‘How did that happen?’ Will Ashcroft stuns his triple flag-winning dad

Precocious Brisbane Lions midfielder Will Ashcroft was kicking a football and commentating games as soon as he could walk, according to his mum Rebecca.

On Saturday, he became the second-youngest winner of the Norm Smith Medal when he had 30 touches in a grand final at the age of just 20 years and 145 days.

Young gun Will Ashcroft won the Norm Smith Medal in a standout showing against the Swans.Credit: Joe Armao

Only a little older than Carlton’s Wayne Harmes, who became the first player to earn the honour in 1979 aged 19 years and 232 days, he is a Lions’ hero after just 31 matches, having been the No.2 draft pick in 2022 under the father-son rule.

It may have seemed Ashcroft’s destiny to dominate in the biggest game of the year, the son of triple premiership Lion Marcus Ashcroft – the first Queenslander to play 300 games who retired at the end of 2003, eight months before Rebecca gave birth to Will.

Rebecca was a good athlete too. Those who know her well say she would have dominated AFLW if the competition had been around in her heyday.

Marcus’ uncle, John Townsend, who played in the 1964 premiership with Melbourne, completed the pedigree – the 81-year-old texting his nephew from Noosa on grand final day to wish the family luck.

Will Ashcroft with one of his 30 disposals in Saturday’s grand final.Credit: The Age

However, to be the Norm Smith medallist in a premiership team seemed a long way away when Ashcroft ruptured his ACL in round 18 last year against Geelong as his team headed to the grand final, only to lose a classic by four points to Collingwood.

“He was basically living his dream, and it was cut short in a moment,” said Rebecca Ashcroft. “It was extremely challenging.”

Marcus admitted his son had gone to some dark places, but his family knew he would overcome such a setback. “What it does is prepare for the rest of your life,” Marcus said.

Ashcroft was forced to watch the grand final from the sidelines with football manager Danny Daly guiding him through the emotions at being out of the team when a prize was to be won.

Daly recognised Ashcroft needed care at that point and stood up, spending time with the teenager. “You look after your own and hopefully it makes a difference,” Daly said.

Ashcroft said Daly’s message was simple: “Your time will come if you keep working hard.”

There was never any doubt the young star would do that.

Half an hour after the club’s devastating loss to Collingwood, Will stood in the middle of the MCG, looked around, and vowed he would do the work to help his team back there as soon as possible. “I was obviously shattered,” Ashcroft said. “I set myself for this year.”

Marcus Ashcroft celebrates during the 2002 grand final win over Collingwood.Credit: Vince Caliguri

Despite his natural impatience, he took to his rehabilitation day by day, and by round 17 this season he was ready to return.

Coach Chris Fagan did not hesitate to put him straight back into the team, and he began to work his way back into form, his brilliance coming to the fore by finals time. Ashcroft just kept doing the basics exceptionally well and was the reason the Lions came from 44 points behind in the semi-final to beat the Giants. He also gave the handball to Cam Rayner in the dying minutes of the preliminary final to help him kick the sealer.

During grand final week, Marcus, who was 30 when he played in the first of his three grand finals, just told him to play his way. Post-game, he stood stunned at what had happened. “It’s one of those things where you think, ‘How did that happen’, but I also have so much admiration and pride in the work he did,” Marcus said.

On grand final day, Will teamed up with the equally irrepressible Lachie Neale, a dual Brownlow medallist who Will modelled his game on and went to work.

The pair yielded 14 clearances between them, with their second-quarter work out of the middle leading to the goals avalanche that broke the game open. When Ashcroft kicked a stoppage goal in the third quarter as celebrations were starting to break out, he took a look at the scoreboard and thought a Norm Smith Medal wasn’t out of the question.

“I don’t think about it too much but when I kicked that goal I saw my stats and thought, ‘I am going all right’,” Ashcroft said.

He had averaged 7.7 score involvements in the last six matches of the season and was involved in 10 scores as he drove the Lions to a flag, the missing link from the previous season proving how much he was missed.

The ultimate professional, he spent five minutes straight after the song speaking about what had transpired in the match he will be attached to forever.

Flashback: Ashcroft injured his knee against Geelong last year.Credit: Getty Images

“It’s unbelievable,” Ashcroft said. “We just wanted to get one [flag] and now we are hunting more.”

With his brother Levi to arrive in this year’s national draft, it’s hard to imagine that hunt won’t be successful.

Well known as ultra-disciplined, he did not hesitate when asked whether he would let the hair down after this win. “F---ing oath,” Ashcroft said.

Norm Smith Medal voting

• 14 – Will Ashcroft, Brisbane Lions – 3, 3, 3, 3, 2
• 8 – Lachie Neale, Brisbane Lions – 3, 2, 2, 1
• 7 – Callum Ah Chee, Brisbane Lions – 2, 2, 1, 1, 1
• 1 – Kai Lohmann, Brisbane Lions – 1

How the judges voted (3,2,1)

• Jack Riewoldt (Chair) – Will Ashcroft, Callum Ah Chee, Lachie Neale
• Riley Beveridge (AFL.com.au) – Lachie Neale, Will Ashcroft, Callum Ah Chee
• Shaun Burgoyne (Channel Seven) – Will Ashcroft, Lachie Neale, Callum Ah Chee
• Anna Harrington (AAP) – Will Ashcroft, Lachie Neale, Callum Ah Chee
• Rory Sloane (2024 retiring great, Adelaide Crows) – Will Ashcroft, Callum Ah Chee, Kai Lohmann

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