Levi and Will Ashcroft celebrate Brisbane’s 2025 premiership win. Picture: AFL Photos

THE BARGAIN price Brisbane paid to land gun draft pair Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall late last year will look like even better value when the AFL’s changes to the father-son and Academy bidding come into force this year.

Reigning premier Brisbane landed father-son prospect Ashcroft (pick No.5) and Academy gun Marshall (No.25) in the opening round of the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.

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That came two years after Will Ashcroft, now a two-time Norm Smith medallist, also joined as a father-son recruit as the No.2 pick in 2022.

Changes to the Draft Value Index (DVI) for this year, which were announced in August last year and will come into effect for the first time at November’s draft, are set to make the task of matching bids on father-son and Academy prospects more difficult.

The 2025 changes are a forerunner to the expected tweaks that are set to be introduced next year, which are set to make matching bids even harder still.

After the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period and pick swaps window last year, the Lions had accrued picks 27, 34, 42, 43, 49 and 58 as they prepared to match the bids on Levi Ashcroft and Marshall.

Further pick swaps on the opening night of the draft saw them settle with 10 selections – picks 40, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 53, 54, 56 and 73.

The picks gave the Lions plenty of points to match bids on Ashcroft and Marshall, and when the former was allowed to reach pick five in the draft, the Lions were never in danger of missing out or even going into a points deficit.

After Ashcroft was overlooked by Richmond, North Melbourne, Carlton and Adelaide, Brisbane matched Melbourne’s bid at pick No.5 using picks 40, 42, 43 and 46.

The Lions needed to match the bid at No.5 with 1502.4 points (the value of pick No.5 is 1878 points, minus the 20 per cent discount that was granted in the first round).

With their four picks in the 40s now gone, Brisbane’s remaining selections came in and increased in points value, meaning they needed just picks 43 and 44 (originally picks 48 and 49) to match Sydney’s bid on Marshall, which came at pick 25.

It came after the Lions used only picks 34, 35, 38, 40, and 41 to grab the older Ashcroft brother in 2022.

But changes to the Draft Value Index are set to make moves like these more difficult, starting from this year.

Levi Ashcroft, Chris Fagan and Sam Marshall pose for a photo during the Telstra AFL Draft on November 20, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

As reported by AFL.com.au last year, around 10,000 points were shaved off the DVI in the new system, including taking away points for any pick after No.54. Under the system in use last year, points were attached to picks through to No.73.

So while Brisbane accrued a total of 1533 points by using picks 40 (429 points), 42 (395), 43 (378) and 46 (331) to match a bid on Ashcroft last year, those four picks in 2025 would be worth just 758 points.

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For Marshall, the Lions accrued 740 points – 135 more than they needed to match a bid – by using picks 43 (378) and 44 (362). This year, those two picks would be worth just 351 points.

The rule change means clubs won’t be able to simply stockpile later selections to match bids on father-son and Academy prospects, like the Lions were able to do last year.

Levi Ashcroft embraces Sam Marshall after being drafted by Brisbane at the Telstra AFL Draft on November 20, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

As part of the changes, the 20 per cent discount will also be reduced to 10 per cent.

If there was a repeat this year, the Lions would need 1616 points to match a bid on Ashcroft at pick No.5 (1795 points minus a 10 per cent discount). To use four picks to match that bid, it would have required the Lions to give up picks 29, 30, 34 and 35, which are much more valuable picks than the 40, 42, 43 and 46 they gave up in 2024.

For Marshall, the Lions would this year have needed 531 points to match the bid at pick 25 (590 points minus the 10 per cent discount). Two picks of that value this year would be picks 38 and 39, compared to picks 43 and 44 last year.

Gold Coast Academy pair Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson, Brisbane’s Daniel Annable and Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean were all ranked in the top 10 of Cal Twomey’s Phantom Form Guide in September, meaning bids are again set to impact the top of the draft this year.

The Suns currently hold three first-round picks, the Lions have five picks inside 50 and the Blues are set to use their compensation pick for departing free agent Tom De Koning to set themselves up to land Dean, or father-son prospect Cody Walker next year.

As reported by AFL.com.au, the League is set to introduce even tighter restrictions again for 2026, but has opted against preventing clubs matching bids at the top of the draft.

Details of the changes for 2026 and beyond and set to be announced soon.

How Brisbane matched bid for Levi Ashcroft in 2024

Bid: Pick No.5, value 1878 points, 1502 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 40, 42, 43 and 46

How a club could match a similar bid in 2025

Bid: Pick No.5, value 1795 points, 1616 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 29, 30, 34 and 35

How Brisbane matched bids for Levi Ashcroft and Marshall in 2024

Bids: Picks No.5 and 25, value 2634 points, 2107 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 40, 42, 43, 43, 44 and 46

How a club could match similar bids in 2025

Bids: Picks No.5 and 25, value 2385 points, 2147 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 29, 30, 34, 35, 38 and 39

How Brisbane matched bid for Will Ashcroft in 2022

Bid: Pick No.2, value 2517 points, 2014 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 34, 35, 38, 40, and 41

How a club could match a similar bid in 2025

Bid: Pick No.2, value 2481 points, 2233 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 41

2025 Draft Value Index

Round One  
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
Round Five

Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts

1. 3000
19. 796
37. 297
55. –
73. –

2. 2481
20. 757
38. 277
56. –
74. –

3. 2178
21. 721
39. 257
57. –
 

4. 1962
22. 686
40. 238
58. –
 

5. 1795
23. 653
41. 220
59. –
 

6. 1659
24. 621
42. 202
60. –
 

7. 1543
25. 590
43. 184
61. –
 

8. 1443
26. 561
44. 167
62. –
 

9. 1355
27. 533
45. 150
63. –
 

10. 1276
28. 505
46. 134
64. –
 

11. 1205
29. 479
47. 118
65. –
 

12. 1140
30. 454
48. 102
66. –
 

13. 1080
31. 429
49. 86
67. –
 

14. 1024
32. 405
50. 71
68. –
 

15. 973
33. 382
51. 57
69. –
 

16. 924
34. 360
52. 42
70. –
 

17. 879
35. 338
53. 28
71. –
 

18. 836
36. 317
54. 14
72. –
 

2024 Draft Value Index

Round One  
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
Round Five

Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts
Pick/Pts

1. 3000
19. 948
37. 483
55. 207
73. 9

2. 2517
20. 912
38. 465
56. 194
74. –

3. 2234
21. 878
39. 446
57. 182
75. –

4. 2034
22. 845
40. 429
58. 170
76. –

5. 1878
23. 815
41. 412
59. 158
77. –

6. 1751
24. 785
42. 395
60. 146
78. –

7. 1644
25. 756
43. 378
61. 135
79. –

8. 1551
26. 729
44. 362
62. 123
80. –

9. 1469
27. 703
45. 347
63. 112
81. –

10. 1395
28. 677
46. 331
64. 101
82. –

11. 1329
29. 653
47. 316
65. 90
83 –

12. 1268
30. 629
48. 302
66. 80
 

13. 1212
31. 606
49. 287
67. 69
 

14. 1161
32. 584
50. 273
68. 59
 

15. 1112
33. 563
51. 259
69. 49
 

16. 1067
34. 542
52. 246
70. 39
 

17. 1025
35. 522
53. 233
71. 29
 

18. 985
36. 502
54. 220
72. 19
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