By Peter Ryan
Marcus Ashcroft was ultra-durable and ultra-reliable in his 318-game career that started in 1989 with a 94-point loss to North Melbourne and ended against Collingwood in the 2003 grand final when he won his third flag in a row.
Now his son, Will, is about to lob into an established Brisbane line-up as a father-son pick, which means, despite being the highest-rated pick in the draft, he will join a team that exited the 2022 finals with a loss to the eventual premiers in the preliminary final.
Will has grown up knowing his father’s footballing feats then watched him work as Gold Coast’s first football manager, observing at close quarters Suns champion Gary Ablett junior go about his business.
Will Ashcroft, the son of Brisbane great Marcus.Credit: AFL Photos
He took it all in so by the time he was playing football in Victoria as a teenager he was the best, most prepared junior player in the competition.
Now, less than two months before he officially becomes a Lion when another club nominates him as the first pick in the draft and Brisbane match the bid, he is ready.
“Most kids dream to be the No.1 pick and if I was deserving of that spot I would be happy to take all the pressure,” Ashcroft said.
Appearing serious as he weighs up what lies ahead, he manages to smile when asked whether he carries the same nickname as his father, ‘Choppers’.
“Just Ashy. I steer clear of Choppers,” Ashcroft said.
He says his dad’s influence on him this year has been exactly as he hoped, easing any pressure and supporting him to find his way.
“The good thing that he has done this year has been supportive as a father figure, not pushing me in different directions, letting me take my own path,” Ashcroft said.
Marcus Ashcroft was a triple premiership player at the Lions before becoming Gold Coast. football managerCredit: Photographic
That didn’t mean dad wasn’t happy when Ashcroft decided to move to Brisbane to join the Lions, signing a four-year deal before he has played a match.
The decision was tough for Ashcroft to make, but he is glad he did so and he hopes his brother Levi might join him up north in a few years time. By then most of the Lions’ supporters will, with luck, have seen what the likely No.1 pick can do, playing alongside Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage and potentially Josh Dunkley.
“I place some pretty high expectations on myself. I always credit back my performance to my preparation and everything that goes on behind the scenes, so if I can continue to do that I think I have an impact straight away,” Ashcroft said.