View source for Marcus Ashcroft

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Marcus Ashcroft
| image = 
| fullname = Marcus Ashcroft
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|9|25}}
| birth_place = [[Melbourne]], Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Marcus Ashcroft |url=https://www.aflq.com.au/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-a-e/marcus-ashcroft/ |website=AFL Queensland |language=en-AU}}</ref>
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Southport Australian Rules Football Club|Southport Sharks]]/[[Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club|Surfers Paradise Demons]]
| height = 184 cm
| weight = 83 kg
| position = Defender/Midfielder
| statsend = 2003
| careerhighlights = * 3× [[List of Australian Football League premiers|AFL Premiership player]]: 2001, 2002, 2003
| years1 = 1989&ndash;1996
| club1 = {{AFL BB}}
| games_goals1 = 152 (84)
| years2 = 1997&ndash;2003
| club2 = {{AFL BL}}
| games_goals2 = 166 (61)
| games_goalstotal = 318 (145)
| sooyears1 = 1991–1993
| sooteam1 = [[Queensland Australian rules football team|Queensland]]
| soogames_goals1 = 2 (4)
| sooyears2 = 1995–1998
| sooteam2 = [[The Allies (Australian rules football)|Allies]]
| soogames_goals2 = 4 (1)
| nationalyears1 = 1999
| nationalteam1 = [[Australian International rules football team|Australia]]
| nationalgames_goals1 = 2 (0)
}}

'''Marcus Ashcroft''' (born 25 September 1971) is a former professional [[Australian rules football]]er. He played 318 games for the [[Brisbane Bears]] and [[Brisbane Lions]] and held the position of General Manager of Football at the [[Gold Coast Football Club]] until 2018. 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.

==Early life==
Ashcroft was born in Melbourne and raised on the Gold Coast.<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/news/2008-11-11/ashcroft-hart-join-gold-coast-team-as-assistants Ashcroft, Hart join Gold Coast team as assistants]</ref> As a child he lived in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] until the age of 3 when he moved to the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|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 Australian Football Club|Surfers Paradise Demons]] and later moved to the [[Southport Australian Football Club|Southport Sharks]] to complete his junior football. In 1988 he made his senior QAFL debut for Southport as a 16-year-old.<ref>[http://www.southportsharkshistory.com.au/1983-current/1988.php Southport Sharks History - 1988]</ref> 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.

Marcus Ashcroft’s mother’s name is Ann Ashcroft.  She is [[John Townsend (footballer)|John Townsend]]’s (Melbourne AFL Player) sister.  Ann Ashcroft was a cousin of Betty Marlow the wife of Mitiamo Football club legend Allen Marlow.

==AFL career==
Ashcroft was recruited to join the [[Brisbane Bears]] in 1988 when the club was in just its second season in the [[Australian Football League|VFL]] and made his debut in Round 9 of the following year against [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] at the [[MCG]], collecting 8 disposals and taking 4 marks.<ref>https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1989/021219890526.html</ref> 

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.

Ashcroft became the first Queenslander to play 300 AFL games in 2003, but his milestone match would not be remembered for the right reasons, as they suffered their first defeat of that season against the [[Sydney Swans]] at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/242232/the-stat-files-marcus-ashcroft|title=The Stat Files: Marcus Ashcroft|publisher=lions.com.au|date=3 May 2019|accessdate=28 April 2022}}</ref> He retired at the end of that season, winning his third straight [[AFL premiership medallion]] in the process.

==Coaching career==

===Gold Coast Suns: 2008–2017===

Following the formation of the [[Gold Coast Suns]] 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]]<ref>{{citation| url = http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-10-13/ashcroft-leaves-suns-coaching-panel-shakeup| title = Ashcroft leaves suns coaching panel shakeup| first = Dinny| last = Navaratnam| date = 13 October 2017| access-date = 14 October 2017| publisher = AFL}}</ref>

==Statistics==
:<ref>[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/M/Marcus_Ashcroft.html Marcus Ashcroft's player profile at AFL Tables]</ref>

