Chris Fagan leaves Brisbane Lions after three AFL premierships

Chris Fagan has stepped down as coach of the Brisbane Lions days after guiding the club to a third consecutive AFL premiership. The 65-year-old told Brisbane he wanted to leave the final year of his contract and return to Melbourne with his wife, Ursula. The club said it respected his decision and would appoint a new coach in due course.

Fagan’s departure follows Brisbane’s 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) victory over Fremantle. The result gave the Lions their third successive premiership, after earlier wins over Sydney and Geelong. He took charge in 2017 and leaves after coaching a club-record 243 games, with 148 victories and a winning rate of 61.32%.

He also led Brisbane to eight consecutive finals series after the team won only five games in each of his first two seasons. In a statement, Fagan said the decision had been under consideration for some time. He described his decade at the club as an “incredible ride” and said the team had achieved its mission of becoming one of the competition’s most entertaining and competitive sides.

Brisbane chair Andrew Wellington praised Fagan’s commitment and said his influence had extended beyond the club. Chief executive Sam Graham said Fagan had helped transform Brisbane on and off the field and had earned the right to leave when ready. The Lions must now find a coach capable of leading a strong playing group in pursuit of a fourth consecutive premiership.

The supplied material identifies possible candidates including Danny Daly, Cameron Bruce, Dale Morris, Nathan Buckley, Adam Simpson and Simon Goodwin.