Senior Will Ashcroft (2022-)

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Brisbane young gun Will Ashcroft says last year’s grand final heartbreak is “absolutely” driving the Lions’ stunning form surge that has many pundits ready to declare last year’s runners-up the new favourites to win this year’s AFL premiership.

The return of former No.1 pick Ashcroft from an ACL injury has been crucial in a run of nine-straight wins after the Lions won just two of six games to start the season. Brisbane is now second on the ladder, just half a game behind Sydney.
A top-four finish looks on the cards again and Ashcroft, who missed last year’s final series after hurting his knee in round 19, said he had “heaps more levels to go to” in the run to the finals.
He also said last year’s four-point grand final loss to Collingwood was hard to forget for all the players and provided a source of motivation.
“It does, absolutely it does,” he said. “There’s a lot of individual reasons why people want to win a premiership; some are at the back end of their career and want to get it done with this group. “Then there’s young guys like me who are just ambitious and so keen to see where we can go. There’s different reasons and off the back of last year, that drives us massively.
“Hopefully, we can set ourselves up for a massive finals campaign.”

Ashcroft has now played six games since being thrust straight into the AFL side after nearly 12 months on the sidelines. He is averaging 18 disposals, the number he racked up in Sunday’s 85-point win over St Kilda.
He said he was still coming to grips with the “speed” of senior football having played no matches before his return.
“I am feeling good, I just have to be patient with the process,” he said.
“Get better, learn every week, get the body feeling good – I think that’s my sixth game now, so I am feeling more confident and I have heaps more levels to go to.
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“Hopefully, I can continue to build for the rest of the year. “The speed of the game, you just can’t replicate it at training. We do a bit of match sim at training for 10-15 minutes but everyone is going at half pace. “From the get-go adapting to that again, making sure I am making the right decisions and the fitness, you can do all the running in the world, but there’s nothing like game fitness.
Will Ashcroft says he will only get better with more games under his belt. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Will Ashcroft says he will only get better with more games under his belt. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
“I am starting to feel better in that sense as well now.”
Ashcroft, whose role within the side is to “be tough at the contest but also have some flair and drive on the outside”, said staying patient had been difficult upon his return.
But the slow build back is why he is so assured he can add more to the new premiership favourites.
“It is hard because I played 18 games in my first year and there’s going to be development there naturally without the injury,” he said.
“I am looking forward to improving and having a big impact.
“I know within myself and guys around me and in my inner circle know that I have a lot more to give.
“So sticking to the process and having the confidence in myself to come out every week, get better, better and better – that’s what I will continue to do.”
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Ashcroft Awaits Finals Berth

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So sadly denied a place in the 2023 finals campaign, Will Ashcroft will get one up on his famous footballing father with his belated finals debut on Saturday night.

Ashcroft Jnr, nine games into his comeback from a knee reconstruction, will get his first taste of September action in his 28th game against Carlton in Saturday night’s elimination final at the Gabba.

The silky-skilled 20-year-old, who has quickly and unobtrusively worked his way into top form, will take a 20-7 win/loss record into his first finals outing.

It will come 29 years and three days after his father Marcus Ashcroft made his finals debut in his 127th game after an apprenticeship which had dealt him a taxing 36-1-89 record.

Ironically, Ashcroft Snr’s first final was also against Carlton. It was the then Brisbane Bears’ first AFL final in 1995 and came after they won six of their last seven home-and-away games to sneak into eighth spot only to run into a hot Blues side.

After a nervous start they pushed Carlton to 13 points in a 1 v 8 qualifying final, proving themselves the second-best side in September as Carlton thumped North Melbourne by 62 points and Geelong by 61 points to win the flag.

Ashcroft Jnr has snuck under the radar in his return to football, and the last three games he had 85 possessions from hauls of 29-26-30. Of his teammates only Lachie Neale, with 24-22-40, has had more. One more.
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Senior Will Ashcroft (2022-)

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