Football unites people in weird and wonderful ways, and the link between Shaun McManus and Andrew Brayshaw now goes well beyond them sharing the no.8 jumper at Fremantle.
In the latest episode of Old Bull, Young Buck, special guest Shaun McManus told hosts David Mundy and Griffin Logue of the hilarious run-in he had with Brayshaw at Woolworths in Palmyra.
The story started with the pair having a chat at the self-serve checkouts and ended with McManus rushing off without paying, leaving Brayshaw to pay the $147 amount on McManus’s behalf.
McManus said he got caught up chatting to Andy about his form and playing against his father Mark in the 1994 Grand Final between East Fremantle and Claremont.
“It is true, I couldn’t believe it!” McManus said.
“It's the self checkout and I'm scanning. I've got the first bag on the ground and the second bag going and Andy comes he taps me on the shoulder and says g'day and I started talking to him.
“I’m saying ‘Oh mate, you’re playing so well, you’re the best number eight ever’, you know pumping him up. I was talking about his dad as we (East Fremantle) played against him for his last game.
“And then my phone was going off as I had to pick up two kids in Fremantle at different schools, so I grab these two bags and a massive thing of dog food…and I’m just out the door!”
Logue said Brayshaw had called his teammates about it afterwards.
“He ended up giving us a call and said 'I don't know about this, I've met (Shaun) a few times, obviously we wear the same number, he pretty much just did the dine and dash,” Logue said.
Meanwhile McManus only realised what he had done while onto his second school pickup.
“I’m in the car. Pick up the first kid, get to the next school and I’m on my phone checking how much I spent in the account because I had only gone there for $10 of stuff, and I’m thinking ‘it hasn’t gone through, I must have used a different card’ and then I realise I haven’t paid!” McManus said.
“I ditch the kids at home, give the shopping to (wife) Meegan when I walk in the door, tell her I haven’t paid at Woolies and she says ‘you stole!’ and I said ‘it’s ok, they know who I am, I used to coach the (Woolworths) manager at footy, it’ll be fine.’
“I roll back out there, apologise that I forgot to pay and she goes, ‘nah it’s fine, your friend paid’.
“And I’m like ‘ohh no! this is the worst ever! Poor Andy.’
“So I get on the phone and ring JL (Justin Longmuir) and say I’m after Andy Brayshaw’s number.
“He asks why and I explain I haven’t paid for my groceries and he starts laughing!”
Logue respected McManus for quickly paying Brayshaw back, “good on you for going back and paying him. I would have just said ‘cop that one.’”
McManus laughed, “yeah, that’s just the price of wearing the number eight.”
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