Lions star Will Ashcroft keen to help Brisbane bounce back from shattering loss to Melbourne

He grew up supporting Geelong, but Brisbane Lions star Will Ashcroft is intent on taming the Cats on Saturday.

Will Ashcroft has starred for the Lions in his debut AFL season. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Emerging Brisbane star Will Ashcroft will put sentiment aside on Saturday when the Lions bid to bounce back from their last-gasp loss to Melbourne by beating Geelong, the club he supported as a boy.

Despite Ashcroft’s father Marcus having won three premierships with the Lions, Will was a Cats fans growing up.

His love for the current premier came about after Nigel Lappin, a flag-winning teammate of Marcus’s who became a Geelong assistant coach, sent him a Cats guernsey when he was young.

“I loved (Geelong great) Joel Selwood when I was really young and he (Lappin) sent me a Selwood jersey … and that was it,” Will said.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for the Lions, but I followed Geelong all the way through.”

However, 19-year-old Ashcroft – who has had a memorable debut AFL season after joining Brisbane via the father-son draft rule – will put his love for the Cats to one side this weekend at the Gabba as the Lions attempt to make amends for last week’s one-point loss to Melbourne, who fought back from 28 points down to stage a remarkable final-quarter fightback.

“(It’s about) just making some little changes to our plan … but (it’s) just sticking to what we know,” he said.

“Especially for the midfield group, (it’s) just getting back to what we do best and trying to bring that blueprint. When we play well we know what we want to do.”

It’s a “blueprint” that also includes Ashcroft’s housemate and fellow father-son draft selection Jaspa Fletcher, whose dad Adrian played for the Lions and before that the Brisbane Bears.

Father-son draft picks Jaspa Fletcher (left) and Will Ashcroft are enjoying their time at the Brisbane Lions. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

While Ashcroft has played AFL football all season, wingman Fletcher didn’t get a top-flight opportunity until round 14 but has now played five successive matches.

“It’s been awesome to play alongside him,” Ashcroft said of Fletcher.

“I’ve seen him grow throughout the whole year. I’ve loved every second of it seeing his progression from coming back off a few injuries … and really taking the opportunity with both hands and playing really good footy in the AFL.”

He said the pair kept “footy talk” to a minimum when at home despite being teammates and having fathers who also played at the top level.

“Little things are thrown around here and there, but both of us are very focused on our own careers and forging our own journeys and trying to do the best we can for ourselves and each other,” said Ashcroft, who has been happy with his own progress this season.

“There was always a little bit of expectation coming in, but all the way through I haven’t really read too far into it.

“I’ve always talked about just sticking to my processes, doing everything I can in my power, and controlling the controllables to get the best out of myself.”