Brisbane coach Chris Fagan wants Lions to ‘hit ground running’ after Christmas break

The “business” of winning back-to-back AFL premierships awaits the Brisbane Lions next month when they return to training after Christmas.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has a clear message to his players as they embark on their end-of-year break.

“We start (the AFL season) pretty early in March so … enjoy Christmas but not too much,” Fagan said as he plots Brisbane’s bid for back-to-back premierships.

“I’m sure they’ll want to do that again and feel that again. There’s nothing like it.”

The Lions have just ended a three-week block of pre-season training and will return next month when preparations for their premiership defence – which starts on March 6 at the Gabba against Geelong – step up a notch.

“It’ll come on to us very quickly,” Fagan said.

“My hope is by the time we get back from Christmas, all the residual stuff from the grand final is done, and we can just look forward.

“When we get back, we’re into the business of the 2025 season.

“We know we’re going to be hunted but I feel like we’ve been hunted for a while now as a football club, so that’s nothing new.”

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan wants the club’s 2024 premiership success to be left in the past when the Lions return to training next month. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Fagan said there was “no reason” the Lions could not “compete again and strongly” despite star forward Joe Daniher’s retirement.

“We’ve lost Joe but outside of that, we haven’t lost anyone from our premiership team. We’ve got some other guys coming back from knee injuries and we got some good talent in,” he said.

Those set to return next year from knee reconstructions are Keidean Coleman and Tom Doedee, forward Linc McCarthy and the versatile Darcy Gardiner.

Draft picks Levi Ashcroft, Sam Marshall and Ty Gallop, as well as experienced former Gold Coast Suns forward Sam Day, have settled in well, though Ashcroft is recovering from shoulder surgery.

“We had four or five shoulder surgeries post-season, and then we had the boys that had their knee reconstructions, so that takes us up to nine, and there are a few others (like) Lachie Neale with his foot and Eric Hipwood with his groin, so 17 or 18 boys in rehab for most of (the first block of pre-season training),” Fagan said.

“The good thing is that most of them, bar one or two, are running and getting quite fit.

“It’s just a matter of doing enough work with them before they can join into contact work post-Christmas.”

Father-son draft pick Levi Ashcroft is recovering from shoulder surgery. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The Lions are also celebrating the extension of Fagan’s coaching contract until end of the 2027 season.

“I’m grateful that the club wants me to continue as coach for a few more years,” said Fagan, whose first year in charge was 2017.

“I look forward to all the challenges that lay ahead for us, safe in the knowledge that our players are fully committed to the process of continuous improvement. and that we have a football department focused on providing the optimal environment for this to occur.”

Originally published as Brisbane coach Chris Fagan wants Lions to ‘hit ground running’ after Christmas break