LIKELY No.1 draft pick Will Ashcroft says his decision to move away from his family and relocate to Brisbane was partly motivated by a potential reunion with his younger brother at the Lions in 2025.
Ashcroft also told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft that he had several meetings with North Melbourne, his likely destination if he'd entered the open pool this year, before he decided to nominate as a father-son selection for Brisbane.
Having been born and raised in Queensland before relocating to Melbourne as a teenager, Ashcroft said the lure of returning to his home state well as playing at the club of his legendary father, Marcus, were behind his decision to sign with the Lions earlier this month.
But he said a desire to one day play at AFL level with his younger brother Levi, an Under-16 All-Australian selection this year who will be eligible to nominate for Brisbane in 2024, was another reason to not take his chances in the draft.
"That was definitely another factor, for sure," Ashcroft told Cal Twomey on Road to the Draft earlier this week.
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"I've played a few games with him this year at the (Sandringham) Dragons and played with him a lot last year at Brighton Grammar when I was still at school there.
"I love playing footy with him and if he's able to continue on his journey and nominate the Lions as well, that'd be an awesome story and awesome to play with him."
Despite being two years older and the standout candidate of this year's draft contingent, Ashcroft said he has already learnt plenty from his younger sibling.
"We're pretty similar (players)," he said. "Some things he does well, his pressure and defensive efforts, I can feed off that and maybe improve in that area. And maybe he could improve his running with the ball and his leg drive, (which are) things that I do pretty well.
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"That's why I love training with him in the pre-season; we can take bits and pieces off each other and add to our games. We complement each other and I love playing with him."
Ashcroft said Lions coach Chris Fagan checked in with him "every three or four weeks" this year as the 18-year-old weighed up his options ahead of the draft, adding the decision to nominate as a father-son was not clear cut.
His deliberations included meeting with the Kangaroos, who hold the No.1 pick at this year's NAB AFL Draft, before he opted for the Lions.
"I did (meet with them), once or twice," he said. "They're a very impressive club and if I did end up nominating that way, I would have been more than happy to play for North.
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"It was a pretty lengthy process. I think most people thought I was always going there (to Brisbane), but I genuinely had some mixed emotions about staying or leaving.
"Leaving (my family) for the first time in my life will be a challenge. But I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to live in Brisbane and play for the Lions."
