Brisbane Lions midfielder Will Ashcroft ruptures his anterior cruciate ligament

Will Ashcroft’s memorable debut AFL season has come to an abrupt end after scans on a knee injury confirmed the worst.

Will Ashcroft is helped by Brisbane Lions staff after injuring his knee at the Gabba. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Lions’ worst fears were realised on Sunday when scans confirmed that emerging star Will Ashcroft ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Brisbane’s weekend win over Geelong.

The 19-year-old Rising Star nominee suffered the injury in the final quarter of the Lions’ 11-point victory at the Gabba on Saturday.

The father-son draft pick had been having a superb first AFL season with the premiership-chasing Lions, but will now be sidelined for the remainder of Brisbane’s 2023 campaign as well as a sizeable chunk of next year.

Will Ashcroft clutches his knee at the Gabba on Saturday. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We are all hurting for Will because you never want to see any player experience a serious injury, especially a player in their first season,” Lions general manager of football Danny Daly said.

“Will is super professional in everything he does, so we know he will do everything he can to recover from this.

“Our main priority is for everyone at the club to wrap their arms around Will., and do everything we can to support him and his family in any way we can.”

In 18 matches for the Lions this season, midfielder Ashcroft – the son of Brisbane triple premiership-winning player Marcus Ashcroft – has averaged 22 disposals per game.