Where does the Levi Ashcroft debut rank among the very best in club history?

While voting in the Merrett/Murray Medal and the Brownlow Medal will be the ultimate historical ‘judge’ statistics say the 18-year-old’s sizzling first game in the grand final re-match on Saturday is right up there.

Just 87 days beyond his 18^th birthday, he had 25 possessions, four clearances and six score involvements in the Lions’ brave four-point SCG win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG – from just 76% game time.

And that after a savagely disrupted preparation due to Cyclone Albert, and the fact he was thrust into the match 22 at short notice following Charlie Cameron’s late withdrawal with calf tightness, having originally been selected as the substitute.

The 352^nd Brisbane player in history, Levi Ashcroft is among 17 players to have 25 or more possessions on debut for the club, one of just six AFL debutants, and the second-youngest of the half dozen.

Only Michael Voss, who had 26 possessions aged 17 years 11 days in 1992, was younger among the ’25-plus on debut’ group. Steve McLuckie was 19 when he had 25 possessions and kicked four goals in 1992, Darren Carlson was 20 when he had 26 in 1987, Brad Dalziell was 21 when he had 32, and Danny Noonan 22 when had 31 in 1991.

The other 11 Brisbane first-gamers to have 25 or more possessions on club debut were imports. They were Dayne Beams (33), Phil Walsh (31), Bernie Harris (30), Lachie Neale (29), Brenton Phillips (28), Scott McIvor (28), Mark Williams (27), Russell Jeffery (27), Danny Craven (26), Jarryd Lyons (26) and Luke Hodge (25).

Only seven players - two debutants and five imports - have polled in the Brownlow in their first game in club colors. Inaugural captain Mark Mickan polled two votes in the club’s first game in 1987 and Brad Rowe polled one vote in 1990.

And among the imports, vote-getters have been Phillips (3) and Walsh (1) in the first game, Rod Lester-Smith (2) in 1988, Craven (2) in 1993 and Alastair Lynch (1) in 1994.

Ashcroft’s dazzling debut came as he became the 18^th youngest Brisbane player all-time and the youngest since the draft age was increased from 17 to 18 in 2009.

Voss (17 years 11 days) will forever be the club’s youngest barring a massive about-face on the draft age, while Matthew AhMat (17/44), Justin Leppitsch (17/177), Marcus Ashcroft (17/243), Daniel Bradshaw (17/257), Nigel Lappin (17/292), Nathan Chapman (17/324), Chris Scott (17/328) , Ray Windsor (17/388), Richard Hadley (18/16), Cameron Wood (18/51), Adam Kerinaiua (18/53), Jason Akermanis (18/58), Damian Cupido (18/71), Chris Schmidt (18/74), Justin Sherman (18/80) and Luke Power (18/86) were also younger than Ashcroft.

Levi Ashcroft followed brother Will in debuting in the first game of his first season in the AFL, with Will having done so aged 18 years 316 days in 2023.

Levi was the fourth-youngest opening round debutant in club history, behind 17-year-olds Leppitsch, Chapman and Scott, and the first Brisbane player to break into a premiership side for an opening round debut.

In 2002 there were two changes, with Jamie Charman and Ashley McGrath coming in for the injured Luke Power and Clark Keating.

In 2003 it was Charman, Daniel Bradshaw, Blake Caracella and Dylan McLaren for Des Headland, who had moved to Fremantle, and the injured Keating, Craig McRae and Beau McDonald.

And in 2004 Brad Scott, Jared Brennan and Tim Notting replaced the retired Marcus Ashcroft, the suspended Jonathan Brown, and the injured Alastair Lynch.

Ashcroft, born 18 December 2006 just 13 days inside the cut-off for the 2024 Draft, was one of just two inclusions to the Lions grand final side of last September. With Oscar McInerney, who returned from injury, he replaced the injured Cameron and the retired Joe Daniher.

Interestingly, this was in stark contrast to the League average of 6.72 changes from the last game of 2024 to the first game of 2025.

Melbourne (11) and Richmond (10) had the biggest player turnover from StKilda (9), West Coast (9), Adelaide (8), North Melbourne (8), Carlton (7), Western Bulldogs (7), Collingwood (6), Essendon (6), Geelong (6), Port Adelaide (6), Sydney (6), Fremantle (5), Gold Coast (5), GWS (5) and Hawthorn (5).

The Ashcrofts were the seventh pair of brothers to play for Brisbane after Claye and Dayne Beams, Jarrod and Tom Berry, Daniel and Darren Bradshaw, Brad and Chris Scott, Michael and Brett Voss, and Mark and Stephen Williams.

And the Ashcroft family unit of Marcus, Will and Levi have added an extra dimension to eight father/son pairings who have been part of the extended Brisbane/Fitzroy ‘family” since AFL football came to Queensland in 1987.

Others have been Brisbane’s Damien and Jordan Bourke, Adrian and Jaspa Fletcher, Geoff and Andrew Raines and Laurence and Josh Schache, and, via Fitzroy, Graeme and Marcus Allan, Jonathan and Brian Brown, Scott and Josh Clayton and Shane and Jarrod Molloy.