Taking pride of place in Will and Levi Ashcroft’s living room in Brisbane is a lone whiteboard with a long story to tell.

To these high-performing brothers – set to be the faces of the Brisbane Lions for the next decade or more – everything is an opportunity to be competitive. There is no fun to be had without a winner and a loser.

The whiteboard’s legacy stretches back to their days as kids, spent in the front yard of their former Gold Coast home where their triple AFL premiership-winning father, Marcus Ashcroft, handcrafted what can only be described as a field of dreams.

With a scaled-down football field on one side and putting green on another, those who go to see it up close say it was awe-inspiring – a true childhood sporting paradise.

“Footy, golf, cricket – you name it, we played it,” Levi tells this masthead, while sitting across from Will inside the Lions’ high performance facility at Springfield.

“That was so great for our development. For competition, to play against each other and learn the ins and outs of playing sport, that was so crucial for us at an early age.

“We definitely learned a lot from all those little battles in the yard.”

“We hated when it was half-hearted, or it wasn’t competitive,” adds Will.

“We love everything that can be a challenge, or in a competitive environment. To us, that equals enjoyment. We loved playing every sport there was to play.”

Today, the whiteboard remains the arbiter and aggregator for the brothers’ various competitive pursuits, none of which involve footy.

Instead the various checks and balances, accrued over the seven months since Levi moved in with Will and their housemate, VFL Lion James Creighton, are largely confined to the living room.

ASHCROFT V ASHCROFT

The kitchen table is by name only. Its true function is for table tennis, with a detachable net and paddles stored close by for a quick game – or 50.

“We can sometimes play for hours, especially on game day when we have a fair bit of time to kill,” says Will.

In eye shot from their ping pong battleground is the PlayStation5, on which the brothers have spent countless hours teeing-off in PGA 2K25.

Here is where the whiteboard is particularly necessary.

“With the golf we try to replicate it like the FedEx (PGA Tour Rankings), so we do up all the points and rankings and stuff,” explains Will.

“The table tennis, I’ve got him at the moment. But on the PS5 with the golf …”

Advantage Levi.

It should be no surprise that two professional athletes are uber-competitive, even off the field. Mix in the spice of sibling rivalry and long hours of forced downtime between training and matches, and it makes for a melting pot of competition.

But not everything is kept indoors. Days off during the week are often spent on the greens, whether at Brookwater – only a stone’s throw from the Lions’ facility at Springfield – or on the Gold Coast, where various Ashcroft family members will often join in.

“We are both avid golfers,” says Levi.

“It’s great to have another avenue to relax and not be worrying about footy all the time.

“Dad does (play golf as well). He’s as good as us. He doesn’t play often, but he’ll come out, hit it dead straight and shoot a good score. Definitely gifted in that aspect.

“And (we also play with) our uncles and grandparents. It’s really special to be able to play sport with our 70, 80-year-old grandparents … because they obviously can’t kick the footy around with us anymore.”

Save for the two years they spent apart – after Will was drafted to the Lions with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 AFL draft, leaving Levi in Melbourne with the rest of the family – the pair have been nigh-inseparable.

At home, being in each other’s company is never dull. Even at training, the brothers naturally gravitate to each other. They can often be seen partnering for warm-ups and stopping to chat during drink breaks.

“In my view he is my best mate in life, so I really love spending as much time with him as possible,” says Levi.

“Being able to play in the same professional sports team together is a dream. It’s pretty special to run out together of a weekend and come to work together and be able to spend time together at work.

“When we are at the club we don’t tend to see as much of each other as you would think. It’s more Will does his thing and I will do my thing and we will come together at different times.

“I think it’s really good for us, making our own way with what we are doing while at work.”

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Their brotherly bond comes out in just about everything they do.

For Will, that meant flying the flag in a pre-season clash against Gold Coast when his brother was cleaned up by a Suns player after disposing of the ball.

Will was first to the ensuing scuffle, remonstrating with Suns rival Ben Long while Levi jogged away, eager to get on with the game. Will later joked: “He (Levi) is a pretty fiery character so I’ll have to get my nose dirty a little bit (sticking up for him) I reckon.”

That protective instinct is reciprocated by the younger brother – and not just on the field.

When asked to dish the dirt on how Will maintains his flowing blonde hair, Levi steals a quick glance at his brother before responding: “He doesn’t do too much, I think it just naturally sits like that, which is lucky …”

Grinning, Will admits: “I tell people I don’t do much, but I do a bit. I’m a bit embarrassed about it.”

MADE IN MELBOURNE

When Will was 14, the family moved from the Gold Coast to Melbourne. Leaving their field of dreams behind, the brothers were instead thrown into the cut and thrust of junior football in AFL heartland.

