Lions star Josh Dunkley has tipped draftees Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall to stake immediate selection claims in a Brisbane midfield that is already full of premiership-winning talent.
Dunkley, an unsung hero of the Lions’ flag-winning 2024 campaign, has no doubt that father-son pick Ashcroft and Marshall, who was selected at No. 25 in the draft will “drive the standards” in their first year at the club.
“Levi and Sammy are going to come in and do incredibly well and push the guys, even us older fellows, that have been here for quite a while,” Dunkley said of Ashcroft and Marshall
“That’s just going to make us get better.”
While Ashcroft – who is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery – being predicted to shine isn’t a surprise considering his father Marcus won three premierships with the Lions and his brother Will is the reigning Norm Smith medallist, Dunkley expected Marshall to be just as influential.
“Levi’s obviously an Ashcroft. He’s got incredible touch and finesse on his game, and he’s such a student of it too, and Sammy Marshall’s been really impressive for me,” Dunkley said.
“His running ability has been incredible to see, and he can break lines and take the game on, and he’s putting on size now as well. He’s going to be a very good player for us.
“It’s going to be challenging for selection, and we all know that. That drives the standards. Those two boys, I’m sure they’ll get their opportunity … and I’m sure they’re going to take it with both hands and continue to drive the standards for us.”
The Lions completed their Sunshine Coast training and community camp on Friday, with Dunkley confident Brisbane’s bid for back-to-back premierships was already on track.
“We’re looking forward to going again. We’re hungry as ever to get back there and do it all again, but we know that it’s day-by-day now, and all the work’s got to be done right now to set the platform for the season,” he said.
“For me, it’s just putting my best foot forward for the team and doing the little things that I can help everyone around the footy club.”
Dunkley said being the “hunted” this season would be nothing new for the Lions.
“We’ve probably looked at the past few years as being the hunted as one of the better teams in the competition and finishing higher on the ladder,” he said.
“We don’t see that as being a pressure on us or anything like that. It’s more of continuing doing what we’ve been doing. That is putting our best foot forward on the track, getting better every day, keep on driving our youth, and helping them develop their games and education-wise.”
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