‘Remarkable’ young gun setting Lions alight

Brisbane Lions vice-captain Hugh McCluggage has hailed the “remarkable” impact rising star Will Ashcroft is having on Brisbane’s bid to win the AFL premiership after a stunning return from a serious knee injury.

With the Lions’ season on the line last Saturday, trailing by 44 points in the third quarter of their do-or-die affair with the GWS Giants, 20-year-old Ashcroft grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with a memorable midfield display that turned the tide in Brisbane’s epic five-point win.

Ashcroft, who only returned in late June from a ruptured anterior cruciate, finished with 27 disposals to help guide the Lions into a preliminary final showdown with Geelong at the MCG this Saturday.

“It’s remarkable for anyone but Will Ashcroft, I’d say, because of the work that he puts in, because of what we see him do behind the scenes,” McCluggage said when asked about Ashcroft’s top form on the back of almost 12 months on the sidelines.

“He worked as hard as anyone through that time when he was in rehab, and it’s not just the physical side of the game, but the mental side as well, in a final when people can tighten up.

“As an older player, you can probably be thinking a little bit about the result and what’s on the line, but he just played with freedom and you can see that.

“He’s so strong. He willed himself into the contest in that second half.”

McCluggage said the Lions had “worked hard” with Ashcroft on his “voice, communication and defence” to get the absolute best out of the young gun who was on track to win the Rising Star award in 2023 before suffering his knee injury.

“All of that stuff’s lifting, and it’s no surprise he’s having a good offensive impact,” McCluggage said.

“It’s not necessarily the amount of touches he’s been having. The week before against Carlton he played a really impactful game as well.

“You look at the stats sheet. He had 20 touches, but every one of them, probably half of them, led to a score, and the rest were really clean.

“We’re pretty glad we’ve got him in our side, that’s for sure.”

McCluggage said the Lions were placing “no pressure” on themselves despite being just one win away from a second successive grand final and the chance to atone for last year’s heartbreaking four-point loss to Collingwood in the decider.

“The No.1 thing that’s held us in good stead in this final series is just staying in the moment and actually enjoying it,” he said as he reflected on the Lions’ poor start to the season that included just two wins from their opening seven games.

“We put no pressure on ourselves this year because of the way we started the year.

“We’re just proud to be in a position where we were playing finals, and now to be in a prelim, we need to keep that same attitude going into this week and not think too much about the past or about what could potentially happen as a result of winning this game, and just enjoy playing in another prelim.”

The Lions have now qualified for a preliminary final four times in five seasons.

“That itself is a huge achievement, but that’s not to say that we’re not desperate to make it to the grand final and to hopefully win the whole thing,” McCluggage said.

The Lions had an open training session on Tuesday in front of hundreds of fans at Springfield, with a host of players, including co-captain Lachie Neale, who continues to manage a heel problem, restricted to light duties.

“Every team will have niggles at this time of the year, and we expect Lachie to be able to push through what he’s got like he has been,“ McCluggage said.