Brisbane remain hopeful top draftee Will Ashcroft will pledge his allegiance to the Lions as a father-son selection at this year's draft.
Seen as a guarantee to go in the top five at the 2022 National Draft, Ashcroft did his prospects no harm on Sunday in collecting 51 disposals against the Western Jets - the second-highest tally in the NAB League since 2005.
Ashcroft was already touted as a potential first overall selection and is yet to confirm his nomination to the Lions to follow in the footsteps of his father, Marcus, who won three premierships with Brisbane across a 318-game career.
Averaging 34.3 disposals - a 2022 NAB League Boys high - along with 6.7 inside 50s, 5.1 tackles and 3.4 marks per game, Ashcroft will be an in-demand name at the draft should he slip through the Lions' fingers.
Despite the ability to nominate for any and all takers at the top of the draft, Lions chief executive Greg Swann has his fingers and toes crossed the talented teenager will don the maroon, blue and gold.
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Speaking to 3AW, Swann stated how impressed he was with Ashcroft's ability to transition himself into senior matches with the club's VFL side earlier this year.
“I hope he does," he said of Ashcroft nominating for the Lions. "We’d like him to.
“He played for our VFL team for two weeks in the last school holidays and he acquitted himself really well there.
“Last year he did the pre-season training, and he wasn’t by any stretch out of his depth.
“He’s a very good player and we’re working hard and hopefully he nominates to come."
Should Ashcroft nominate the Lions ahead of the National Draft, Swann and his list management team will face a busy off-season window of accumulating the needed draft points to secure the Sandringham Dragons star.
A bid at Pick 1 for Ashcroft would see Brisbane needing to hand over 2400 draft points to match the bid. Brisbane's current handful of selections (Picks 18, 36, 43, 72 and 90) would not collectively reach the required total.
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Despite the deficit, Swann remains confident his club will "find a way" to acquire the needed selections.
“If he does, we’ll have to scramble and get some points because I think he’s going to be a high pick.
“We’ll find a way.”