As born and bred Queenslanders they will always bleed maroon. But a soft spot remains for their time in Melbourne, and its role in their personal and football development.

“I love Melbourne. I always will,” says Will.

“The move we made when we were younger, just the growth we got as young people and from a family perspective was unbelievable. Melbourne holds a special place in my heart for those reasons and all the friends we made there.

“I love getting back there and playing footy at the G and Marvel.”

“I really appreciate what Melbourne did for us and the family,” adds Levi.

“To play footy and be part of all of those great programs that we got put through, it definitely helped us reach our highest levels which propelled our footy.”

FINDING BALANCE

In his three short years in the AFL, Will has already earned a reputation for his professionalism and dedication to his craft. You don’t earn a Norm Smith Medal by luck.

To many at the Lions he reminds them of Lachie Neale – and Will has spent a lot of time working closely with the dual-Brownlow Medallist, honing his craft.

But his football obsession still leaves room for other interests, like fashion, and keeping his famous, flowing hair looking fabulous.

“I do a little bit,” he grins.

“I’m pretty curious about things outside of footy – hair is one of those.

“We have our own lives and own pursuits outside of football; different people we hang out with outside the club.

“Levi does his own stuff … it’s a good balance when we are at the club and away from the club (while also) doing things together like golfing.”

Will also runs his own online one-on-one coaching business, WASH, with mates Joey Donnolley, Thomas Auld and Creighton.

Their Instagram page, @wash_pw, boasts close to 31,000 followers and caters to all levels of Aussie rules, from aspiring AFL stars to those just keen to get a few more touches for their local club on the weekend.

“It helps aspiring footballers – and athletes in general, male and female – to get to the highest level they want, whether that is AFL, AFLW, VFL or just to compete at club level,” Will explains.

“Just allowing them to have access to the resources and information they might not have otherwise.

“We connect them with a coach online, prescribe programs that fit their needs in the app and then we also do a lot of clinics and hands-on, one-on-one (sessions).

“We have a huge database. We do a fair amount with elite (athletes) but also just guys and girls who love football and want to compete, just like we do.

“It gives me a little sneak peek into what it might look like (as a coach) and I enjoy it. It’s definitely something I would be interested in for the future and see how it plays out.”

MAKING A NAME

Last year, when Levi was dominating for Sandringham and Vic Metro and establishing himself as a top-10 draft talent just like his brother, the comparisons to Will came thick and fast.

In many ways they are similar players – and they know, because of their last name and by playing in the same team, they will often be mentioned in the same breath.

But as players and people, they still want to make a name for themselves individually.

“Look, it’s definitely unique – and I think it’s really special to be able to play with your brother in a professional sports team, not many people get to do that,” says Levi.

“To have dad, who played here as well and is another family connection to the club … it’s amazing to play for the same team he did.

“(But) I want to be my own player. We want to do our own thing and we are definitely different players. It’s not Will and Levi Ashcroft. It’s Will Ashcroft and Levi Ashcroft, who both play for the same team.”

Any pressure from carrying the Ashcroft name, to them, is a gift. Marcus has made a concerted effort to remain as removed from their day-to-day as possible, happy for his sons to earn and embrace the spotlight all on their own.

“I think he’s done that very well,” says Will.

“The thing he always says to us is, he’s had his time and his moment and it’s our turn now.

“Levi and I are a bit different. I really like to analyse things and chat footy with dad, whereas Levi maybe not as much. So I think (Marcus) finds that balance well between the two of us. He still supports us, he is always there for us and giving us feedback when we want it.

“But we’re obviously adults now and creating our own journeys in football and off the field as well. He fully understands that and is supportive of that.”

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR BROTHER

WILL: “(Levi) is very driven and strong-minded. He works really hard but he’s also very balanced and I a really good people person as well. He cares about the people around him, his family and friends. He is really invested in his teammates.

“He’s only played (12) games but already around the club you can see he is so well respected. He genuinely cares about others as people and not just as players. That balance is something I really admire about him. His drive to get the most out of himself but also his genuine care and love for others.”

LEVI: “(Will) has been here for three years and made such an impact on a lot of people. Obviously he has had a heap of success on the field with what he has been doing, but a lot of what he does at the club is unseen.

“A lot of the boys and coaches really value his opinion on footy. He is a person who really treats everyone with lots of respect. On the field he is so professional, he does everything he possibly can to better his game and I really admire that. I try to do almost 50 per cent of what he is doing – and this is good enough for me, because he does so much to be the best version of Will Ashcroft that he can be.”