James Brayshaw slams ‘complete lie’ he talked about Billy Brownless, Garry Lyon cheating scandal

AFL commentator James Brayshaw was left absolutely seething after a gossip columnist reported he openly discussed Garry Lyon’s affair with their great mate Billy Brownless’ wife at a function. 

Brayshaw, who calls for Channel 7 and Triple M, took to the radio airwaves on Saturday to address what he called a ‘complete lie’ written by News Corp journalist Alice Coster, after she penned a column titled ‘An open apology to pale, stale males.’

Lyon and Brownless had a bitter falling out in 2016 when it emerged that the former started dating Nicki Brownless after she had split with Billy, leaving him blindsided, angry and heartbroken.  

Along with Brayshaw, the trio were all co-hosts on The Footy Show, though Lyon left after the revelations emerged, and then revealed he was struggling with depression.

From left to right: Billy Brownless, James Brayshaw and Garry Lyon at the after party for The Footy Show at Crown Perth in 2013

Billy Brownless and Nicky Brownless (left) are pictured with Garry Lyon and Melissa Lyon (right) in 2012. In 2016, Lyon left his wife and started a relationship with Brownless’ wife of 18 years, Nicky

Lyon and Brownless has since somewhat repaired the rift, spending Christmas together with the four kids Nicki shares with Billy.

In her column, Coster was essentially giving a right of reply, after fellow AFL commentator Dermott Brereton blasted her for taking his comments out of context.

The former Hawks legend said he felt ‘let down by the title’ of Coster’s column, which addressed his criticism that Wayne Carey should have the ‘plum’ prime-time commentary job instead of AFLW great Daisy Pearce. 

Coster hit back and ‘pitch-forked’ Brayshaw into a conversation that had nothing to do with the Brownless-Lyon affair. 

James Brayshaw (left) with close friend, and former AFL commentator, Garry Lyon at an event in 2010 

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Brownless’ daughter Lucy described the lunch between the blended families as ‘really special’. Pictured clockwise around the table from bottom left: Max, Lucy, Nicky, Garry, Jan Smith, Ruby, Billy and Oscar at the Christmas lunch last year

‘We haven’t seen such sooking since James Brayshaw threw his toys out of the cot after we repeated some of his blokey haw-hawing about his mate Garry Lyon’s relationship at a Triple M media function,’ Coster wrote in the Herald Sun.

‘No fair, Brayshaw tantied, while spewing some nasty personal barbs our way for good measure on the airwaves. 

‘Boohoo Brayshaw is known as the best in the biz at holding on tight to his sour little grapes,’ said Coster.

From left to right: Billy Brownless, Garry Lyon and James Brayshaw after The Footy Show won a silver logie at the 2008 TV Week Logie Awards 

Brayshaw was having none of it, accusing the paper, and Coster directly, of having a ‘fixation’ with him, and denying he had talked about the affair at a function. 

‘The only thing I take extreme exception to is the inference that I have ever been on a stage and discussed you and what happened with your relationship,’ he told Brownless on Triple M.   

‘I have never stood on a stage and said anything about that particular issue, and I never would, out of respect for my great friends. That’s a complete lie … (it) is completely incorrect, and needs to be addressed.’

Their co-host Damien Barrett then asked how Brayshaw got drawn into the saga, 

‘Seriously, how have you been pitch-forked into that story?’ Barrett asked.

From left to right: Footy Show panellists Garry Lyon, James Brayshaw, Billy Brownless, Damien Barrett and Shane Crawford arrive at Logie Awards in 2015

It elicited a firm response, though Brayshaw was clearly amused he had been dragged into it.

‘I don’t know. It won’t surprise you, Purple (Barrett), that I don’t make a habit of reading anything that particular person writes. It’s offensive to me to ever think that (talking about the affair publicly) ever happened,’ he said.