“I’ve always liked to dive deep into it; Dad’s wired pretty similarly and we’ve had conversations ever since I was really young and right up until last week,” Ashcroft said after collecting the round two Rising Star nomination.

“I enjoy that and think it gets the best out of me.”

The teenager shone in the midfield and on a wing in the Lions’ bounce-back defeat of Melbourne that followed a humbling first-up loss to Port Adelaide.

He’s the youngest Lion to register 30 or more disposals, and the quickest in AFL history to have a game of at least 30 disposals, nine clearances and one goal.

Toby Greene previously held that record, at 11 games.

A hot favourite to claim this year’s Rising Star gong, the only surprise was that his nomination didn’t come a week earlier.

“I have full belief and confidence in myself to improve on last week,” Ashcroft said.

“I’ve got so many areas I can do better in.

“The last two weeks I haven’t had a mark yet, so I’m looking forward to breaking the game open, getting some more uncontested ball and doing damage that way.”

Ashcroft’s attention to detail is already famous at the Lions and it isn’t confined to their new training centre as he prepares to launch his own performance and wellbeing app.

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But he has learnt to tune out, too.

“I try and switch off a little bit and have found a better balance now,” he told AAP.

“I love golf and going to the beach, and have some good mates outside of footy.

“But especially last week (after losing to Port Adelaide); I like to make sure my footy’s at a certain level and if I’m not there I’ll invest some time so I get back to that point.”