{{AFL player statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start}}
|-
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1989 VFL season|1989]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 43 || 10 || 5 || 2 || 67 || 34 || 101 || 22 || 10 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 6.7 || 3.4 || 10.1 || 2.2 || 1.0
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1990 AFL season|1990]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 13 || 11 || 7 || 116 || 103 || 219 || 38 || 23 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 8.9 || 7.9 || 16.8 || 2.9 || 1.8
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1991 AFL season|1991]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 22 || 2 || 11 || 291 || 173 || 464 || 94 || 42 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 13.2 || 7.9 || 21.1 || 4.3 || 1.9
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1992 AFL season|1992]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 17 || 22 || 19 || 203 || 108 || 311 || 67 || 36 || 1.3 || 1.1 || 11.9 || 6.4 || 18.3 || 3.9 || 2.1
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1993 AFL season|1993]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 20 || 14 || 11 || 260 || 169 || 429 || 79 || 40 || 0.7 || 0.6 || 13.0 || 8.5 || 21.5 || 4.0 || 2.0
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1994 AFL season|1994]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 22 || 10 || 10 || 270 || 174 || 444 || 58 || 50 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 12.3 || 7.9 || 20.2 || 2.6 || 2.3
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1995 AFL season|1995]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 23 || 10 || 13 || 234 || 169 || 403 || 78 || 43 || 0.4 || 0.6 || 10.2 || 7.3 || 17.5 || 3.4 || 1.9
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1996 AFL season|1996]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BB}}
| 10 || 25 || 10 || 11 || 305 || 170 || 475 || 78 || 43 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 12.2 || 6.8 || 19.0 || 3.1 || 1.7
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1997 AFL season|1997]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 23 || 18 || 15 || 293 || 185 || 478 || 92 || 53 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 12.7 || 8.0 || 20.8 || 4.0 || 2.3
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1998 AFL season|1998]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 22 || 7 || 15 || 300 || 201 || 501 || 84 || 41 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 13.6 || 9.1 || 22.8 || 3.8 || 1.9
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1999 AFL season|1999]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 25 || 16 || 8 || 357 || 218 || 575 || 92 || 61 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 14.3 || 8.7 || 23.0 || 3.7 || 2.4
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[2000 AFL season|2000]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 21 || 14 || 11 || 227 || 146 || 373 || 81 || 40 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 10.8 || 7.0 || 17.8 || 3.9 || 1.9
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | [[2001 AFL season|2001]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 25 || 5 || 2 || 222 || 203 || 425 || 103 || 45 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 8.9 || 8.1 || 17.0 || 4.1 || 1.8
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | [[2002 AFL season|2002]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 25 || 1 || 2 || 232 || 148 || 380 || 120 || 34 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 9.3 || 5.9 || 15.2 || 4.8 || 1.4
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | [[2003 AFL season|2003]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL BL}}
| 10 || 25 || 0 || 1 || 155 || 115 || 270 || 68 || 33 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.2 || 4.6 || 10.8 || 2.7 || 1.3
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 318
! 145
! 138
! 3532
! 2316
! 5848
! 1154
! 594
! 0.5
! 0.4
! 11.1
! 7.3
! 18.4
! 3.6
! 1.9
|}

==Family==
Marcus is the father of current [[Brisbane Lions]] players, 2024 Norm Smith Medallist [[Will Ashcroft]] and 2024 draftee [[Levi Ashcroft]].

==References==
<references/>

{{2001/02/03 Brisbane Lions triple premiership players}}
{{Brisbane Lions Team of the Decade}}
{{Inaugural Brisbane Lions team}}

{{1999 Australian international rules team}}
{{1991 Queensland Australian rules football State of Origin players}}
{{1993 Queensland-Northern Territory Australian rules football State of Origin players}}
{{1995 The Allies State of Origin players}}
{{1996 The Allies State of Origin players}}
{{1997 The Allies State of Origin players}}
{{1998 The Allies State of Origin players}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, Marcus}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Brisbane Bears players]]
[[Category:Brisbane Lions players]]
[[Category:Brisbane Lions premiership players]]
[[Category:Allies State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Southport Australian Football Club players]]
[[Category:Australia international rules football team players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from the Gold Coast, Queensland]]