The son of not one but two sporting guns will become the youngest Brisbane Lion ever to play in an AFL grand final today.
Jaspa Fletcher will be just 19 years and 218 days old when he runs on the hallowed turf of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, only 13 games into his short AFL career.
The teenager takes the honour from Brisbane Lions legend and former club captain Jonathan Brown, who was 19 years and 335 days when he played in his first AFL grand final back in 2001 against Essendon.
As Fletcher has since making his AFL debut in round 14 earlier this season, the fresh-faced winger says he won’t shy away from playing on the biggest stage in Aussie rules.
He has his parents to thank for that.
Sport is in Fletcher’s DNA
Dad Adrian played 231 AFL games, including 107 at the Brisbane Bears-turned-Lions.
Mum Narelle was a 296-game Women’s National Basketball League player and represented Australia in basketball.
“He had that ability and hand-eye contact,” Adrian says.
“He could play basketball, he played golf when he was young, he was pretty good at that, he played cricket, so he’s played all different sports.”
But Adrian says his son always had a soft spot for Aussie Rules, the game Jaspa really “fell in love with”.
“Probably when he was about 16 he knew that this was the game he wanted to play and he really put his head down and he trained hard and now he gets his opportunity to live his dream,” Adrian says.
“For Jaspa to grow up living in Queensland, and now play for the Brisbane Lions, is amazing.
“He probably will look back in 10 years’ time and say ‘how did this happen?’ But you’ve got to take it when it’s there and you never know if you’re going to get there again.
“I’m just excited for him. I know he’ll do well and hopefully the Lions play really well on the day.”
Jaspa says he’ll have family bragging rights after this weekend, if the Lions can prevail over Collingwood.
“Mum made two grand finals, but she didn’t win one,” the 19-year-old explains.
“So I’ve got one up on dad already making it to a grand final but if I can win one, I’ve got mum covered too so that’d be pretty handy at the dinner table.”
