Brisbane father-son selection and first-round draft recruit Jaspa Fletcher will commence training with the Lions in early 2023. This will give the son of former Lion Adrian Fletcher and Sherwood Magpies star time to recover from a back injury.
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Fletcher said that he spent six years in the Brisbane Lions Academy and has been a part of it since he was 12. He played 107 games for Brisbane allowing him to be eligible to join the club as a father-son prospect at the NAB AFL Draft.
“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 said after the selection last 28 November 2022.
The midfielder will begin his professional career following a strong 2022 campaign, winning the Hunter Harrison Medal as the best and fairest player in the Academy series and averaging 23 disposals at the National Championships.
Fletcher, however, may need to wait up to a month before he could join the Lion’s Den after a scan revealed a “little crack” on his back which he describes as “unfortunate”. He said he didn’t feel any pain and only realised he had the injury until after the results came back.
“Jaspa is a terrific young man whose work ethic and leadership has been outstanding through his junior career with the Brisbane Lions Academy,” Lions National Recruiting Manager, Stephen Conole, said. Fletcher, he said, has the skill set to develop into a genuine hybrid mid and possesses a strong inside and outside game. .
“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.
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“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.”