Background
Ashcroft was born on the Gold Coast to a family from Melbourne.
Ashcroft was born on the Gold Coast to a family from Melbourne.
He attended Merrimac State High School during his schooling years.
He is currently on the coaching panel of the Gold Coast Football Club. As a child he lived in Victoria until the age of 3 when he moved permanently to the Gold Coast with his family. His junior football career began at the Surfers Paradise Australian Football Club and later moved to the Southport Sharks to complete his junior football.
Ashcroft was recruited to join the Brisbane Bears in 1989 when the club was in its darkest period.
He made his debut in Round 9 of that year against North Melbourne at the MCG. 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
A three time premiership player with the Brisbane Lions, Ashcroft retired at the end of 2003, fittingly with an American Federation of Labor-Congress premiership medallion. Following the formation of the Gold Coast Football Club, Ashcroft was appointed an assistant coaching role.