Chris Fagan (coach)

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Wikipedia

Chris Fagan
Fagan in December 2016
Personal information
Full name Christian Fagan
Nicknames Fages, Chris
Born (1961-06-23) 23 June 1961 (age 64)
Queenstown, Tasmania[1]
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Club information
Current club Brisbane Lions (head coach)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2017– Brisbane Lions 216 (129–85–2)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of Grand Final, 2025.
Career highlights

Christian Fagan (born 23 June 1961)[2] is an Australian rules football coach and former player, currently serving as the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Fagan is one of the few VFL/AFL coaches to have never played at the elite level, building his career through coaching and football administration roles.

Fagan's playing career took place entirely in his home state of Tasmania, where he played over 260 games as a midfielder and forward pocket. His career spanned from 1978 to 1990 across various clubs.

Fagan began his coaching career with a stint as the inaugural coach of the Tassie Mariners U18 team (1995–1997), a role that launched numerous young players into the AFL. After joining Melbourne in 1998 as reserves coach, he became an assistant coach and later the General Manager of Football Operations. At Hawthorn, Fagan served as Head of Coaching and Development (2008–2013) and General Manager of Football Operations (2013–2016). He was a key figure in the football department that oversaw the Hawks' four premiership victories.

Fagan was appointed senior coach of the Brisbane Lions in October 2016, making him the oldest coach to debut in AFL history at 55. He successfully oversaw a rebuild of the playing list, guiding the Lions to their first finals appearance since 2009 in the 2019 season. He led the Lions to back-to-back premierships in the 2024 and 2025 AFL seasons and is a three-time winner of the Coach of the Year (2019, 2024, 2025), a record for the award.

Playing career

Fagan was born in Queenstown, Tasmania.[1] He played 263 senior games in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) and Tasmanian Football League (TFL) with Hobart, Sandy Bay, and Devonport and kicked 430 goals in his career. He represented Tasmania on 11 occasions and played in two premiership teams – Hobart in 1980 and Devonport in 1988.[3]

Coaching career

Tasmania

Fagan spent two years as an assistant coach at North Hobart before being appointed senior coach of Sandy Bay for 1993 and 1994. He was the inaugural coach of the Tassie Mariners from 1995 to 1997. He was the 181st person to be inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.[3]

Melbourne Football Club assistant coach (1999–2007)

Fagan was an assistant coach at the Melbourne Football Club under senior coach Neale Daniher between 1999 and 2007, during which the club reached the 2000 AFL Grand Final, where they lost to Essendon.[2]

Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach and general manager of football (2008–2016)

He served two roles at the Hawthorn Football Club between 2008 and 2016, where he was instrumental in the club's 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015 premiership victories.[4] He was head of coaching and development between 2008 and mid-2013, while he was also the general manager of football alongside senior coach Alastair Clarkson between mid-2013 and the end of 2016.[5]

Brisbane Lions senior coach (2017–present)

On 4 October 2016, Fagan was appointed as the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions, replacing Justin Leppitsch.[6] He took the Lions to the finals in his third season as coach and was subsequently honoured by the AFL Coaches Association with the 2019 Allan Jeans Senior Coach of the Year Award,[7] although the Lions lost both their home qualifying and semi-finals to Richmond and Greater Western Sydney. He led the Lions to the finals in the subsequent 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, but did not reach the grand final in any of those seasons, falling short in two preliminary finals defeats to the Geelong Cats, and a semi-final defeat to the Western Bulldogs in 2021.[8]

At the start of 2023, Fagan signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until the 2025 season. In the 2023 season, Fagan led a successful finals campaign that saw the Brisbane Lions advance to the 2023 Grand Final against Collingwood, which they lost by four points.[9][10]

In the 2024 season, after staging the second-highest finals comeback against Greater Western Sydney in the semi-final, coming back from 44 points down, Fagan coached the Brisbane Lions to the 2024 Grand Final, where they defeated the Sydney Swans by 60 points to win the premiership. He was the third winning VFL/AFL premiership coach to have never played in the league, as well as the oldest coach to feature in a grand final at 63.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

In September 2024, his contract was extended again, until the end of the 2026 season.[17]

