Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan will not coach anywhere else in his career and is expected to finish his coaching tenure at the end of 2027, according to Channel 7’s Tom Morris.
Despite being contracted until the end of next year, Fagan has made it clear he is fully committed to the Lions and would not consider a move to any other club, including the incoming Tasmania team.
“You can put a line through Chris Fagan coaching anywhere else in his career,” Morris said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters. “He will be a Brisbane Lions coach and he won’t be coaching Tasmania, even if he was asked, and he wouldn’t coach anywhere else either.”
Fagan is a Tasmanian native and has been linked to the new club in some sort of capacity. But Morris believes 2027 will be Fagan’s last, with the decision to step away being the coach’s call rather than the club’s.
“I think there’s every chance that 2027 is the last dance for Chris Fagan,” Morris said. “I think he wants to step away earlier rather than step away too late when potentially people are coming for his role.”
Luke Hodge, who played under Fagan in the twilight of his career, said the coach’s resilience had been tested in recent years, particularly after the Lions were four wins from 12 games two years ago before mounting a comeback.
This year has also presented challenges, but Fagan’s experience at navigating adversity has given him the confidence to deal with it and still get results.
While Fagan is expected to remain involved in football after coaching, the Lions are likely to consider a plan involving highly regarded football manager Danny Daly. Morris believes Brisbane would likely speak to Daly in the next 6-12 months about potentially taking over when Fagan steps away, though Carlton has also been linked to Daly.
Cameron Bruce, who was voted the best assistant coach last year, is another name with senior coaching qualities, though it remains unclear if he wants to pursue a senior role.
Hodge expressed some concern over a succession plan, however. “Succession plans haven’t worked over the years,” Hodge said. But Morris said succession plans succeeded when the departing coach wanted it to take place.
