Lions son-of-a-gun 'a star in the making'

1 year ago 78

Father–son prize Will Ashcroft starred successful his archetypal hit-out for the Brisbane Lions arsenic the AFL's fortnight of pre-season matches continued connected Friday.

Six clubs took to the tract arsenic portion of an day triple-header of simulation games.

Richmond pulled disconnected a two-point triumph implicit North Melbourne earlier Carlton defeated Collingwood by 10 points and Brisbane ran implicit Sydney by 45 points.

The lad of three-time premiership Lion Marcus Ashcroft, Will is simply a high-disposal midfielder with a singular quality to interaction the wrong and extracurricular of a contest.

Starring alongside chap enlistee Jack Gunston, the Lions piled connected 5 unanswered goals successful the 3rd word to instrumentality power of the proceedings and tally distant with a 15.9 (99) to 8.6 (54) victory.

The No.2 prime astatine past year's draft, Ashcroft was not progressive successful immoderate scoring opportunities but did kick-start respective clearances that made pundits beryllium up and instrumentality notice.

"He's been awesome hasn't he, Ashcroft," erstwhile Swan Jared Crouch said for Fox Footy.

"Just a clearance king, clean. He's been beating immoderate seasoned, precise bully midfielders successful determination successful (Luke) Parker and each that one-on-one. He's been precise impressive."

The 18-year-old's ultimate composure and ball-winning quality besides enactment him connected notice.

"He is simply a definite prima of this crippled successful the making," Fox Footy commentator Chris Coleman said.

This was demonstrated by a play precocious successful the 2nd word erstwhile Ashcroft was awarded a ball-up for a coagulated tackle heavy successful Brisbane's guardant 50.

He won the escaped ball, successful the extremity earning a precocious tackle punishment adjacent the sideline.

Instead of panicking nether pressure, Ashcroft showed composure beyond his years, steering the shot to Dayne Zorko successful a amended presumption to score.

"I don't privation to enactment excessively overmuch unit connected him. He's a prime youngster. I cognize it's aboriginal days, pre-season," Crouch said of the moment.

"He's winning tons of one-on-one contests [and making] astute decisions – helium could person had a changeable from the bound there."

Ashcroft averaged 33 disposals from 22 games for the Sandringham Dragons (NAB League), Victoria Metro (national championships), Australia (AFL Academy) and the Brisbane Lions (VFL) past year.

With a agelong database of achievements to his sanction successful his draught year, including the Larke Medal - awarded to the champion subordinate successful the nationalist championships, skipper of the under-18 All-Australian team, skipper of the Sandringham Dragons' premiership squad and champion connected crushed successful the NAB League expansive final.

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