Levi Ashcroft
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (born 2006)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| image = Levi Ashcroft 050425.jpg
| caption = Ashcroft in April 2025
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|12|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Gold Coast, Queensland
| originalteam = Brisbane Lions(VFL)/Sandringham Dragons (NAB League) / Brighton Grammar (APS) / St Kilda City (SMJFL) / Southport (QAFL) / Broadbeach (QAFL)
| draftpick = No. 5, 2024 AFL draft
| height = 181 cm
| weight =
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = {{AFL BL}}
| guernsey = 10
| years1 = 2025–
| club1 = {{AFL BL}}
| games_goals1 = 15 (6)
| statsend = round 15, 2025
| careerhighlights =
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2025
}}
Levi Ashcroft (born 18 December 2006) is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted to them with Pick 5 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, under the father-son rule.
Early life
Ashcroft was born on 18 December 2006 on the Gold Coast, to parents Rebecca and Marcus. He has two siblings, one of which is fellow professional footballer Will Ashcroft.{{Cite news |last=Robbemond |first=Amanda |date=16 March 2017 |title=Coeliac disease: How Marcus Ashcroft's Gold Coast family live with gluten intolerance |work=The Gold Coast Bulletin |url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/coeliac-disease-how-marcus-ashcrofts-gold-coast-family-live-with-gluten-intolerance/news-story/986cbf8cef22532ca076e0d226c68978 |access-date=15 December 2022}} His father, Marcus Ashcroft, is a three-time AFL premiership player who competed in 318 games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions over the course of his 15-year professional career.{{Cite news |date=1 November 2020 |title=Queensland Football Hall of Fame: Marcus Ashcroft (Legend) |work=AFL Queensland |url=https://www.aflq.com.au/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-a-e/marcus-ashcroft/ |access-date=16 October 2022}} While based on the Gold Coast, Levi attended All Saints Anglican School{{Cite news |date=25 June 2018 |title=The Saints Magazine - Winter 2018 |work=All Saints Anglican School |url=https://issuu.com/allsaintsanglicanschool/docs/the_saints_magazine_-_winter_2018 |access-date=10 October 2024}} and began playing junior football in 2014 for the Broadbeach Cats in the local under-9s competition.
Ashcroft has stated that his idol growing up was then-Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett Jr. and through his father's football manager role at the Suns, Ashcroft was given the opportunity to observe Ablett up close and has stated that he modelled his game around Ablett's style from a young age.{{Cite news |date=4 August 2024 |title=Levi Ashcroft on motivation, big moments and the prospect of being a No. 1 pick |work=Herald Sun |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-draft-2024-levi-ashcroft-on-motivation-big-moments-and-the-prospect-of-being-a-no-1-pick/news-story/a26080add1f088fa5bfa255bd9ff6b74 |access-date=29 October 2024}} In 2016, Ashcroft switched clubs and began playing junior football for the Southport Sharks. Despite being 11 years old at the time, Ashcroft was playing for Southport's under-14s division 1 team in 2018 and was considered an outstanding junior prospect. A year later he relocated to Melbourne with his family where he began attending Brighton Grammar and played junior football for St Kilda City in the South Metro Junior Football League. He temporarily moved back to Queensland in 2020 to play in the QAFL junior league for Morningside during the COVID-19 pandemic-affected year which cancelled all junior football competitions within Victoria.
Upon returning to Melbourne in 2021, Ashcroft caught the eye of Coates Talent League recruiters and signed to play for the Sandringham Dragons in the 2022 season, despite only recently turning 15 years of age. Ashcroft got the opportunity to play alongside his brother Will throughout the 2022 season and played in Sandringham's grand final victory that year{{Cite news |date=3 August 2023 |title=Ashcroft brothers spearhead Dragons to victory |work=Sandringham Dragons |url=https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/ashcroft-brothers-spearhead-dragons-to-victory |access-date=10 October 2024}} as well as representing Victoria Metro at the U16 national championships and was named in the U16 All Australian team that year.{{Cite news |date=3 August 2023 |title=2022 NAB AFL National Development Championships U16 Boys All-Australian Team |work=AFL.com.au |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/812195/2022-nab-afl-national-development-championships-u16-boys-all-australian-team |access-date=10 October 2024}}
Some media members have suggested that Ashcroft went on to compile the greatest junior football career ever by taking part in three consecutive Coates Talent League premierships between 2022 and 2024, winning Sandringham's best and fairest award at 16, winning the APS Premiership with Brighton Grammar in 2024 and leading Victoria Metro to a gold medal win in the 2024 national championships as well as being named in the U18 All Australian team in 2023 and 2024 respectively.{{Cite news |date=2 October 2024 |title=Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall: Lions' draft riches set to extend premiership window |work=ESPN.com.au |url=https://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/41527775/afl-draft-2024-brisbane-lions-draft-levi-ashcroft-sam-marshall-set-extend-premiership-window |access-date=10 October 2024}} In August 2024, Ashcroft elected to return to his home state of Queensland by agreeing to join the Brisbane Lions under the father-son rule.{{Cite news |date=4 August 2024 |title=No.1 pick contender commits to Lions as father-son |work=AFL.com.au |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/1190691/no1-pick-contender-levi-ashcroft-commits-to-brisbane-lions-as-father-son-draftee |access-date=10 October 2024}}
AFL career
Ashcroft has joined the Brisbane Lions as a father–son selection in the 2024 AFL draft. Ashcroft was awarded a 2025 AFL Rising Star nomination for his effort in round four of the 2025 AFL season against {{AFL Ric}} at the MCG, collecting 22 disposals, four intercept possessions, six score involvements and kicking a goal during the match.{{cite news|title=Brisbane Lions young gun Levi Ashcroft keen to show his versatility|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-lions-young-gun-levi-ashcroft-keen-to-show-his-versatility/news-story/c5b983ee7aa038e0dc9834cb6a19dc75|work=news.com.au|date=8 April 2025| first=Marco|last=Monteverde}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons cat}}
- {{Brisplayer}}
- {{AFL Tables}}
- {{AustralianFootball}}
{{Brisbane player squad}}
{{2025 AFL Rising Star nominees}}
{{2024 AFL national draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, Levi}}
Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen
Category:Sandringham Dragons players
Category:Brisbane Lions players
Category:Australian rules footballers from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Category:People educated at Brighton Grammar School
Category:People educated at All Saints Anglican School
Category:Broadbeach Australian Football Club players