Australian Football

Born on the Gold Coast to a Victorian family, Marcus Ashcroft, came through the ranks at Surfers Paradise and Southport, and was a standout Queensland junior who made his AFL debut in 1989. Recruited by the fledgling Brisbane Bears (then based on the Gold Coast at Carrara), Ashcroft went on to forge a magnificent career that spanned 15 years and 318 games, and culminated in the historic premiership hat-trick of 2001, 2002, 2003.

Tough, energetic and unflappable, Ashcroft was a vital if often unsung member of his club's redoubtable midfield unit, happily alternating between attacking and negating roles as required. In addition to his on-ball role, Ashcroft played many fine games across half back, where his strong marking allied to excellent anticipation skills served him well, becoming a close checking defender toward to latter part of his career. A model of consistency and reliability, with 10 top 10 B&F finishes, plus awards for Most Professional Player (1997) and 1%er of the Year (1993), he was a State of Origin representative for Queensland, Queeensland/NT and the Allies, and was Bears/Lions vice-captain between 1994 and 1997. 

The first Queenslander to play 300 V/AFL games, Ashcroft posted a remarkable 170 consecutive game sequence from 1992 to 2000 and ranks fifth among AFL players for most games without being reported. He was forced into retirement after the 2003 grand final by a chronic hip problem that subsequently required a hip replacement. Chosen in the back pocket in the Queensland Team of the Century, he spent 12 months as Club Development Manager with AFLQ club Broadbeach in 2004 before serving four years as Football Administration Manager at the Brisbane Lions. With the advent of the new Gold Coast Suns franchise, Ashcroft joined the coaching panel and thus completed a full circle back to where his football career first began.

Author - Murray Bird and Peter Blucher, with John Devaney