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Chris Fagan has told the Brisbane Lions he is stepping down as coach after leading the club to a third-straight AFL premiership. The 65-year-old will leave the final year of his contract to return to Melbourne with his family.
Chris Fagan has told the Brisbane Lions he is stepping down as coach after the club sealed a third-straight AFL premiership. The 65-year-old will not return for an 11th season at the helm, despite having a year to run on his contract.
Fagan informed Brisbane bosses of his decision over the past 24 hours. He told the club he wanted to step away from the final year of his contract to be closer to his family in Melbourne. Brisbane claimed the flag with a stunning 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) come-from-behind victory against Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday. It was the Lions' third-successive grand final win after beating Sydney and Geelong over the past two years.
Fagan cites family reasons for leaving
In a statement, Fagan said he had been thinking about the decision for some time. He said: I have been thinking about this for some time and I am comfortable that now is the right time for Ursula and I to return to Melbourne. Telling the players and football staff today was one of the hardest things I have done in my life.
Together, we have been on a mission to make the Lions the most entertaining and competitive team in the competition, and we have done that. I was grateful to be given the role to coach the club, and it has been an incredible ride. This job is all-encompassing; I have given it my absolute all and I am so proud of what we have achieved, but now is the right time to go.
Fagan took charge of the Lions in 2017 and leaves having coached 243 games with a winning record of 61.32 per cent. The former school teacher was also part of the Hawthorn coaching staff during the club's three-peat of flags from 2013 to 2015 and played a role in their 2008 triumph.
Lions seek four-peat successor
In total, Fagan led the Lions to eight-straight finals series after claiming the wooden spoon in his opening season, winning just five games in each of his first two seasons. He also led Brisbane to the 2023 grand final, falling four points short of Collingwood. His departure means the Lions will look for a new coach to help a stacked playing list attempt to win the first AFL/VFL four-peat since the Collingwood team of 1927 to 1930.
That feat has only been accomplished once before in VFL/AFL history. Fagan said the club has never been in greater shape. He said: This club has never been in greater shape, and the list profile would suggest this. The boys will continue to contend, and I will be their number-one fan, but a fresh face at the helm will be a key pillar for the players to come back to next season.
I will miss the club and it will feel strange not to be involved, but for the last 10 years I have thought about nothing other than how we can improve, get better and be successful. To see the club develop on field from cellar dwellers to three-time premiers has been amazing. Earlier this week, Fagan had spoken about his future.
He said: To be honest, if I do not coach again, I want to stay in footy in some way, shape or form. It is more just being the head coach and having that responsibility all the time as the thing that weighs on you. He added: If I do not continue with Brisbane, I think I will move back to Melbourne to be around my daughters, sons-in-law and grandkids.
Daly eyes senior coaching role
If I was to be involved in footy, it would be back in Melbourne doing something. Fagan could still live in Melbourne but work for a non-Victorian club, with the Devils expected to pursue the Tasmanian native. One of the most appealing roles prospective coaches could hope for is at Brisbane. An internal hire of footy boss Danny Daly and assistant coach Cameron Bruce is seen as a strong option.
Brisbane football boss Danny Daly, who left a career in banking to join Collingwood in 2000 before stints at North Melbourne and Richmond, has confirmed a desire to become a senior coach. He has previously knocked back interest from Gold Coast, Collingwood, Essendon, West Coast and Melbourne. Daly also floated midfield coach Cam Bruce as another possible replacement, while pointing to an increasing trend around the league for clubs to opt for young first-time assistant coaches.
Club assesses market for new coach
Fagan had been talking up backline coach Dale Morris, who suggested the idea of using Wharfie Time to motivate the Lions if the Dockers reached for the button in the grand final. But the Herald Sun reports the club will canvas the market and assess former senior coaches such as Nathan Buckley, Adam Simpson and Simon Goodwin. Brisbane will now need to find a new coach in their quest for a historic four-peat.
Fagan leaves behind an enormous legacy after 10 seasons in charge, helping drag the Lions from the doldrums when he took the helm at the end of 2017 to one of the most dominant runs in AFL history.
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GuardianAus:Chris Fagan steps down as Brisbane coach after historic AFL premiership three-peat 
abcnews:Breaking: Chris Fagan steps down from Brisbane LionsThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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