Marcus Ashcroft

Marcus Ashcroft (born 25 September 1971) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played 318 games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions and is currently on the coaching panel of the Gold Coast Football Club. 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.

Marcus Ashcroft
Personal information
Full name Marcus Ashcroft
Date of birth (1971-09-25) 25 September 1971
Place of birth Melbourne, Australia[1]
Original team(s) Southport Sharks
Position(s) Defender/Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1989–1996 Brisbane Bears 152 0(84)
1997–2003 Brisbane Lions 166 0(61)
Total 318 (145)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (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

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.

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 that year against North Melbourne at the MCG.

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.

A three time premiership player with Brisbane, Ashcroft retired at the end of 2003, fittingly with an AFL premiership medallion.

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 [4]

Statistics
[5]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
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
Career 318 145 138 3532 2316 5848 1154 594 0.5 0.4 11.1 7.3 18.4 3.6 1.9

References
  1. "Marcus Ashcroft". AFL Queensland.
  2. Ashcroft, Hart join Gold Coast team as assistants
  3. Southport Sharks History - 1988
  4. Navaratnam, Dinny (13 October 2017), Ashcroft leaves suns coaching panel shakeup, AFL, retrieved 14 October 2017
  5. Marcus Ashcroft's player profile at AFL Tables
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