Taken by the GIANTS with the number four pick in the 2019 AFL Draft, Lachie Ash has quickly established himself as an integral piece of the GIANTS’ future and one of the competition’s rising stars. A former Vic Country co-captain, Ash had been trialed in several roles throughout his first three seasons but blossomed under new coach Adam Kingsley in a more permanent role in defence in 2023 to emerge as one of the AFL’s most lethal running defenders. The move catapulted Ash into the conversation as one of the AFL’s most improved players, with the young gun upping his 2022 average of 16.1 touches per game to 24.2 per game in 2023 - ranking him elite among his position across the competition. Ash finished first across the entire competition in total uncontested possessions, fourth in total rebound-50s, fifth in total bounces, seventh in total effective disposals, and tenth in total meters gained. In 2023 Ash signed a two-year contract extension to remain with the club until at least the end of the 2025 season.
