connection to the players and the 25-year-old Serong acting as an extension of the coaching group and a master communicator. 

They make for each other to use their strengths as leaders while supporting the caring, determined and courageous Pearce, who has the chance to create history on Saturday as the Dockers' first ever premiership captain.  

"We've had a couple of times where Alex has been injured for longer periods of time and we've both stepped up into the captaincy role, and every time that's happened, I feel like we've worked really well together," Brayshaw said. 

"I feel like we both drive standards really highly with our actions and our training, and then on field we work as hard as we can and set the best example we can.

"I think my best strength is probably my connection with the players, and then my weakness is probably around game day direction and communication. I think that's Caleb's greatest strength and he's like another coach out there, but it's underpinned by actions and training and working really hard." 

Brayshaw was wearing a Fremantle anchor guernsey when he attended his first AFL Grand Final in 2013, throwing his support behind the WA club as a 13-year-old and watching as they went down to Hawthorn by 15 points. 

He has since gone on to take the baton as a Fremantle leader from past greats from that 2013 team like Nat Fyfe and David Mundy, as well as former teammate, housemate and now Grand Final opponent Lachie Neale.   

To achieve the "immortal" status that Brayshaw, Serong and their teammates are chasing, they will need to get through Neale, who is also chasing history as a potential three-time premiership Lion. 

The stakes on both sides are not lost on Brayshaw, who highlighted the influence of the players who came before him, including Neale, Fyfe and Mundy.   

"They were just such good teammates and such good role models," he said.  

"When you get to the AFL, you're just trying to figure out how to get into the team, how to keep your spot, and how to get a kick, and those guys allowed me to do that and allowed me to flourish.

"Lachie messaged me after we lost that Hawks game, just with some words of encouragement that he'd lost that qualifying game plenty of times before and had come back the hard way, and it's the best way to do it and makes the story better. 

"Then when they lost to Sydney, I sent him the same message. Now we get to battle it out for the Cup."