The engine room of Victoria's side for next year's State of Origin match has taken a major hit, with superstar Brisbane midfielder Will Ashcroft having his eligibility revoked.
The 21-year-old was set to compete in the 'Big V' next February against Western Australia, having spent some of his junior career playing in Victoria in the bayside suburbs, including for the Sandringham Dragons.
But after initially clearing him, the AFL have now knocked back his eligibility according to the Herald Sun, highlighting a clear grey area in the rules
Although the only requirement for eligibility was based on where you played your junior football, Ashcroft has been ruled out, while Western Australian star Kysaiah Pickett has been given the all clear, despite the Melbourne forward growing up playing predominantly in South Australia.
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Ashcroft told the Herald Sun that despite spending some time growing up in Queensland, he still feels Victorian.
“I like to think of myself (as a Victorian), yeah. I’ve played here since I was 14 – I was part of a lot of Victorian teams all the way through and then was drafted out of the Sandy Dragons and St Kilda City,” he said.
“Apparently they’ve decided now that I’m not eligible, so I’m not playing unfortunately.
“I’m pretty p*ssed about it, but I think there’s been some changes to the criteria.
“I would have loved to play for Victoria, but unfortunately it isn’t happening.”
In September, Ashcroft won his second straight Norm Smith medal, as the Brisbane Lions won back-to-back flags.