Brisbane debutant Stephen Wrigley compared to club great Marcus Ashcroft

LIONS mature-age rookie Stephen Wrigley has drawn comparisons to club great Marcus Ashcroft ahead of his AFL debut tomorrow.

James Hawksley

BRISBANE mature-age rookie and qualified orthopediatrician Stephen Wrigley has drawn comparisons to club great Marcus Ashcroft ahead of his AFL debut against West Coast in Perth tomorrow.

Wrigley, 25-years-old, has a degree in prosthetics and orthotics, and still works one day a week at the Mater Hospital fitting braces on patients and working with GPs.

Brisbane's match committee has been impressed by his work on the field in the second-tier NEAFL to the point where they have likened him to triple premiership player and games record-holder Ashcroft, who made 318 senior appearances for the Bears and Lions.

"I think Gary O'Donnell (Lions assistant coach) summarised him best when he said Stephen was like Marcus Ashcroft,'' Brisbane coach Michael Voss said.

"He's a neat and tidy footballer with a good kick who goes about his business with no fuss.

"There's no bells and whistles on him but he gets the job done. His work ethic is very, very good and his application across the whole year has been fantastic which is what you expect from a more mature player.

"He has been playing to a high standard in the state league, it's time to find out if he can do that at AFL level.''

Originally from Blackburn in Melbourne, Wrigley was a rookie draft-selection this year after two eye-catching seasons for Labrador on the wing and across halfback where he will play tomorrow.

Standing at 187cm and weighing 79kg, he was elevated on to the senior list on Thursday and Voss said his skill level, endurance and running ability brought him into the frame for the trip to the wide-open spaces of Patersons Stadium.

Voss said given the success of fellow mature-age rookie Dayne Zorko, the Lions had no qualms about throwing Wrigley into the cauldron of the former Subiaco Oval.

"Players come on at different ages. It takes time for them to become rounded and have the physical and mental capabilities to handle the weekly grind of the AFL,'' Voss said.

"We've seen what Zorko has done. Hopefully we get the double whammy with Wrigley.''

Brisbane finalised their squad yesterday with Wrigley and James Hawksley the inclusions for the omitted duo of Aaron Cornelius and Jared Polec. Sam Docherty, Claye Beams and Niall McKeever were named as emergencies.