I don't know that I'd call him a thug, but it was a thug act.
Whether it was out of character, or a chest punch gone wrong or a blatant deliberate act I think there are 3 key things counting against Gaff.
1 - it was a long long way behind play
2 - the tribunal is very much reactionary in their application of penalties. Brayshaw's injuries are severe. He wont play again this year, and will be lucky to be on solid foods by the time finals come around.
3 - Jeremy Cameron v Harriss Andrews. This is pretty much the precedent that combines the first 2. Cameron got 5 weeks, for a crude spoil attempt that was in play. Given Gaff's strike was nowhere near the ball my gut feel is 6-8 weeks.
I also think he's done at West Coast too, I think it will be a very awkward place for him with Hamish Brayshaw playing for them.
They were sort of scuffling though, if it was just a standard well executed jumper punches nobody would look twice.
Definitely.
I called Cameron at 5 weeks. I think Gaff is worth 6 but I think he'll get either 7 or even 8.
Regardless of whether he plays for West Coast or not, I think he's ok with the Bradshaw's. He played golf with Hamish and Andrew just a few days prior and apparently he texted Andrew to arrange to visit him in person.
On the surface things are OK between them, or at least that's the image that they want to portray to the football public.
Below the surface, I think their relationship will have been changed by the incident. It would be impossible for it not to.
I guess we'll never know for sure... AFL is a different world though - these guys that are mates outside of the game can get into fights and sledge eachother during the game and continue on being mates once the game is over - obviously in this case the resultant injury was quite extreme, and it really depends on whether the brayshaws accept it wasn't a deliberate action and how good they are at letting things pass..