Will Ashcroft was born for the big stage.

With hair like Hercules and a healthy arrogance owned and earned through years of tireless dedication to his craft, the bright lights of finals footy are exactly where he belongs.

On Saturday night, in front of an expected 90,000 fans at the MCG, he will get his chance to prove it.

The son of Brisbane Lions legend Marcus, Will was always destined to follow in his footsteps.

Born eight months after Marcus capped a hall of fame 318-game AFL career with a third consecutive premiership, he never got to see his father in full flight on a football field.

It was in the rooms of the Gold Coast Suns, not the Brisbane Lions, that he got his first taste of professional footy.

While his dad worked in various coaching and football department roles at the fledging franchise, Ashcroft had a front-row seat to one of the game’s all-time greats — Gary Ablett Jr.

A STAR IS BORN

Last weekend, when the Brisbane Lions were crying out for a saviour, the second-year son of a gun did the same.

To the AFL world it signalled the arrival of a star. To Ashcroft, it may as well have been just another Saturday.

“I love the big moments, when the pressure is on,” he says.

“All the work I put in behind the scenes I do so that hopefully I can thrive in those circumstances. I always attack them head-on.

“Hopefully those circumstances present again this weekend, which I’m sure they will, and I’m looking forward to that challenge.

“I’ve never really felt the pressure to be honest.

“I know if I put the work in and execute what I know I can on game day, I’ll do what I need to do to make a big impact on the game. That was my thinking against the Giants when I knew something had to turn.”

BORN INTO FOOTBALL ROYALTY

Destined though he may have been to don the famous maroon, blue and gold, Ashcroft has earned his place among the upper echelon of the game’s emerging stars in his own right.

Born into footballing royalty and with his pick of professional footballers to learn from, it was a learned desire to improve at all costs that helped him hone his God-given talents.

“Once I hit 11, 12, 13 and I realised playing AFL one day was a realistic goal, I decided I would do everything I could to achieve it,” Ashcroft says.

“Enjoy it along the way, yes, but put as much time into it as I possibly could … be the best player, teammate and leader I could be.

“It was always my favourite thing to do and from the age of 11 I told myself I would give it a red-hot crack.

“That intrinsic motivation to be the best player I can be, that’s always been my goal really. Every day I commit time to becoming a better player so that when I look back on my career, however long it is and whatever I achieve, I can say I put absolutely everything I could into it and whatever comes at the other end is a product of my hard work.

“And in my opinion it’s really easy, because it’s just what I love doing. It’s up there with my family and friends. I absolutely love the game, so it’s pretty easy for me.”

Some say he is the heir apparent to Lachie Neale. Not bad company to keep.

He walks, talks and plays like a seasoned veteran yet Saturday’s preliminary final will be just the 30th game of his career. All going well, his 31st will be a grand final.

THE ACL INJURY

It sounds like the beginning of a football fairytale, but it hasn’t all come easily.

Last July, just 18 games into his maiden season, Ashcroft ruptured his ACL. He was sidelined for almost 12 months and forced to watch his teammates play through to – and lose – a grand final. He felt he would have made a difference.

“All I wanted to do was play finals footy, so it was difficult watching and knowing I could have had an impact and ultimately the boys not getting the result we wanted,” he says.

Some players never return to the peak of their powers after such a significant injury setback. Ashcroft has spoken before of the “dark days” that followed his diagnosis.

But almost in the blink of an eye, he was back to something resembling his best. Three months later, he has taken his game to new heights. The brighter the lights, the better he plays.

“I still have more gears to go,” is his promise.

Occasionally Ashcroft will seek his father’s council. Even more so in recent weeks. After all, few know how to thrive under the September spotlight quite like a man who won three straight premierships.

“Dad adds his two cents here and there,” he says.

“I always ask for his advice because of how knowledgeable he is about the game and in big finals especially he knows what it takes to win, so I’ve definitely had some conversations with him over the over the last couple of weeks – and hopefully for a couple more.”

A FATHER’S INFLUENCE

But Marcus is deliberate in his actions. He leaves the coaching to Chris Fagan and co – and he prefers the spotlight stay on his son.

It is why, despite numerous media requests to wax lyrical about him, Marcus prefers instead to let Ashcroft – and his football – do the talking.

It is the same approach he has taken throughout Will, and his younger brother Levi’s, journey to the AFL.

From the outside looking in, dedicating their life to Aussie rules might seem like a given. But in the Ashcroft household it was always just an option.

In the backyard of their family home at Carrara, just a stone’s throw from the Suns’ stadium, Marcus maintained a cricket pitch and built a basketball court.

They lived in rugby league heartland and were within walking distance to some of the best beaches on the planet. The world was at their fingertips.

Yet it was almost always the mowed-in miniature football field, complete with posts and boundary markings, that the Ashcroft boys – and sister Lucy – spent their afternoons.

“It was always footy for me,” he says.

“I’ve always been dedicated to it. Even more so than just playing, I loved the week-to-week of getting better, right from a young age.”

THE GRAND FINAL DREAM

Only hours before Will walks out onto the MCG on Saturday, Levi – set to join his brother at the Lions in November as a father-son selection – will lead the Sandringham Dragons in their Coates Talent League grand final just 6km away at Ikon Park.

Will will be watching on his phone. Levi will no doubt do the same in return.

Next year, their dream of sharing an AFL field together will come true. But for now, Will has another dream to strive for: a premiership.

As a boy he attended 10 grand finals and was often draped in the hoops of Saturday’s opponent. A Geelong fan up until the moment he became a Lion, the 20-year-old’s idols are now his rivals.

In front of a near-capacity MCG crowd, in the biggest game of his career, Brisbane will need Ashcroft to be at his brilliant best.

With the pressure of expectation squarely on his shoulders, how does he feel?

“They’re expecting 90,000 (fans)? That’s unreal. This is what you live for. I can’t wait.”