Senior Jaspa Fletcher (2022-)

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The Brisbane Lions have added their second father-son selection to their list at tonight’s 2022 NAB AFL Draft after taking Jaspa Fletcher at pick 12.

Jaspa is the son of former Lion Adrian Fletcher, who played a total of 231 games with Brisbane, Geelong, St Kilda and Fremantle.

The 18-year-old midfielder arrives at the Club via the Brisbane Lions Academy, after coming through the Queensland talent pathway with junior club Sherwood.

“I spent six years in the Brisbane Lions Academy, I’ve been apart of it since I was 12, it’s been a long stint and it’s crazy it all ends now being listed,” said Fletcher.
“I am absolutely stoked, as is the family. Mum shed a few tears, Dad’s never been too emotional about it all so it was good to see him finally show a bit of emotion!
Fletcher, a player who has a neat step through traffic and is composed with the ball in hand, joins the Lions off the back of an outstanding 2022 campaign.
He won the Hunter Harrison Medal as the best and fairest player in the Academy series and averaged 23 disposals at the National Championships.
Lions National Recruiting Manager, Stephen Conole, said the Club was thrilled to have Fletcher officially on its list.
“Jaspa is a terrific young man whose work ethic and leadership has been outstanding through his junior career with the Brisbane Lions Academy,” he said.
“He completed that this year with an excellent 2022 season, captaining the Brisbane Lions Academy team through their NAB League program and then was named captain of the Allies Under 18 team in the National Championship, where his performances were rewarded with All Australian Selection.
“Jaspa has the skill set to develop into a genuine hybrid mid, he possesses a strong inside and outside game and continues to add to the list of talented young players on our list.
“We are very excited to see Jaspa become a Brisbane Lions player and I am sure he will flourish as he progresses through his Lions career.”

Jaspa Fletcher Bound for the Den

Welcome to the Den Jaspa Fletcher.

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What the Experts Say About Jaspa Fletcher

Here's what the experts think Jaspa Fletcher brings to the table.

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Jaspa Fletcher Highlights

Check out some great moments from Jaspa Fletcher

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Son of a Gun Jaspa Fletcher to Debut

Prodigious father-son talent Jaspa Fletcher will make his debut under the Friday night lights of the Gabba against the Sydney Swans.

Fletcher, who was selected at pick 12 at the 2022 NAB AFL Draft is the son of former Lion Adrian Fletcher who played a total of 231 games with Brisbane, Geelong, St Kilda and Fremantle.

Speaking to the playing group on Thursday morning, an appreciative Fletcher was thankful for the opportunity and the faith that the coaching staff had in him.

“Firstly, to Fages (coach Chris Fagan), the coaching staff and anyone else on the match committee I really appreciate the opportunity,” he said.

“To the boys for being so welcoming not just this year but last year as well when Will (Ashcroft) and I came did some of the preseason, I can’t wait to run out with you tomorrow.”

Having played in all 10 VFL matches so far this season, Fletcher has been prolific in his first year at senior level, averaging 16.5 disposals and kicking eight goals.

The 19-year-old midfielder arrived at the Club via the Brisbane Lions Academy, after coming through the Queensland talent pathway with junior club Sherwood.

Known for his silky skills, outside running ability and footy IQ, Fletcher will be looking to make an immediate impact against the Swans.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Fletcher will debut on the ground where he grew up watching football.

“It is very surreal; I’m still pinching myself and when I get there (the Gabba) tomorrow night it is going to be unreal,” he said.

“He (his dad) was pretty happy for me, all the work we’ve put in over the last few years he’s very proud.

“He doesn’t show too much emotion but when I gave him a hug last night it was really special.”

Fletcher was in shock when Lions senior Coach Chris Fagan gave him the call to tell him he was going to play his first game of AFL football.

But it is his teammates and the home crowd which Fletcher believes will be the most exciting part of his debut.

“When Fages called me, I couldn’t believe it, I actually said, ‘Oh really’ and he told me, ‘Yeah you’re in,’ I had the biggest smile on my face,” Fletcher recalled.

“I think that’s the best bit, to run out alongside some of the names in this team is going to be cool.

“It’s gets really loud out here I’ve heard but to run out with a home crowd, in front of my family and friends is going to be super special.”

 

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Adrian Fletcher on Seeing his Son Jaspa Debut

Father-Son player Jaspa fletcher made his debut on Friday night and his father Adrina, who played 107 games for the Brisbane Lions/Bears couldn't be prouder.

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Fletcher fetches first goal to get Gabba going

Father-son pick-up Jaspa Fletcher gets the Lions faithful roaring after nailing a maiden major on debut

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[McIvor]

That was brilliant; loved Dad's speech and some of Mum's facial expressions through his speech were gold.
Great debut by Jaspa too.

 

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Jaspa Hits The Scoreboard early

Jaspa Fletcher finds space and kicks his second career goal

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[RowellAnderson12]

Big fan of Jaspa, congrats on the rising star!

Will he become an inside outside midfielder like Clugg/Ashcroft, or will he stay on the wing in the future (Not this season)?

 

[rye]

Big fan of Jaspa, congrats on the rising star!

Will he become an inside outside midfielder like Clugg/Ashcroft, or will he stay on the wing in the future (Not this season)?

i hope he gets to develop and stay as a permanent winger

we will be stacked for players looking for inside mid time going forward and our wings for the last few years have been inside mids pushed out to the wing and made to adapt to the rule

having a dedicated wingman on the list is something we have needed for quite a while and fletcher has all the traits that would be great for it

 

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Jaspa Fletcher Claims Round 19 Rising Star Nomination

Brisbane Lions midfielder Jaspa Fletcher is the AFL Rising Star nominee for Round 19, following his season-best performance in Saturday’s 11-point win over Geelong.

