06-05-2025
Calls come for Marcus Ashcroft and Brett Kirk Medals to be renamed amid ‘unfair advantage'
The Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison has called for the Marcus Ashcroft Medal with an 'unfair advantage' given to Brisbane.
The medal is given to the best player on the ground in the QClash between the Lions and Suns.
It is named after Marcus Ashcroft, who grew up on the Gold Coast before going on to play 318 games for Brisbane, including three premierships.
Post-AFL career, Ashcroft spent close to 10 years at the Suns, first as an assistant coach in 2008 before being promoted to football manager the following year ahead of the Suns' first season in 2011.
Ashcroft now has two sons, Will and Levi, who play for the Lions.
The brothers were among the Lions' best in Sunday night's win over the Suns, racking up a staggering 63 possessions between them.
Will won the medal named after his dad, but Hutchison believes the siblings have extra motivation to perform well.
He also noted that best on ground in the Sydney derby gets a medal named after Brett Kirk, who is currently an assistant coach at the Swans.
'Marcus Ashcroft, great respect in the game, but in reality he's got two sons who shared 63 possession who will fight to try to win the dad's medal in their name. It is bordering on an unfair advantage for Brisbane, the extra motivation it drives,' he said on The Agenda Setters.
'Brett Kirk is an assistant coach (at Sydney) giving out this one in the Swans-Giants game. Is it time that both clubs moved to a broader narrative.'
Fellow panellist Kane Cornes agreed.
'That might be one of your great takes. That is a good take. They have got to change the name, you can't have that as the Ashcroft and Kirk medal. He's an assistant coach handing over the medal to one of his players. That's a good pickup,' he said.
Caroline Wilson pointed out that Ashcroft was a three-time premiership player at Brisbane, but also held a key role at the Suns during their formative years.
Hutchison also noted how they changed the name of the medal in Western Australia from Ross Glendinning Medal to Glendinning-Allan to acknowledge Fremantle.
'If you're the Suns, you say 'now the two kids have arrived, it is time for a reset'. It happened in Western Australia. A motivational factor for one team and not the other on game day,' he said.
Cornes made a comparison to the Showdown Medal, which doesn't carry the name of any former player.
'It's like calling the Showdown Medal the (Mark) Ricciuto Medal. Why would a Port player want to win that medal?' He said.
