Brisbane midfielder Will Ashcroft cemented his place as one of the emerging stars of the AFL with a premiership and Norm Smith medal in just his second season and 31st match. The son-of-a-gun is the youngest player in the AFL era to be judged as the best player on the biggest stage, as the Lions trounced Sydney by 60 points in the 2024 grand final.
Ashcroft is familiar with individual honours after he arrived at the Lions as a much-hyped young talent and a father-son selection following in the footsteps of club great Marcus who played 318 games. But after a sublime start to his debut season that had him on track for the Rising Star award, Ashcroft’s momentum came to a grinding halt as he sustained a torn ACL in round 19 last year.
Just 434 days later the 20-year-old has a Norm Smith to his name after polling 14 votes including four of the five best-on-grounds. Lions co-captain Lachie Neale was six votes behind in second place and dynamic forward Callum Ah Chee a further vote back after booting four goals.
Ashcroft finished with 30 silky disposals including five clearances and a goal against the Swans, to earn an award that alluded his father Marcus who was part of the Lions’ star-studded sides that clinched three premierships in 2001-03. But the baton has now been passed as the Lions turned around the torment of a narrow defeat last year to secure their first flag since that three-peat, with the prospect of more to come as younger brother Levi already looms as another supreme talent coming from the Ashcroft lineage next year.
“I can’t believe it, it was always a dream,” Ashcroft said on Channel Seven. “I was always thinking, as hard as it is to miss last year, let’s set myself for this year and get ready to go. But the ultimate prize is the hardest thing to achieve, all the other 17 teams are gunning for it. To actually be here and winning it, my god, unbelievable.”
Ashcroft is now the youngest Norm Smith medallist of the AFL era after breaking the record previously held by Adelaide’s Andrew McLeod, who was 21 years old when he won the first of his back-to-back awards in 1997. Wayne Harmes won the inaugural Norm Smith medal with Carlton when aged 19 in the 1979 VFL grand final. Ashcroft capped a stunning performance against the Swans that belied his age with a snap off the right boot that sailed through for a goal in the third term as the Lions were able to celebrate even before the final change.
“To our boys, not just the players who played today but our whole squad and the wider staff as well, we’ve had ups and downs and stuck fast and dug in,” Ashcroft said. “Can’t believe we’ve achieved the ultimate prize.”
Two-time Brownlow medallist Neale was also among the Lions best as he amassed 34 disposals and nine clearances while veteran Dayne Zorko helped set up the win with his class and competitiveness across half-back. Kai Lohmann was lively early and joined Ah Chee as the leading goalscorer on the day with four majors each.
