STRENGTHS:

+ Accumulation
+ Character
+ Consistency
+ Endurance
+ Inside-outside balance
+ Midfield craft
+ Stoppage work

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Defensive habits
- Versatility

As a high-end prospect, Ashcroft's assets are plentiful. His level of consistency is right up there with the likes of Daicos and Sam Walsh, the latter of whom he takes great inspiration from. Walsh's inside-outside influence and ability to hit the scoreboard are traits Ashcroft has built into his own game, taking pride in both as a well-rounded midfielder.

His numbers across multiple levels have been outstanding, hardly wavering and putting him comfortably in the elite category. In the NAB League alone, Ashcroft sat between tallies of 27 and 51 disposals, aside from the Round 1 outlier of 18. That was arguably his only down game for the year, and he even maintained the standard upon cracking VFL level, averaging 29 touches in three outings.

Ashcroft is a pure accumulator, able to rack up possessions in combination with his teammates from contest to contest. His kick-to-handball ratio is in favour of the latter, with Ashcroft a strong contested ball winner who can dish out from the inside, then demand the ball back and stream away on the outside. Each disposal sets up the next.

Athletically, the 18-year-old is more an endurance runner than a power player. His running capacity and work rate are top notch, though he has made great strides in his explosive traits. Ashcroft turned his acceleration into a handy strength this year, and is combative at 182cm to mix it with more brawny opponents.

Ashcroft's skills and impact per possession are areas which have spawned some debate. He is unquestionably sound by hand, but some may query just how damaging he is with each touch. With a range of one-twos, hand-offs and short-range outlets used, his penetrative boot and polished use going inside 50 are sometimes overlooked.

An area for improvement may instead lie in Ashcroft's versatility. Though dextrous in a midfield sense with his ability to impact inside and out, he is a genuine on-baller who is so far ahead of the opposition in that position, that he hardly needs to play anywhere else. Would he need or be able to transition to a forward/back flank at the elite level?

A counter to that claim is his scoreboard impact, with Ashcroft proving to be a slick finisher from range. He averaged a goal every other game for Sandringham, and found the big sticks in Vic Metro colours to compliment his method of helping others shine. Thing is, he does much of that scoring from midfield, rather than resting forward.

The man himself said in preseason that defensive habits are another phase of the game he would like to lift. His two-way effort at stoppage is exemplified by a NAB League tackle average of 4.9, though on the rare occasion he fails to win a clearance, sweeping back on the spread may be what he is alluding to.

Given how much he seems to have improved on every perceived weakness throughout the year, Ashcroft's character is the last box to tick off. A determined youngster, his standards and willingness to consistently better himself make him a leader through action, and he demands the same vigour from his teammates. Brisbane will be lucky to have him.