Will Ashcroft


William Ashcroft (born 6 May 2004) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was taken as pick number 2, under the father–son rule.

Will Ashcroft
Personal information
Full name Will Ashcroft
Date of birth (2004-05-06) 6 May 2004
Place of birth Gold Coast, Queensland
Original team(s) Brisbane Lions(VFL)/Sandringham Dragons (NAB League) / Brighton Grammar (APS) / Southport (QAFL) / Broadbeach (QAFL)
Draft No. 2 (F/S), 2022 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2023, Brisbane Lions vs. Port Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 76 kg (168 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Brisbane Lions
Number 8
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2023– Brisbane Lions 18 (8)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.
Career highlights

Ashcroft began playing football as a child at the age of six. The son of Marcus Ashcroft, a three-time AFL premiership player, Ashcroft's talent as a footballer was identified by the Gold Coast Suns Football Club at the age of ten. He played for various teams in Queensland as a child, before moving to Melbourne in 2019 at the age of 15 where he commenced playing for the Sandringham Dragons. During his time with the Sandringham Dragons, Ashcroft was promoted to captain and received the Larke Medal for best player at the national championships.

At the 2022 AFL Draft, Ashcroft was chosen to play for the Brisbane Lions. Ashcroft is widely considered the best player in the 2022 draft class by AFL club recruiters.

Early life

Ashcroft was born on 6 May 2004 on the Gold Coast, to parents Bekky and Marcus Ashcroft.[1][2] He has a sister named Lucy, and a brother named Levi Ashcroft.[3]

Ashcroft attended All Saints Anglican School for most of his youth.[4] His father Marcus Ashcroft, is a three-time AFL premiership player who competed in 318 games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions over the course of his 15-year professional career.[5] His great uncle is former Melbourne Demons player John Townsend, who was part of their 1964 premiership team.

Ashcroft played a variety of sports while growing up on the Gold Coast and selected to represent Queensland in swimming as well as athletics before focusing on Australian rules football.[6] He began playing junior football for Broadbeach at six years of age in the local Gold Coast under-8s competition and was identified as a standout by the Gold Coast Suns in 2014 at 10 years of age when he accepted an offer to take part in the Gold Coast Suns Academy program as an under-age invitee.[6]

Ashcroft has stated that his personal training standards were inspired by Gary Ablett Jr. and Touk Miller, with whom he spent time while training at the Gold Coast Suns[7] and was personally given a team jumper from Miller in his younger years.[8] At 11 years of age, he switched clubs and began playing for Southport in the under-14s Gold Coast AFL competition. Several years later he represented Queensland at 2018 U15 AFL National Championships, where his performances earned him All-Australian honours as a bottom ager.[9] He was also awarded the Gold Coast Suns under-14s Academy Player of the Year award at the conclusion of the 2018 season.[10] Ashcroft relocated to Melbourne in 2019 where he began attending Brighton Grammar and once again competed in the U15 AFL National Championships, although this time he would captain Victoria to an undefeated gold medal performance.[11]

Ashcroft would temporarily move back to Queensland in 2020 to play in the QAFL junior league for Morningside during the COVID-19 pandemic affected year which cancelled all junior football competitions within Victoria.[12] In 2021, after relocating to Victoria once again, Ashcroft was dubbed a top draft prospect after performing well for Victoria Metro in the U17 National Championships.[13] Despite spending most of his childhood on the Gold Coast and five years in the Suns academy, the AFL ruled in April 2021 that Ashcroft was ineligible to be academy drafted by the Gold Coast Suns.[14]

In 2022, Ashcroft captained the Sandringham Dragons to a NAB League premiership and Victoria Metro to an U18 National Championship, later receiving the captaincy honour in the U18 All-Australian team as well as the Larke Medal.[15] After finishing his Victorian Certificate of Education at Brighton Grammar towards the end of 2021, he began studying commerce and sports management at Deakin University.[16] In August 2022, Ashcroft decided to return to his home state of Queensland and nominated for the 2022 AFL draft as a father-son selection for the Brisbane Lions.[17]

AFL career

After officially nominating as a father-son selection for the Brisbane Lions, Ashcroft was taken at Pick 2 in the 2022 AFL draft after the Lions matched North Melbourne’s bid.[18] It was revealed that he agreed to a four-year deal with the Lions which will keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.[19] Ashcroft made his AFL debut in Round 1 against Port Adelaide, gathering 13 disposals and a goal in a 54-point defeat. In Round 2, Ashcroft collected 31 disposals against Melbourne and received a Rising Star nomination as one of the best players on the ground in only his second game, earning widespread praise from the AFL media and community.

