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Will Ashcroft

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Will Ashcroft
Personal information
Full name Will Ashcroft
Date of birth (2004-05-06) 6 May 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Gold Coast, Queensland
Original team(s) Sandringham Dragons(NAB League)/Brighton Grammar (APS) / Southport (QAFL) / Broadbeach (QAFL)
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 76 kg (168 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Brisbane Lions
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
2023– Brisbane Lions 0 (0)
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

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

Early life

Ashcroft was born and raised on the Gold Coast[1] where he attended All Saints Anglican School for most of his youth.[2] 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.[3] Ashcroft played a variety of sports while growing up on the Gold Coast and was selected to represent Queensland in swimming as well as athletics before focusing on Australian rules football.[4] 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 their development academy program as an under-age invitee.[4]

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[5] and was personally given a team jumper from Miller in his younger years.[6] 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 representied Queensland at 2018 U15 AFL National Championships, where his performances earned him All-Australian honours as a bottom ager.[7] He was also awarded the Gold Coast Suns under-14s Academy Player of the Year award at the conclusion of the 2018 season.[8] Ashcroft relocated to Melbourne in 2019 where he began attending Brighton Grammar and once again competed inthe U15 AFL National Championships, although this time he would captain Victoria to an undefeated gold medal performance.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17]

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,[18] and that he hopes his brother Levi Ashcroft, who also plays for Sandringham, will join him at the Lions in the future.[19] Levi Ashcroft is expected to be drafted into the AFL in 2024.[20]

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. ^ "Saints Alive: Middle/Senior Sport Updates". All Saints Anglican School. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Queensland Football Hall of Fame: Marcus Ashcroft (Legend)". AFL Queensland. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "How a father-son gun is setting new standards for draftees". Australian Football League. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  7. ^ Cheadle, Josh (31 July 2018). "Four Academy members earn All-Australian honours". Gold Coast Suns. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. ^ "2018 SUNS Academy Awards". Gold Coast Suns. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Ashcroft appointed Captain". Brighton Grammar School. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ Sheehan, Kevin (27 June 2021). "U17 CHAMPS: Son of three-peat Lion stars as Metro roars past Country". Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Lions win crosstown battle for access to son of triple premiership star". AFL.com.au. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  13. ^ Mottram, Seb (18 September 2022). "Hype surrounding Lions father-son booms after huge Grand Final outing". www.sen.com.au. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Twomey, Callum (4 August 2022). "Lions' HUGE draft boost: No.1 contender opts into father-son rule". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ^ "AFL Draft 2022 live: Aaron Cadman goes No. 1, Will Ashcroft No. 2". news.com.au. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  17. ^ "Will Ashcroft would be proud to call his brother Levi a Brisbane Lions teammate". news.com.au. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  18. ^ "The Ashcroft Name Continues at Brisbane". Brisbane Lions. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  19. ^ Smith, Martin (27 August 2022). "Family ties: Brotherly love behind Ashcroft's move north". afl.com.au. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  20. ^ Monteverde, Marco (12 August 2022). "Will Ashcroft would be proud to call his brother Levi a Brisbane Lions teammate". News.com.au. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
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