A spicy scene has been set for Saturday's off-Broadway lunchtime fixture between the two-time defending premiers and the re-stocked Saints.
The stoush exploded when St Kilda president Andrew Bassat used his speech at the club's 2024 awards dinner to slam what he called "nonsense" concessions in the draft system after the Lions' breakthrough flag.
Ashcroft had won his first Norm Smith Medal a week earlier and younger brother Levi was set to bolster the squad as a father-son pick.
The Saints remained vocal on what they claimed was a system that favoured clubs from the northern states, coach Ross Lyon memorably describing Gold Coast as the "AFL's nepo babies" before a Suns encounter in 2025.
Gold Coast fired back and St Kilda's response was to call for the abolishment of the northern academies that have seen the likes of Ty Gallop, Bruce Reville and highly-rated draft pick Dan Annable remain in Brisbane.
Lions coach Chris Fagan re-lit the fuse in the pre-season by questioning the Saints' off-season recruitment spending spree.
Lyon took offence to Fagan naming players Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Tom De Koning and relished a final retort before this Saturday's meeting.
"It's all good fun; I think it's good for footy and part of the game," Lions midfielder Ashcroft said.
"That's the way it's trended off the field, where there's a lot more media interest and discussion around that sort of thing and people throw comments around, I think it's good fun.
"I quite enjoy it."
More concerned by the Lions' 0-2 start, Ashcroft doesn't think the administrative war of words will spill onto the field.
"I don't buy into that too much, to be honest," he said.
"How we've started and (to) start building those habits, that's where my mind's at, at least, and the guys here are of the same opinion."
Brisbane let a late lead slip in their Opening Round loss to the Western Bulldogs and then, with a host of key players sidelined by injury and suspension, were blown away early in a defeat to Sydney before a second-round bye.
Captain Hugh McCluggage (calf) could return this week while Zac Bailey has completed his suspension, but key defender Harris Andrews has two more games to serve.
Annable (shoulder) won't get a chance to rub salt into St Kilda's wounds in the club's latest injury blow.
"Fages has joked about it little bit, how we've started slow at different times in the last couple of seasons," Ashcroft said of their predicament.
"You don't want to be in this position but its not panic stations, I wouldn't have thought.
"Just a good opportunity to reflect … and get back to doing what we do best."
ST KILDA'S WAR ON THE NORTH:
* SEPTEMBER 2024: St Kilda president Andrew Bassat uses club best-and-fairest speech to slam the draft system.
* APRIL, MAY 2025: Suns hierarchy hit back before Lyon's pre-game comments labelling the expansion club the "AFL's nepo baby".
* JUNE 2025: Saints push for abolishment of northern academies to create an "uncompromised draft".
* FEBRUARY 2026: Lions coach Chris Fagan ruffles feathers, saying, "I'd rather see the better players get all the big money", while referencing Saints pair Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Tom De Koning.
* MARCH 2026: Lyon sets the scene for Brisbane's arrival, pointing out in his post-game press conference that Fagan had travelled to Sydney to watch them play GWS.
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