Will Ashcroft has promised to "jump in there and get amongst it" when the QClash inevitable fires up as he and brother Levi try to win the best-on-ground medal named after their father.
With Gold Coast and the Brisbane Lions snug inside the AFL's top three, the Queensland derby on Sunday at the Gabba has been dubbed the biggest in history by Lions great Jonathon Brown.
Defending premiers Brisbane (6-1) own a 20-7 head-to-head record and have won 11 of their last 12 clashes, dating back to 2018.
But the Suns (5-1) are enjoying their best start to an AFL season and are keen to make a statement as they eye a maiden finals appearance.
The running battle of former captains Touk Miller and Dayne Zorko has traditionally stoked the rivalry.
It's clear already the next generation will continue to feud though after 18-year-old Levi attracted plenty of heat from his Gold Coast contemporaries in a fiery pre-season clash.
Suns young gun Leo Lombard remains sidelined with a shoulder injury after a hit-gone-wrong on the younger Ashcroft in that fixture.
"We try and play the game on the edge," Will, 20, said when reminded of that spirited pre-season battle.
"Even if he's (Levi) in the right or wrong, I'm going to jump in there and get amongst it and try and look after him and he'd do the same for me.
"It's part of it and there's probably a bit more feeling than other games ... I'm sure it'll come this week and we'll be ready for it."
The family affair stretches deeper given their father Marcus was a triple premiership player at the Lions before taking over as the Suns' football boss in the club's infancy.
The best-on-ground medal is named in his honour.
"It's not something I think about too much but the proposition of actually winning it would be pretty cool and ... Levi would be thinking the same thing," Ashcroft, who won the Norm Smith Medal in last year's grand final, said.
"Personally it's a big game ... a lot of connection.
"So it adds a bit of emotion to it from our end, but you prepare as if it's another game."
Raised on the Gold Coast, Ashcroft polished his craft in Melbourne before returning to Brisbane with the Lions, where his highly-touted younger sister Lucy is also part of the club's academy.
"Unbelievable to be honest (after) five or six years in Melbourne and couldn't believe how far the game had come, not just the men's but the women's," Ashcroft said of his observations of the code's growth in the state.
"It's awesome. They've (the Suns) had a great start to the season and it's great for Queensland football and ... that's what comes to my mind, how far it's come."
