Before Adrian Fletcher was standing in AFL grandstands as Jaspa Fletcher’s Dad and number 1 fan, he’d already lived the life his son was chasing.
He grew up in Glenorchy, Tasmania, worked his way into the AFL, played through the Brisbane Bears era and into the Lions merger, and later moved into coaching. He understood the game from the inside – the waiting, the doubt, the fragility of confidence, and the discipline it takes to stay the course when things get tough.
When Jaspa started talking about playing AFL, Adrian knew exactly what the game would eventually ask, and he made a decision early – not to protect his son from that reality, but to prepare him for it. And that’s exactly why he’s Jaspa Fletcher’s number 1 fan.
The backyard years
If you want the origin story of Jaspa Fletcher, you start at home – where sport wasn’t scheduled, it just happened. As Adrian puts it: “He was a very passionate kid about sport.” He was always moving, always outdoors, always trying to get better.
If footy was on TV, he would be straight out into the backyard afterwards practising. If cricket came on, he’d race out the front with a bat. If basketball was on, the hoop would come into play. Jaspa agrees that the energy was constant. “They were probably sick of me asking, ‘Can we go play this? Can we go play that?’ after a while,” Jaspa laughs. “But at least I kept them active.”
When Jaspa was six, footy became part of the weekly routine when he started playing for Coorparoo. Adrian paints a clear picture: “We’d jump in the car… and he’d play nine-a-side… and we’d be either the boundary umpire or just drinking our coffee.” It was a good environment to grow up in.
For Jaspa, those weekends were everything. “I absolutely loved it... it's what I looked forward to every week.” He remembers the build-up – kicking socks down the hallway, playing with mates at the club, and his own imagination running ahead of him. “I was probably singing the Lions theme song and pretending I was running out at the Gabba in front of 30,000.” After the games, it wasn’t over. He’d go home, eat, and head straight back outside to kick again. “We’d be out there until 6:30… the neighbours probably got sick of us,” he says.
To Jaspa, it was play. To Adrian, it was information. “He could just watch things and he could learn off that,” he says about Jaspa. “It takes 10,000 hours to learn how to kick – and he probably picked it up in a thousand.” Adrian could see how quickly his son absorbed movement and skill – and he knew that ability would only compound over time.
From the Gabba to the Academy
Before Jaspa wore the Lions’ guernsey, he coveted it as a fan growing up. Adrian remembers taking the kids to Lions games while he was coaching. “We used to take the kids along to the footy every home game.”
For Jaspa, those nights made a real impact – for more reasons than staying up past his bedtime. “Once you see it, you can live it,” Adrian says. “And that's where his dreams came from... watching [footy] at the Gabba.” Jaspa felt the same pull. “I thought it was the best thing ever. It was like Christmas Day to me.”
When the Lions Academy came knocking when Jaspa was 12 years old, it narrowed the dream into something more structured – training, standards and being surrounded by the best kids in the region. Jaspa remembers the excitement of being invited in, getting the gear, and training at a higher level, more often, with more intent. “I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to develop my game... two extra nights of extra training with the best.”
The conversation that changed it
By 15, Jaspa’s AFL dream wasn’t vague anymore. After a tough national carnival, Adrian asked him directly: “Do you want to do this professionally?” Jaspa’s answer was immediate: “Yes... I'm all in on this.”
And then Adrian set expectations. “There's going to be some hard times and I'm going to be hard on you, but I know what it takes.” Jaspa still pinpoints that moment as a key shift. “It really changed my mindset,” he confirms. “There's a lot more [to football] than just having fun.” He realised there were elements beyond skill that would decide whether he could really make it at the top level.
Making footy uncomfortable
For Adrian, being Jaspa’s number 1 fan meant making sure he could handle the road before he got there. When coaching Jaspa at Sherwood Football Club, he was deliberate about simulating the pressure of higher levels. “I used to try and make it uncomfortable for him because I knew that was the environment he was going to go into. And that taught him about resilience.”
