12 things you didn’t know about new Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan
BRISBANE’S new coach has a low profile but he’s more interesting than you think. His unusual job interview move, surprising music taste and more fun Fagan facts.
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WHEN it comes to high-profile AFL coaching appointments, Chris Fagan isn’t one.
Phil Walsh, Don Pyke and Luke Beveridge weren’t exactly Hollywood stars either, but that didn’t prevent them achieving on-field success.
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But Fagan is an even newer face to most footy fans, who could at least look up old footage of that trio playing at the elite level.
He was happy to stay out of the spotlight despite his key role in Hawthorn’s dynasty, but he’s more interesting than you might think. Here are 12 fascinating Fagan facts.
He’s a Tasmanian
Fagan was born at Queenstown, on Tasmania’s wild west coast, home of the famous — or infamous — gravel oval.
He’s a people person
His presentation for the Brisbane job included personal letters and emails from Hawthorn players after last year’s Grand Final. Fagan told a lunch recently that relationships are more important to a footy club than tactics.
He never played VFL-AFL, but he’s a Tassie footy hall of famer
Fagan was a gun in his home state, playing 263 games, kicking 430 goals, for Hobart, Sandy Bay and Devonport. He won best-and-fairests at two clubs, a premiership with Devonport in 1988 and represented his state 11 times. He got his start in coaching as an assistant to former Geelong hard man Mark Yeates at North Hobart in 1991. Fagan’s AFL breakthrough came when Neale Daniher picked him for a job as Melbourne reserves coach in 1998. “Finding Chris Fagan was the best recruiting decision I made in all my time at Melbourne,” Daniher told The Age in 2014.
He has strong genes
His brother, Grant, coached Tasmanian team Clarence to three premierships.
He coached Brendon Bolton
Fagan was coach of the Tassie Mariners, the state’s under-18 team, from 1995-97, where one of the young guns was a midfielder named Brendon Bolton. The relationship grew when Bolton (who’s playing career was ended by an Achilles injury) joined Hawthorn as an assistant coach and Fagan recommended him to stand-in for an ill Alastair Clarkson in 2014. They will be in opposite coaching boxes when the Lions play Carlton next year.
He’s a teacher
Like Bolton, Fagan has a Bachelor in Education and never played football at the highest level.
Carlton tried to lure him last year
After Mick Malthouse’s departure the Blues were very interested in Fagan, but he knocked back their advances and they turned their attention to Bolton.
His first name isn’t Christopher
It’s Christian.
His music tastes aren’t what you’d expect.
Fagan was known to take over the music in the Hawthorn gym after hours. His playlist included pop hits from the early 2000s.
He learned from the best
Fagan might not have coached for a while, but he was sitting right next to the best in the business for the past nine years. “I learnt a lot,” he said today. “Hawthorn is like a football university.” Other Al Clarkson disciples to graduate to AFL coaching jobs are Bolton, Luke Beveridge, Damien Hardwick, Leon Cameron and Adam Simpson.
Apptment of Chris Fagan as @brisbanelions coach means Al Clarkson has 6 lieutenants in senior positions #incredible
— Swatta (@WayneSchwass) October 4, 2016
He doesn’t know the Lions that well yet
Fagan said today he had watched five or six Brisbane games this year and had only met two players since arriving in town. “I just met Dayne Zorko out in the corridor and I met Reuben William in the gym but they’re the only two, so I’ve got a bit of work to do there.”
He predicted his own rise 17 years ago
Fagan told The Mercury in Hobart before moving to Victoria in 1997: “I think the days are fast going where the great player gets the coaching job.” Brisbane tried great players and that didn’t work out too well. Fagan now has a chance to write his own history.
And one more thing ... he’s on Twitter
Fagan joins the AFL coaches Twitter club, but he’s not exactly prolific, sending 75 tweets in three years and none since July. He’s likely to get a whole lot of new followers.
Merry Xmas to all Hawk fans. The premiership was great but many events happened that remind us that other things in life are more important
— Chris Fagan (@chrisf_h) December 24, 2015
Originally published as 12 things you didn’t know about new Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan
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