The Brisbane Lions have book-ended the first round of the 2024 AFL National Draft, picking up the oldest and youngest players on a night which could barely have gone any smoother.
Levi Ashcroft, born on 18 December 2006, was the youngest of 27 players taken in the first round of the 2024 Draft. And Sam Marshall, born almost 11 months earlier on 19 January 2006, was the oldest.
So young is Ashcroft that since the draft age was increased to 18 in 2009 the Lions have only drafted two players younger. And only just.
Darcy Wilmot, pick #16 in the 2021 National Draft, was born on 31 December 2003 – effectively 13 days later than Ashcroft on the draft calendar and only hours inside the draft deadline.
Also born on New Year’s Eve six years earlier was Sudanese-born Reuben William, who moved to Australia aged five, took up football with the Zillmere Eagles four years later, and was drafted with rookie pick #20 in 2015 as a graduate of the Lions Academy.
It’s been a 1-1 outcome for the Lions on mega-late birthdays. While William played only three AFL games in 2016 and was delisted in 2017, Wilmot, a member of the 2024 premiership side, is already is a star in the making. And Ashcroft will undoubtedly make it a 2-1 result.
Ashcroft and Marshall, teammates in the Sandringham Dragons premiership side in the Coates Talent League in Victoria this year, are the two players over which the Lions recruiting and list management team have waged a tireless pre-draft campaign in recent months.
It was all about ensuring they had sufficient points to secure the fancied pair under the AFL’s revised draft value index (DVI) system, whereby the first 73 picks in the National Draft have a points value.
There is a 20% discount for clubs matching bids for father/son and academy players in the first round, and with every matched bid subsequent picks will increase in value as they slide up the order.
For most it is so complicated it is beyond comprehension. Ask Lions List Manager Dom Ambrogio to explain it and he’ll tell you ‘don’t worry – we’ll have enough points’.
But it is a fascinating insight into the intricate workings of the system, and even as the draft began at 6pm (Queensland time) on Wednesday Ambrogio was working to add points to the Lions’ draft hand.
Armed with picks 27-34-42-43-49-58 a day earlier, he traded #34 to St.Kilda for #37, #56 and #73. Then he sent #27 to the Western Bulldogs for #35 and #48, and sent #35, #37 and #58 to Essendon for #40, #46, #53, #54 and #65, adding a further 393 points.
All this meant the Lions were covered. And as it turned out they had more than enough points when a bid did not come on Ashcroft until pick #5.
Rated by many as the best player in the talent pool but overlooked by Richmond, North Melbourne, Carlton and Adelaide, he cost the Lions 1502 points when they matched a bid from Melbourne. This was the standard pick #5 value of 1878 minus 20% discount.
But if a bid had come on Ashcroft at pick #1 it would have cost 2400 points, which includes the 20% discount on the full price of 3000 points for father/son and academy
Pick #2 has a base value of 2517 points, which with the discount equates to 2014 points. Pick #3 is 2234 points (net 1787) and pick #4 is 2034 (net 1627)
Marshall, originally from Kawana on the Sunshine Coast, cost the club 604 points when they matched a bid from Sydney at #25, which has a base value of 756 points.
Now, going into the second round of the draft tonight, the Lions, with four list spots open, have seven picks to complete their work – 46-47-49-56-59-66-69.
Levi Ashcroft is the 27th player drafted by Brisbane inside the top 10 in the National Draft, which was introduced in 1986. They are:-
#1 – Martin Leslie (1986), John Hutton (1991), Des Headland (1998), Cam Rayner (2017)
#2 – Chris McDermott (1987), Nathan Chapman (1992), Nigel Lappin (1993), Josh Schache (2015), Will Ashcroft (2022)
#3 – Rory Hilton (1996), Jared Brennan (2002), Hugh McCluggage (2016)
#4 – Justin Leppitsch (1992), Matthew Leuenberger (2006)
#5 – Brad Rowe (1989), Luke Power (1997), Jared Polec (2010), Levi Ashcroft (2024).
#6 – Damian Cupido (1999)
#7 – Daniel Rich (2008), James Aish (2013)
#8 – Lachie Henderson (2007), Billy Longer (2011), Sam Mayes (2012)
#9 – Mitch Clark (2005)
#10 – David Ogg (1990), Shane O’Bree (1997).
