Will Ashcroft will return to senior-level football on Friday night when Brisbane hosts Melbourne at the Gabba.
The youngster has been sidelined for 342 days after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during Round 19 last season.
Lions coach Chris Fagan has confirmed Ashcroft will play at the elite level against the Demons, saying he "deserves" to jump right back into the AFL after a long stint out.
"He's done a huge amount of work, he's incredibly fit, his training form is great, he's a highly talented, highly motivated young bloke," Fagan said on Thursday morning.
"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 a reason why we wouldn't do the same with Will.
"We don't expect him to play the house down, but he's got to start somewhere. I think a player of his talent deserves to start in the AFL team."
After 11 gruelling months of recovery and extensive hours of rehabilitation, watching his teammates make the 2023 Grand Final, the young lion is ready to return to the highest level.
Speaking to AFL.com.au Ashcroft has high expectations of himself when he returns this week and wants to have an impact on the game immediately.
"I'm driven and expect high standards of myself … I want to come in and make a huge impact and be a lot better than I was last year," Ashcroft said.
"I've done all this work behind the scenes that people don't see, but I'm ready and we've taken that extra time to make sure I'm really ready so that I can launch into this back half of the year and be fresh and fit and firing and ready to go.
"I've got big expectations on myself and always have and that'll only continue.
"I want to try and break the game open more, run and take the game on a bit.
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"I did a bit of that last year but want to add to that and combine that inside and outside craft. We have a lot of versatility in our group."
The son of Brisbane great Marcus Ashcroft was having a standout year for his first season of senior footy before his injury. Ashcroft slotted straight into a stellar midfield becoming an important figure alongside Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley.
The number second pick in the 2022 draft, played all 18 games in his debut year up until his injury.
The young Lion said it was very hard watching his teammates play on Grand Final Day.
"It was hard from an individual perspective, I just wanted to be out there and I was shattered I couldn't," the right-footer said.
Ashcroft emphasised the rollercoaster ride he'd been on since being helped off the Gabba last season.
After 342 days on the sidelines, Will Ashcroft's return is almost here 🙌
He sits down to discuss the comeback, and the expectations he's setting on Footy Feed, thanks to @Telstra. pic.twitter.com/uIWXjYj76K
— AFL (@AFL) June 26, 2024
"You just don't know how to react. A split second it happens and all of a sudden I'm back home in Melbourne getting surgery and it's all over that quickly," Ashcroft said.
"It's hard to grasp because of how quickly it happened, especially how the team was trending, how excited I was looking forward to playing finals and what was to come there from a team aspect.
"It was definitely difficult. It's been a very long journey full of ups and downs.
"I can't believe it's been 11 months. I'm just very grateful for the support network I've had around me at the club, but also my family and friends. They've been a huge support."
During the initial stages of his recovery, the son of Lion great went home to Melbourne to be with his family and have surgery.
"I can't count the number of things my mum and dad did for me during that time when I wasn't as able and couldn't do as much and was a bit flat," the young Lion said.
"They were an awesome support.
"You learn a lot about yourself and the people around you when you go through a tough time. When it gets tough, in those darker days early, they were there to rally around me."
The 20-year-old is determined to make an immediate impact on the game when he returns tomorrow to get his season going without wasting any time.
