A Brisbane superstar has raised eyebrows with several Instagram posts after being snubbed for All-Australian honours at the AFL awards on Tuesday night.
Two-time grand final medal winner Will Ashcroft was one of the unluckiest omissions from the 23-player team unveiled at the ceremony.
Will Ashcroft posted several hilarious images. Instagram
The 22-year-old was beaten to the wing and midfield guernseys by Bailey Smith, Marcus Bontempelli, Ollie Dempsey, Jordan Dawson, and Nick Daicos.
During the ceremony he took to Instagram to highlight the selections of his Lions teammates Harris Andrews, Logan Morris, and Zac Bailey.
But those stories were followed up by several photos of American basketball stars, and of American sports pundit Stephen A. Smith, with questioning expressions on their faces.
The suggestion is Ashcroft was surprised at his own snub, or that of others.
His teammate Kai Lohmann had a chuckle either way.
“I had a good laugh at his stories, actually. They were very funny,” Lohmann said on B105’s Stav, Abby & Matt.
“Yeah, he was super, super stiff to not make the team. He’s had one of the best years as a mid, and there’s always so many mids in there, so I thought he would be in there. But yeah, I did have a good laugh when he posted all those stories.”
Lohmann himself was a surprise omission, although didn’t make the original 46-player squad.
“Obviously, I was a bit flat. I thought I had a pretty good year as a small forward,” he said.
“And you know (Hawks star) Nick Watson was very deserved and he got in there as well, but yeah I was a little bit flat early on.”
Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury was among many shocked at the Ashcroft omission, saying he “should be in”.
Ashcroft, Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, and Bulldogs jet Ed Richards all missed out, and were among the big surprises for Melbourne legend Garry Lyon.
Lyon pointed out the final All-Australian team was vastly different to the one SEN experts had predicted.
“Gee whiz, it was unrecognisable to the team that was named on the night. So there were some surprises there,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast on Wednesday.
“I though Will Ashcroft was really stiff. Max Holmes (from Geelong) missed out, he might have been on the cusp of playing enough games or not. Izak Rankine wouldn’t have been too far away, and Patty Cripps I think is unlucky.”
Essendon legend Tim Watson was fine with the Cripps snub but admitted Richards should have been in the team, given he is one of the highest rated players in the game according to Champion Data.
“I didn’t think that Patty Cripps had an All-Australian year,” Watson said.
“Ed Richards, I think would be the one… someone said he’s the seventh highest player in the AFL. I think he’s one of those guys people quickly overlook, as opposed to really digging in and looking at what he does each and every week.
Ed Richards of the Bulldogs. Getty Images
“Bont (Bontempelli) is in the same team and maybe Bont just overshadows some of the stuff he does (for the Bulldogs).”
The unveiling of the 46-player squad on Monday had already raised eyebrows.
The likes of North Melbourne young gun Harry Sheezel weren’t even in the squad, and former selector Kane Cornes wonders why the 46-player list was even made public.
“I’m not sure why we have the squad… the squad is pointless to me,” Cornes said on Seven.
2026 All-Australian team
Backline: Wayne Milera, Callum Wilkie, Jarman Impey
Half back: Lachie Ash, Harris Andrews, Jordan Clark
Centre: Bailey Smith, Marcus Bontempelli, Oliver Dempsey
Half forward: Shai Bolton, Josh Treacy, Kysaiah Pickett
Forward: Nick Watson, Charlie Curnow, Logan Morris
Fol: Max Gawn, Jordan Dawson and Nick Daicos
Interchange: Luke Jackson, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Murphy Reid, Zac Bailey, Zak Butters
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