Brisbane midfielder Will Ashcroft has claimed his third Zero Hanger Finals MVP after earning the majority of the votes in Saturday's Grand Final win over Fremantle.
Coming into the decider, Ashcroft (26) was trailing behind Luke Jackson (30 votes), Nick Watson (29) and Marcus Bontempelli (28).
The Lions son-of-a-gun was remarkably bypassed by the Norm Smith Medal (won by Shai Bolton) for his 31 possessions, nine clearances and three goal assists.
However, what stuck out more so was Ashcroft's final four minutes once the famed Wharfie Time Hells Bells rang. He gathered six disposals, four clearances and dished off passes to Charlie Cameron and Logan Morris as Brisbane perfected the ultimate comeback.
Zero Hanger voters gave him 18, but with the Grand Final 2x weighting, he was awarded 36, taking his tally for September to an unreachable 62.
Ashcroft's won in 2024 with 55 votes, four ahead of Lachie Neale, and last year with 66 votes, four ahead of Harris Andrews.
Josh Dunkley (24 votes) and Dayne Zorko (16) were given best afield honours, while Dockers leader Caleb Serong (18) was also prominent.
Hayden Young (eight), Bolton (eight), Charlie Cameron (six), Luke Jackson (two) and Logan Morris (two) were also notable performers.
Serong (33) finished the 2026 finals series in second place behind Ashcroft, followed closely by Jackson (32).
After each match of the AFL Finals, Zero Hanger's panel, comprised of Mitch Keating, Aidan Cellini, Harrison McIlwaine and Jonty Ralphsmith, cast their 5-4-3-2-1 votes; the player with the most votes come September's end is crowned the Zero Hanger Finals MVP for 2026.
The Grand Final votes carry a 2x multiplier.
| Mitch Keating | Aidan Cellini | Harrison McIlwaine | Jonty Ralphsmith | |
| 5 | Will Ashcroft | Will Ashcroft | Dayne Zorko | Josh Dunkley |
| 4 | Shai Bolton | Caleb Serong | Will Ashcroft | Will Ashcroft |
| 3 | Josh Dunkley | Dayne Zorko | Charlie Cameron | Caleb Serong |
| 2 | Caleb Serong | Josh Dunkley | Josh Dunkley | Hayden Young |
| 1 | Hayden Young | Hayden Young | Logan Morris | Luke Jackson |
The Top 10
| RANK | PLAYER | LAST ROUND | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Ashcroft |
36 | 62 |
| 2 | Caleb Serong |
18 | 33 |
| 3 | Luke Jackson |
2 | 32 |
| 4 | Nick Watson |
0 | 29 |
| 5 | Marcus Bontempelli |
0 | 28 |
| 5 | Hayden Young |
8 | 28 |
| 7 | Errol Gulden |
0 | 26 |
| 7 | Shai Bolton |
8 | 26 |
| 9 | Josh Dunkley |
24 | 25 |
| 10 | Dayne Zorko |
16 | 23 |
