Marcus Ashcroft Biography

Potential No.1 draft pick Will Ashcroft, the son of former Brisbane star and triple premiership player Marcus Ashcroft, has nominated for Brisbane as a father-son selection.

Will had the option of entering the national draft's open pool, where he could be the top choice and stay in Victoria, where his family has lived in recent years and where he finished school last year, but instead has agreed to a four-year deal with the Lions.

Marcus Ashcroft will take on a role in the AFL's football operations.

Ashcroft will work closely with the NAB AFL Academy and its programs, as well as state talent managers from across the country during the annual under-16 and under-18 championships.

Marcus Ashcroft will leave his role as football manager of the Gold Coast Suns at the end of 2017.

"Marcus and I have been discussing this decision for some time and to his credit he has continued to put the club first," Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans said.

"His legacy to the Suns, Lions and the AFL speaks for itself and I have great confidence that Marcus will not be lost to the industry."

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan was forced to intervene in a messy off-season stoush between Gold Coast and North Melbourne.

The club's feud was over a fight for the services of Brad Scott, coach of North Melbourne since 2010 and contracted through to the end of 2016.

After sacking Guy McKenna, Gold Coast approached Sydney Swans premiership coach John Longmire, and Scott, who is friends with Suns' football operations boss Marcus Ashcroft.

North Melbourne CEO Carl Dilena was so incensed with the approach that he rang McLachlan to formally complain about the Suns and asked how an AFL funded club could make an offer to a contracted coach.

Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw told The Footy Show the Suns were out of line to approach Scott the way they did.

"We all know that people are trying to poach from everywhere, that's the environment," he said.

"Our issue was, two and a half years is a long time left on a contract, we thought it was a bit rich that another club was basically trying to entice our coach away when he had that long to go.

"Brad's behaviour was impeccable and so was (manager) Craig Kelly's, we had no issue with any of that.

"Carl had every right to speak to Gill McLachlan."