BRISBANE’S premiership defence has been bolstered by the recruitment of three club-tied players via the National AFL Draft. Where the bids lay proved kind to the Lions, despite a surprise on night two, with the club’s midfield stocks looking prosperous for years to come.

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DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

5. Levi Ashcroft (F/S, matched Melbourne’s bid)
25. Sam Marshall (Academy, matched Sydney’s bid)
42. Ty Gallop (Academy, matched Geelong’s bid)

Pre-Season Draft:

2. Sam Day (Gold Coast)

Rookie Draft:

15. Darragh Joyce (re-listed)
26. Darcy Craven (re-listed)

Having mobilised during trade period, Brisbane proved a busy player at the live trade table to work around early bids for father-son gun Levi Ashcroft and Academy graduate Sam Marshall. Maroochydore bolter Ty Gallop also gave the Lions something to think about as Geelong readied a bid on night two.

In the end, having Ashcroft last until pick five made things considerably easier. Ranked by some as the draft’s top prospect, the son of three-time premiership Lion Marcus joins elder brother Will at the Lions’ den, who is fresh off a Norm Smith Medal. All three are perennial winners.

Ashcroft, who gathered 35 disposals and 11 clearances in his VFL debut this year, has already spent time training with Brisbane’s senior group. He offers readymade fold for what is already a strong engine room, but also has the nous and work rate to spend the required time up forward to start his career.

Only one player was better than Ashcroft in the 2024 Coates Talent League Grand Final (his third flag), and that was Marshall. The often underrated midfielder is a hybrid type with the capacity to impact the game going forward from both the inside and outside. His bid fell at pick 25.

Marshall’s consistency is highly regarded and he averaged an even 27 disposals in Allies colours during the National Championships. He, too has VFL experience under his belt and has shown great resilience to hardly waver in his performance across a wide array of programs.

After two matched bids on night one, Geelong forced the Lions’ hand on night two by calling out Gallop’s name. Brisbane had previously planned to welcome the key forward as a Category B Rookie, but instead he ended up on the senior list as a pleasant surprise.

Signs were there late in the season for Gallop, who made just two appearances for the Allies, but went on to play in the Lions’ VFL preliminary final. The powerful marking target was also named QAFL Rookie of the Year after kicking 30 goals in nine games for Maroochydore.

Brisbane had committed to re-listing Darragh Joyce and Darcy Craven via the rookie intake, but further accounted for the loss of Joe Daniher by recruiting delisted Sun Sam Day as one of two selections in the Pre-Season Draft.