THERE’S a lot on Levi Ashcroft‘s plate in 2024, and plenty he’s already achieved. The top draft prospect is aiming to become the third member of his family to reach the top level of Australian rules football, after father Marcus and big brother Will both hit the bigtime in Brisbane.

Levi is an esteemed junior, boasting notable individual and team success in the elite talent pathway. He claimed Under 18 All Australian honours as a bottom-ager last year and is a two-time Coates Talent League premiership player, having won back-to-back flags with Sandringham Dragons.

Almost inevitably, he earned selection in this year’s AFL Academy and is now looking forward to adding top-age plaudits to his resume. The National Academy and Sandringham programs are just a couple of teams Ashcroft is set to represent, with opportunities aplenty at his feet.

The 17-year-old has trained with Brisbane’s senior side this preseason and is tied to the Lions as a father-son candidate, he will again play a key part in Vic Metro’s National Championships campaign, link with Brighton Grammar in the APS competition, and may turn out for the Lions’ VFL team.

With the wealth of experience he already has under his belt, above all, Ashcroft is relishing the professional standards such high level environments have taught him – both on and off the field. A sky full of star junior teammates have also helped, including his elder brother.

“To be in and around the high standard of all the best players for next year’s draft, I’m loving it at the moment,” Ashcroft said during the AFL Academy’s recent training camp in Melbourne.

“I have a lot of mates in the group, so it’s good to see them train at such a high level and just be around them just at dinner and stuff like that and just chat to see how they’re going with their lives and their footy for next year.

“I’ve learnt off people like Will and Harry Sheezel who are so professional in their own right. I learnt so much, mainly off the field, from them. They’re so professional, they get the ice baths, they go do all the extras as well as the footy stuff, which they’re also incredible at. That gives them the edge and I’m trying to implement that into my footy.”

Most father-son guns draw comparisons to their old man, but Ashcroft is in rare air given his game will likely be put next to Will’s far more often. Perhaps he and the Camporeale twins (sons of Scott) can share notes on how to deal with that this year.

With Will breaking new ground in what it means to be an elite draft prospect and backing it up with eye-watering numbers on the field, Levi is working on the former but has a similar knack for the latter. “Personality” was the first point of difference which came to mind for the young gun.

“We’re the same sort of player, a bit of a different personality but (similar) players on the field,” he said. “I feel like we’ve got a few different things. He’s probably a bit quicker than me and gets a lot of the ball like I do as well.

“I don’t know if I have much over him but I’d probably say my defensive efforts may be something a little bit better than him. But he’s incredible in his own right so I don’t want to say too much… I’d love to be as good as he is at the same age so hopefully I can get there.”

To “get there” would mean adding a Larke Medal to his cabinet and breaking the lofty benchmark of being selected with pick two – the equal-highest father-son selection since the rule was introduced. The younger Ashcroft is keen to follow the trail blazed by his brother, too.

“I played with him when I was in Year 9 at school footy and played with Sandy the year before and I loved it,” he said. “There’s no pressure for me with him there. He’s his own person, I’m my own person, so I’m on my own journey and he’s obviously going so well. I’m so happy for him and hopefully I can follow in his steps.

“Competing with my brother and my little sister back when we were younger, I’ve always loved my footy and I’ve seen clips of dad play and all that and I’ve just been indulged in it, I love it so much. From such an early age I’ve always loved footy and I’ve always wanted to be around it.”

Ashcroft has the chance to make his own history with the rare feat of a Coates Talent League three-peat up for grabs. Only one region (Northern Knights, four) has won three or more consecutive flags, let alone a player. Trusting the “process”, Ashcroft admits there’s plenty of footy to play out before dreaming of the family’s second string of three cups.

Getting back to Brisbane “as much as [he] can”, between a wealth of other commitments, is also in the pipeline for Ashcroft.

“Obviously it’s another high level environment with some great AFL players,” he said. “They made the Grand Final last year so they’re playing some really good footy and to be around that, to be playing with people like Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley and learning off them has been incredible.”