Lions board member Leigh Matthews on father-son rule, Chris Fagan’s future in Brisbane

Leigh Matthews says Chris Fagan deserves more credit for wooing the ready-made stars, but does admit the Lions have a key advantage on the rest of the AFL that isn’t really “fair.”

Brisbane board member Leigh Matthews says Chris Fagan deserves more credit for wooing the ready-made stars who won last year’s flag as the Lions continue to hunt Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen.

As the football world fawns over Sam Mitchell’s capacity to lure players while the two clubs attempt to secure Allen, Matthews pointed out that Fagan had landed some of footy’s biggest stars.

And while Matthews has conceded that securing Lions’ father-son duo in Will and Levi Ashcroft goes against the principles of equalisation, he says it will keep the club’s flag window open for some time.

Triple premiership Brisbane coach Matthews will join former Collingwood coach and ex-Lions player Nathan Buckley as part of Fox Footy’s special comments team live from the Gabba on Thursday night.

Fagan has coached 194 games for the Lions and will break Matthews’ club record of 243 games coached if he coaches out his contract through to the end of 2027.

Matthews meets regularly with Fagan and says he believes the premiership coach’s statement this year that this is the only club he will coach despite his links to Tasmania.

The AFL legend is not on the club’s list management committee so has only heard the media speculation about Brisbane’s interest in free agent Allen.

But as the football world fawns over Mitchell, he says Fagan’s ability to land players is underrated.

“Fages as much as anyone else has been a terrific salesman for the club to attract some really good players over the last seven or eight years,” Matthews told this masthead.

“Every club is built on draftees and you recruit a few older guys like Ryan Lester but they have picked up some very good players from other clubs like Joe Daniher, Lachie Neale, Charlie Cameron and Josh Dunkley.

Leigh Matthews and Chris Fagan embrace after the 2024 AFL Grand Final

“Fages has done a very good job in assisting in the whole recruitment process, which is a critical process in getting your list together. He gets the best out of his players.”

Collingwood’s side will on Thursday run out stacked with father-son stars like the Daicos brothers and captain Darcy Moore, but Matthews admits the Lions have also won the lottery in that regard.

“The Ashcroft boys are terrific young men and terrific players,” he said.

“When you are top of the ladder you are not supposed to be getting players in who are the best in their age group, are you? But the father-son rules allow it to happen. We are the beneficiaries of it. I wouldn’t say it’s fair. But it’s fantastic for the Lions.

“We had a really good half-dozen years, but the current Lions have won more games and we could only do it for five or six years.”

Fagan said recently he did not envisage moving to Tasmania to coach their team and Matthews also thinks it is unlikely.

“Fages doesn’t think he will coach for another 10 years, but he might,” Matthews said.

Matthews doesn’t think Fagan will be heading anywhere. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“He has the security of being a contracted coach with us for a few years (to 2027) but contracts don’t mean a lot. If he wants to keep coaching us he will and if he wants to stop he will.

“He doesn’t think he would go and coach anywhere else. He thinks this is his coaching job and when he finishes at the Lions he will finish as coach but who knows.”

Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley said he was thrilled to have Matthews debuting on the commentary box on Thursday night.

“Leigh was a key off-season recruit for Fox Footy and what better game for him to add his voice than Brisbane v Collingwood on Thursday Night Footy,” he said.

“We’re excited to see this combination come to life in the commentary box, ‘Lethal’, Nathan Buckley and Alastair Lynch. We’ll all get a front seat to watch how they navigate the player-coach relationship while calling the game. Does coach still know best? We can’t wait.”

Originally published as Lions board member Leigh Matthews on father-son rule, Chris Fagan’s future in Brisbane