Fagan led Brisbane to a second consecutive premiership in 2025 after finishing third on the ladder at the conclusion of the home and away season. Brisbane defeated Geelong by 47 points, breaking his own record for oldest coach to feature in a grand final, this season at 64.[18]

Senior coaching record

TeamYearHome and Away SeasonFinals
WonLostDrewWin %PositionWonLostWin %Result
BRI2017 5170.22718th out of 18————
BRI2018 5170.22715th out of 18————
BRI2019 1660.7272nd out of 1802.000Lost to GWS in Semi Final
BRI2020 1430.8242nd out of 1811.500Lost to Geelong in Preliminary Final
BRI2021 1570.6824th out of 1802.000Lost to Western Bulldogs in Semi Final
BRI2022 1570.6826th out of 1821.667Lost to Geelong in Preliminary Final
BRI2023 1760.7392nd out of 1821.667Lost to Collingwood in Grand Final
BRI2024 1481.6095th out of 18401.000Defeated Sydney in Grand Final
BRI 2025 16 6 1 0.717 3rd out of 18 3 1 0.750 Defeated Geelong in Grand Final
Total117772.5871280.597

[19]

Honours and achievements

Playing honours

Team

Individual

Coaching honours

Team

Individual

Personal life

Fagan studied a Bachelor of Education at the University of Tasmania, graduating in 1988.[citation needed]

During his playing and early coaching career, Fagan worked as a teacher, first at Sheffield District High School from 1988 to 1989, and later Dominic College (Primary) from 1990 to 1994.[20]

He married his wife, Ursula, in January 1985.[21] Together, they have two daughters and four grandchildren.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 "12 things you didn't know about new Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "AFL Coaches Association – Chris Fagan profile". AFL Coaches Association. Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 "181. Chris Fagan | AFL Tasmania Hall of Fame".
  4. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (3 October 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Lions to appoint Chris Fagan as coach". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Salemme, Kate (29 September 2016). "Sam Mitchell says Hawthorn football boss Chris Fagan brings stability, would be valuable to Lions". Herald Sun. News Co Australia. Retrieved 3 October 2016. In September 2022, following his departure from the club, he was alleged to have been involved in the isolation and separation of Indigenous players from their partners and families, allegations which came to light as part of an external review into historical racism commissioned by Hawthorn.
  6. ↑ "Brisbane Lions name Chris Fagan as Justin Leppitsch's replacement as head AFL coach". ABC News. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Beveridge, Riley. "Five wins one year, 16 the next? That's Coach of the Year stuff". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "Six finals, one win: What Lions' latest straight-sets exit means". AFL. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  9. ↑ "Lions extend coach's contract, reveal two new captains ahead of 2023 season". Fox Sports. 1 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Sweet 16: Magpies outlast Lions in thrilling Grand Final". AFL. 30 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Laughton, Max (28 September 2024). "V/AFL premiership coaches who didn't play a V/AFL game". Twitter. Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Smart, Nick (24 September 2023). "AFL Grand Final: What you need to know". The New Daily. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "'He panicked': Star's brutal 'brain fade' will haunt Giants as AFL finals 'nightmare' sinks in". Fox Sports. 15 September 2024.
  14. ↑ "Lion Kings: Fagan's heroes thrash Swans in GF shock". AFL. 28 September 2024.
  15. ↑ "AFL grand final 2024: Brisbane Lions dominate Sydney Swans to win first premiership since 2003 with 60-point victory". ABC News. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  16. ↑ Lemon, Geoff; Pegan, Martin; Lemon (Later), Geoff; Pegan (Earlier), Martin (28 September 2024). "AFL grand final 2024: Brisbane Lions defeat Sydney Swans – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "'Insiders are really confident': Lions coach rewarded with early contract extension". Fox Sports. 12 September 2024.
  18. ↑ Bennett, Jon Pierik, Russell (27 September 2025). "Fagan reveals the inspiration behind the Lions' back-to-back premierships". The Age. Retrieved 27 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "AFL Tables – Chris Fagan – Coaching Record". afltables.com. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Fagan named new GM - Football Operations". hawthornfc.com.au. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "The 200-Game Coach". lions.com.au. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "Fagan's Forever Home". lions.com.au. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.