BRISBANE star Will Ashcroft started 2026 in Doha searching for marginal gains after becoming just the third player ever to win back-to-back Norm Smith Medals in last year's Grand Final. 

The 21-year-old travelled to internationally renowned sports medicine practice and hospital Aspetar with Lions high performance boss Damien Austin in January, before Brisbane reported back for pre-season training at Brighton Homes Arena. 

Ashcroft elevated his status in the game in the 47-point win over Geelong at the MCG, becoming just the fifth multiple Norm Smith medallist since the award was instituted in 1979, after Gary Ayres (1986, 1988), Andrew McLeod (1997-98), Luke Hodge (2008, 2014) and Dustin Martin (2017, 2019-20).

AFL clubs have sent players to Aspetar for surgery, treatment and consultations for the past handful of years. Ashcroft didn't make the trip when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament late in his debut season in 2023, but first made contact with Enda King, the performance rehabilitation specialist, who divides his time between his base in Ireland and Qatar.

Ashcroft has played 40 games and become a two-time premiership player since he recovered from his reconstruction, but ongoing knee care was part of the reason he boarded a 15-hour flight to Doha in January.

"I've always been really curious. That's the word I'd use – curious – for how my mind works. I've got extensive things that I do day-to-day, week-to-week, whether that be recovery or nutrition or training, whatever it is, my brain never really switches off," Ashcroft told AFL.com.au.

"Going to Aspetar was that. I researched it, spoke to people who had been there done it, then when the opportunity presented to go, it was a no-brainer. 

"Now I didn't specifically go over to Aspetar for my knee, but obviously there are some things I got out of it for my knee. The good thing for me is I did some things for my knee, but really focused on my whole body. I did a lot of different testing. 

"You are just trying to find the one or two per cent differences that might help you. Little tweaks that help you be more efficient with your running and can add into your gym program. I've added some stuff before and after training, that can help you."

The ACL club isn't anywhere near as exclusive as the Norm Smith medallist club. And it certainly isn't a club you want to be a member of, but there is a brotherhood for those who have endured the emotional and physical trauma required to recover from the most feared injury in football. 

This time last year, Jagga Smith's debut season at Carlton ended before the 2024 pick No.3 played a game when a routine scan revealed a torn ACL that shocked the Blues, given the innocuous nature of the injury. 

Ashcroft knew what Smith was going through – and had ahead of him – so he reached out early and stayed in contact with the former teammate of his younger brother Levi. Now Smith is ready to roar again and will enter this season as one of the leading contenders for the Telstra AFL Rising Star.

"The brotherhood is real, until you've actually been through something that is the same magnitude as an ACL, you don't know what it's like," Ashcroft explained. 

"Levi played a lot of footy with him in juniors. They played against each other at Oakleigh and Dragons. They played together for Vic Metro and the AFL Academy. They had that connection. From what I could see from afar, he is very similar in the sense that he is super driven, obviously a really talented kid that was going to do great things last year. 

"I just said to him, 'Hey mate, I know what you're going through, it's shit, there is no way really around it. I'm here for you if you need anything'. I provided some insight around what mine looked like – every recovery is different, so I'm sure others reached out and he got nuggets of gold from different people – but that was my thinking around it. 

"What is underrated when you go through a long-term injury is, yes it sucks, you're not playing footy, but I think Rory Sloane said the same thing: if you treat it as an opportunity and get your mindset right, clearly there is a lot of rehab you need to put into your knee and that's super important, but the amount of other things you can do with your body, watch vision, work with coaches, get a bigger upper body, there is a million little targets that you can do in that period that can take you so far ahead. It's an opportunity and if you can flick into that mode as quick as possible, you'll get a lot out of it."

After overcoming the almighty challenge of a knee reconstruction at 19, Ashcroft has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the competition across the past 18 months. He finished third in the Merrett-Murray Medal last year behind Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage after playing all 27 games.

Now Ashcroft is chasing the next goal after becoming a dual Norm Smith medallist. That was the topic of conversation with Brisbane's performance psychologist Anthony Klarica on Tuesday morning in Springfield before sitting down to speak to AFL.com.au, something he has spent time on since the last Saturday in September.

"I have had more time to digest it [second Norm Smith Medal] and chat to different people about it. For me, I just try and move on. I'm always looking for the next thing and chasing the next goal and opportunity," he said.

"For me, this off-season was a good opportunity to smell the roses a bit and really enjoy it. It is a weird one to think about it when it was mentioned in the off-season, it is pretty cool being able to achieve that pretty quickly, especially after being out of the game for 11 months at one point. 

"I think it's important to enjoy it for what it is, but I was actually chatting to the sports psych this morning about how I redefine success for me now and what that looks like and how I can build to different goals and opportunities that present themselves and get myself in the right mindset to really attack this season."

Ashcroft isn't the only young gun at Brisbane. Far from it. Eight of the 23 last September were under 23. Three were teenagers, including Levi. He watched on from the other side of the fence in 2024 when Will became the youngest ever Norm Smith medallist. Twelve months later they became the latest brothers to win a premiership together. 

Just like his older brother, Levi starred for Brighton Grammar, Vic Metro and the Sandringham Dragons, then nominated Brisbane as a father-son pick before being selected in the top five. The Ashcrofts aren't resting on their laurels after going all the way; they are part of the young Lions setting the pace this summer.

"He is definitely driving me, not just in football but he has a better handicap than me in the golf setting, so I'm trying to chase him down in that," he said. "That competitive spirit is how it's always been. We have competed over everything, there has always been arguments, a few punch-ons here and there. I'm sure different sets of brothers are the same. There is no doubt that has set us up for how we are today. 

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"It was surreal for me and my whole family, to be honest. The feeling of him jumping the fence in 2024 and coming out on the ground. We shared that moment and we knew he was coming at that point and I remember saying this will be us one day, we'll make it happen. To do it a year later is a bit hard to believe. To win it again makes you want more."

Now Will has the chance to emulate his old man in 2026. Marcus was part of the famous three-peat at Brisbane under Leigh Matthews at the start of the century. If Chris Fagan's men are going to match that feat, Will and Levi will be a key reason why.