In Round 7, Ashcroft gathered the ball onto his boot mid-air to kick an extremely impressive goal against the Fremantle Dockers, earning himself a Goal of the Year nomination, as well as widespread praise as the goal went viral.

In Round 19, Ashcroft ruptured his ACL against the Geelong Cats, ending his debut season prematurely and meaning that he will miss the finals series. The AFL community have all widely expressed their support for Ashcroft, who was the Rising Star favourite and had been a standout player for Brisbane despite it being his debut season. He is expected to return midway through the 2024 season, and is documenting his recovery process through his website, WASH Performance and Wellbeing.

Ashcroft’s Goal of the Year nomination would prove fruitful, with his victory being announced at the 2023 Brownlow Medal. Ashcroft also finished the year with 10 Brownlow votes, the third-most for the Lions, finishing behind only Joe Daniher, who had 12, and Lachie Neale, who won the award with 31.

Personal life

Ashcroft has said that playing for the same club as his father and returning to his home state of Queensland were the major driving forces behind his decision to sign with the Brisbane Lions.[20]

In 2022, Ashcroft established WASH Performance and Wellbeing, a website that he uses to publish tips on nutrition, training and other fitness-related topics from his perspective as a professional athlete. One of Ashcroft's main reasons behind the establishment of WASH was to create a "one-of-a-kind resource for young athletes to help build daily healthy habits, turn goals into action and support your own unique trajectory to achieve your unique potential."[21]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 24, 2023

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2023Brisbane Lions8 188620019839861630.40.311.111.022.13.43.50
Career 188620019839861630.40.311.111.022.13.43.50

References
  1. "Brisbane Lions father-son prospect Will Ashcroft makes early claim to be AFL's No.1 draft pick". Fox Sports. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  2. "Will Ashcroft". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  3. Robbemond, Amanda (16 March 2017). "Coeliac disease: How Marcus Ashcroft's Gold Coast family live with gluten intolerance". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  4. "Saints Alive: Middle/Senior Sport Updates". All Saints Anglican School. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  5. "Queensland Football Hall of Fame: Marcus Ashcroft (Legend)". AFL Queensland. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. Hamilton, Andrew (29 November 2014). "Will Ashcroft, son of Marcus, could be centre of tug of war between Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  7. Waterworth, Ben (20 October 2022). "How ready-made pro with dream footy childhood became AFL's top prospect: Full Q&A". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. "How a father-son gun is setting new standards for draftees". Australian Football League. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  9. Cheadle, Josh (31 July 2018). "Four Academy members earn All-Australian honours". Gold Coast Suns. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  10. "2018 SUNS Academy Awards". Gold Coast Suns. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  11. "Ashcroft appointed Captain". Brighton Grammar School. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  12. "Why 'dominant' father-son gun's 'big decision' will shape the AFL draft as Lions face (positive) problem". Fox Sports Australia. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  13. Sheehan, Kevin (27 June 2021). "U17 CHAMPS: Son of three-peat Lion stars as Metro roars past Country". Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  14. "Lions win crosstown battle for access to son of triple premiership star". AFL.com.au. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  15. Mottram, Seb (18 September 2022). "Hype surrounding Lions father-son booms after huge Grand Final outing". www.sen.com.au. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  16. Cavanagh, Chris (12 March 2022). "AFL draft news: Potential No.1 pick Will Ashcroft yet to decide on Brisbane father-son nomination". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  17. Twomey, Callum (4 August 2022). "Lions' HUGE draft boost: No.1 contender opts into father-son rule". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  18. "AFL Draft 2022 live: Aaron Cadman goes No. 1, Will Ashcroft No. 2". news.com.au. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  19. "Will Ashcroft would be proud to call his brother Levi a Brisbane Lions teammate". news.com.au. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  20. "The Ashcroft Name Continues at Brisbane". Brisbane Lions. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  21. https://www.w-ash.com/
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