The 19-year-old becomes the Club’s third nomination for 2023, joining fellow emerging Lions Darcy Wilmot (Round 14) and housemate Will Ashcroft (Round 2).

Fletcher has been a strong contributor for Brisbane since making his debut in Round 14’s win against Sydney.

The Brisbane Lions Academy product took his game to a new level against Geelong to record career-best numbers - including 19 disposals, eight marks and two clearances.

“One of the things that impresses me the most about Jaspa is his composure under the pressure of AFL footy,” Brisbane Lions senior coach Chris Fagan said.

“It surprised me because you often see young players come in and take time to adapt to the pressure, but his decision making, and his calmness is beyond his years.

“And we have seen him stand up in big games the last two weeks against Geelong and Melbourne. There are no more stern tests than those two in terms of physicality and intensity.”

Coming through the Queensland talent pathway, the Sherwood junior has followed in the footsteps of his father and former Lion Adrian Fletcher, who played a total of 231 games with Brisbane, Geelong, St Kilda and Fremantle.

Though the form of the first-year Lion has him quickly making a name for himself and earning high praise from his coach in the process.

“What is also impressive about Jaspa is that he didn’t get to complete a full pre-season, as he had stress fractures in his back and missed a lot of training,” Fagan highlighted.

“This meant he has had to come into the team in the middle of the season yet has still been able to make a real impact and hold his spot, so he is thoroughly deserving of his Rising Star nomination.”

 

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Fletcher: I've Enjoyed Every Bit Of It

We go 1-1 with Jaspa Fletcher as he reflects on Re-Signing and his recent nomination for the Rising Star.

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Jaspa Fletcher Finds out he's a Rising Star Nominee

Watch the moment Danny Daly told Jaspa Fletcher he'd been nominated for a Rising Star award.

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Slippery Fletcher lands Lions' first blow

Jaspa Fletcher with some magic weaving to produce a sensational finish

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Jaspa & Joe Hit the Lions Record Books

Joe Daniher and Jaspa Fletcher have written themselves into the Brisbane Lions record books in Saturday night’s eight-goal Gabba qualifying final win over Port Adelaide.

Daniher became only the sixth Brisbane player to kick five or more goals in a final, while Fletcher, with three goals off the wing, delivered possibly the best finals debut in club history.

 

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Fletcher: I'm pinching myself

From the Rooms with Jaspa Fletcher after the Preliminary Final win against Carlton

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Bring home a premiership medal, son, says Tasmanian football star Adrian Fletcher

A Tasmanian football star hopes his son, Lion cub Jaspa Fletcher, can add an AFL premiership medal to the family mantelpiece.

TASMANIAN football star Adrian Fletcher has many accolades from his 231-game four-club AFL career but the one thing that eluded him was a premiership medal – something son Jaspa might add to the family collection on Saturday.

Adrian, 53, a former Brisbane Lions onballer, hopes Jaspa, 19, a fledgling Lions midfielder, can fly the Fletcher flag high in the 2023 AFL grand final at the MCG in what shapes as a blockbuster finale against an all-conquering Collingwood.

After watching Jaspa debut against at the Sydney Swans Gabba in round 14, and seeing him play a crucial role in the Lion’s preliminary final win over Carlton in Brisbane last Saturday, “Fletch” now gets to watch his son on the AFL’s biggest stage

“It’s unbelievable – I had to pinch myself after the game to understand what’s going to happen this week,” Adrian said.

“He gets an opportunity to run out onto the MCG in the last game of the year.

“I hope he goes well and I hope his team goes well.”

Now a member of the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame, Adrian was a star for Glenorchy in the Statewide League (1986-2000) and caught the attention of Geelong when he won the William League Medal as the competition’s best player in 1988.

After three seasons with the Cats he moved to St Kilda in 1992, on to Brisbane for five seasons (1993-97), then to Fremantle where was runner-up in the best-and-fairest in his first season, won it in his second, and was named captain 2000-2001.

Fletcher is remembered as the player who kicked the ball to field umpire Peter Carey, when Carey famously took a chest mark in general play.

In his retirement year, Fletcher was ranked in the AFL’s top 20 for overall disposals and in the AFL’s top five for handballs.

Fletcher then jumped the fence to be an assistant-coach at Collingwood under Mick Malthouse when the Pies were beaten by Brisbane in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals.

“That wasn’t much fun,” he said.

Jaspa was born in Victoria in 2004 when Adrian was midfield coach at Geelong and became a Queenslander at the age of three when dad accepted an assistant-coaching role as at the Brisbane Lions.

Fletcher mentored Jaspa all through juniors, including up until last year when he was drafted from Sherwood, which was coached by dad.

As a Lion, Jaspa’s role is to run, run, run.

“He plays on a wing but the wingers get back to help out in defence – they do a lot of unrewarded running and cover the outlets and that’s part of being in an elite team,” Adrian said.

Jaspa lives with Lions teammates Will Ashcroft and Shadeau Brain in the inner-city Brisbane suburb of Bulimba, which Fletcher calls the yuppie side of town.

“I’ve kept my distance a fair bit this year. I coached him last year but I haven’t spoken to him as much as normal,” Adrian said.

“I speak to him about a couple of things toward the end of the week just to reinforce the way he is already saying.”

 

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Rewind 23 | The Fletcher Fire

A look back on season 2023 featuring Jaspa Fletcher

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Rewind 23 | The Fletcher Fire

A look back on season 2023 featuring Jaspa Fletcher

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Gun. Does Fletcher remind anyone of Nigel Lappin?

 

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Fletcher: “The boys look fit and ready to go”

Jaspa Fletcher is flying in his second Pre-Season with the Brisbane Lions. Watch the press conference here

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