Marcus Ashcroft

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Marcus Ashcroft
Personal information
Full name Marcus Ashcroft
Date of birth (1971-09-25) 25 September 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth Melbourne, Australia [1]
Original team(s) Southport Sharks/Surfers Paradise Demons
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 83 kg (183 lb)
Position(s) Defender/Midfielder
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1989–1996 Brisbane Bears 152 (84)
1997–2003 Brisbane Lions 166 (61)
Total318 (145)
Representative team honours
YearsTeamGames (Goals)
1991–1993 Queensland 2 (4)
1995–1998 Allies 4 (1)
International team honours
1999 Australia 2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2003.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Marcus Ashcroft (born 25 September 1971) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played 318 games for the Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions and held the position of General Manager of Football at the Gold Coast Football Club until 2018. The Marcus Ashcroft Medal, awarded to the player judged best on ground in the QClash football match played between the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Football Club, is named after him.

Contents

Early life

Ashcroft was born in Melbourne and raised on the Gold Coast. [2] As a child he lived in Victoria until the age of 3 when he moved to the Gold Coast with his family. He attended Merrimac State High School throughout his teenage years.

Ashcroft began playing junior football on the Gold Coast for the Surfers Paradise Demons and later moved to the Southport Sharks to complete his junior football. In 1988 he made his senior QAFL debut for Southport as a 16-year-old. [3] Later that year, Ashcroft would become the only Queenslander to be drafted in 1988 as the Brisbane Bears recruited the 17-year-old through their zone access.

Marcus Ashcroft’s mother’s name is Ann Ashcroft. She is John Townsend’s (Melbourne AFL Player) sister. Ann Ashcroft was a cousin of Betty Marlow the wife of Mitiamo Football club legend Allen Marlow.

AFL career

Ashcroft was recruited to join the Brisbane Bears in 1988 when the club was in just its second season in the VFL and made his debut in Round 9 of the following year against North Melbourne at the MCG, collecting 8 disposals and taking 4 marks. [4]

Ashcroft played over 150 consecutive games amongst his 318 career appearances (including 145 goals). He was at various points a key part of the leadership group although he never captained the club.

Ashcroft became the first Queenslander to play 300 AFL games in 2003, but his milestone match would not be remembered for the right reasons, as they suffered their first defeat of that season against the Sydney Swans at the Sydney Cricket Ground. [5] He retired at the end of that season, winning his third straight AFL premiership medallion in the process.

Coaching career

Gold Coast Suns: 2008–2017

Following the formation of the Gold Coast Football Club in 2008, Ashcroft was appointed an assistant coaching role and then promoted to football manager the following year. Ashcroft resigned from his position as football manager in October 2017 following the club's third coaching appointment in Stuart Dew and the recent sacking of former coach Rodney Eade [6]

Statistics

[7]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game)
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
1989 Brisbane Bears 431052673410122100.50.26.73.410.12.21.0
1990 Brisbane Bears 101311711610321938230.80.58.97.916.82.91.8
1991 Brisbane Bears 102221129117346494420.10.513.27.921.14.31.9
1992 Brisbane Bears 1017221920310831167361.31.111.96.418.33.92.1
1993 Brisbane Bears 1020141126016942979400.70.613.08.521.54.02.0
1994 Brisbane Bears 1022101027017444458500.50.512.37.920.22.62.3
1995 Brisbane Bears 1023101323416940378430.40.610.27.317.53.41.9
1996 Brisbane Bears 1025101130517047578430.40.412.26.819.03.11.7
1997 Brisbane Lions 1023181529318547892530.80.712.78.020.84.02.3
1998 Brisbane Lions 102271530020150184410.30.713.69.122.83.81.9
1999 Brisbane Lions 102516835721857592610.60.314.38.723.03.72.4
2000 Brisbane Lions 1021141122714637381400.70.510.87.017.83.91.9
2001 Brisbane Lions 102552222203425103450.20.18.98.117.04.11.8
2002 Brisbane Lions 102512232148380120340.00.19.35.915.24.81.4
2003 Brisbane Lions 10250115511527068330.00.06.24.610.82.71.3
Career31814513835322316584811545940.50.411.17.318.43.61.9

Family

Marcus is the father of current Brisbane Lions player, and 2024 Norm Smith Medallist, Will Ashcroft and fellow professional footballer Levi Ashcroft.

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References

  1. ↑ "Marcus Ashcroft". AFL Queensland.
  2. ↑ Ashcroft, Hart join Gold Coast team as assistants
  3. ↑ Southport Sharks History - 1988
  4. ↑ https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1989/021219890526.html
  5. ↑ "The Stat Files: Marcus Ashcroft". lions.com.au. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Navaratnam, Dinny (13 October 2017), Ashcroft leaves suns coaching panel shakeup, AFL, retrieved 14 October 2017
  7. ↑ Marcus Ashcroft's player profile at AFL Tables
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