It also meant Jaspa didn’t get any special treatment – sometimes the opposite.
Jaspa remembers it clearly. “We had some moments where we didn't see eye to eye.” He laughs now, but the edge was real at the time. “There's been multiple occasions where I've copped a spray,” he says. “Just because I was his son.”
Still, even when it was hard, he understood the intent. “I knew it was coming from a good place.” And more than that – he wanted it. “At the end of the day, that's what I wanted because I knew that that was going to get me to the best spot.”
Off-field, Adrian pushed Jaspa physically too – building toughness and resilience in ways that may not have seemed conventional, but effective and memorable.
The tipping point
Adrian knew Jaspa had talent early – that was a no-brainer. What he watched for, over time, was how he responded to disappointment, pressure and the moments that tested belief. The clearest example came when Jaspa was playing for a Queensland representative team. He'd struggled the week prior and was visibly disappointed with himself.
The next game, instead of drifting, Jaspa leaned in. “He put his mind to it... he had about 40 touches... and he dominated.” But it was more than just accumulating touches. “He took the game on,” Adrian says. “He marked it in the air, he got it at ground level, and he set the Queensland team up for a win.”
That was the moment everything clicked. “That’s when I knew,” Adrian says. “This kid had something that could go to the next level.” After disappointment, he lifted. After pressure, he attacked. “He used the ball really well,” Adrian says. Suddenly, Jaspa wasn’t only playing well – he was responding to the game around him.
When the dream became real
By the time draft night arrived, it felt like the accumulation of years of effort layered on top of countless afternoons in backyards, long car rides, uncomfortable conversations, and increasing standards. But even then, being drafted wasn’t guaranteed. Two injuries had tested Jaspa mentally. “It was probably the longest four months of my life leading up to draft night.”
For Adrian, it landed emotionally. “It’s like planting a tree,” he says. “You nourish it, you give it water, and then you hope one day it blossoms.” When Jaspa’s name was finally called, it did. “It was one of the most special nights of my life,” Jaspa says. He felt it as both a celebration and a starting line. “One piece of advice Dad gave me was, this is actually the start.”
Debuting as a Lion
His Brisbane Lions debut followed soon after – with his Dad presenting the jumper. “It’s okay to get your own [jumper],” Adrian says. “But to hand it over to your own son and say, ‘Here’s the baton, take it on.’” It was a special night.
Then the game began, and the nerves arrived exactly as you’d expect. Jaspa says: “For the first seven minutes I was sitting on the bench... I was the most nervous I've ever been in my life.” And then he ran on. “All I wanted to do was get out there and show a lot of energy.”
In that moment, nerves were replaced by instinct. “I sort of forgot all about the nervousness, because my whole life, I've been playing footy.” And underneath it all was one personal goal – proving to himself he belonged. “I wanted to go out there and show myself that I can play up to this level and compete with these boys.”
After the siren, the moment came full circle. “To see my family after, and obviously to receive the jumper off Dad was super special.”
Why Adrian is Jaspa Fletcher’s number one fan
When Adrian is asked why he’s Jaspa’s number one fan, he starts where you’d expect a Dad to start: “I suppose I'm his Dad, so I have to be.” But there’s more to his pride – not just how Jaspa plays, but how he carries himself.
“He’s very humble. He's professional... he puts the work in... he can handle pressure... and he does it in actions.”
For Jaspa, the choice comes down to lived experience and honesty. Adrian has coached him through his entire journey, and he’s been the person who told him what he needed to hear – not just what he wanted to hear.
As Jaspa says: “Dad has experienced what I've experienced... he's been my coach ever since I wanted to play footy.” He’s been there for both sides of it. “He's been the one to tell me the good news... he's been the one to tell me the bad news when I needed to hear it as well.”
At the core of it, Jaspa is clear: “Without him, I wouldn't be who I am today.”
From Glenorchy to Brisbane. From socks in hallways to the Gabba. Adrian understood the game long before his son did – so he focused on building the person who could survive it. Dad first. Number 1 fan always.
