Why Lion’s injury return could ignite top-four hopes

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has shut down suggestions Will Ashcroft will ease back into the AFL, declaring “if we thought he had to be managed, we would’ve brought him back in the reserves”.

The 20-year-old was one of the game’s breakout players in his 2023 debut, before suffering a ruptured ACL in round 18 against Geelong.

But 11 months on from that night at the Gabba, the son of three-time premiership-winner Marcus Ashcroft will seek to remind pundits of his class when he lines up against the Melbourne Demons on Friday night.

Brisbane Lions star Will Ashcroft’s return has been confirmed.

“We’ve got a history of playing blokes straight off the back of their surgeries, like Cam Rayner and Eric Hipwood, and we can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t do the same with Will,” Fagan said.

“He has to start somewhere, and we think a player of his talent deserves a start in the AFL team.

“He wanted to break the world record for coming back from an ACL, but once he realised nature was going to take its course with that … he pretty much calmed down.

“[There will be] no management – if you’re playing AFL you’re in and have to do whatever you have to do.”

The Lions have won five of their past seven games to surge back into finals reckoning.

Ashcroft burst out of the blocks to launch his career, averaging more than 22 disposals and 11 handballs an outing, and that injection of speed and movement through the midfield could keep Brisbane’s top-four aspirations alive.

But Fagan said they would not “expect him to play the house down” as he finds his stride, with Queensland orthopaedic surgeon Dr Steve Lawrie saying ACL surgeries typically came with “about 90 per cent patient satisfaction”.

Ashcroft admitted the setback proved a devastating blow at the time.

Ashcroft hobbles off, but has vowed to come back better than ever.

“You’re not focusing on what could happen when you’re playing week to week, you focus on getting better and trying to improve,” Ashcroft said.

“It just happened in a split second and there was so much unknown about what it could be, then when you actually find out what it is, it’s hard to wrap your head around.

“A few rounds to go before finals, that’s when I wanted to be playing my best footy, so it was tough to know it was going to be a long road ahead.”

Ashcroft had told this masthead last year he was quick to embrace his rehabilitation.

Teammate Dayne Zorko said the prodigious talent had shown no signs of rust.

“He’s been doing some things at training which flash back to last year and the brilliance he showed,” Zorko said.

“His touch and hands look absolutely elite. He looks more than capable of just coming in and doing what he needs to.”