Mark Robinson: Why Chris Fagan only wants a one-year extension after Brisbane’s premiership

Chris Fagan would probably have every right to demand whatever from the Lions after their 2024 premiership. Fagan tells Mark Robinson why he wants to keep his club on their toes.

Brisbane premiership coach Chris Fagan has told the Lions he’d prefer a one-year extension in part to keep him and his team “on edge” as they embark on their back-to-back campaign.

Fagan is contracted next year and an extension is expected to be announced shortly.

The Lions were open to a longer-term deal, but Fagan said that after talks with chief executive Greg Swann, chairman Andrew Wellington and Lions godfather Leigh Matthews, the 12-month extension was the likely outcome.

“Nothing was dependent on the end of season result, (but) there has been some talk going on in the latter half of the year about what the future held,’’ Fagan said.

“Swanny knows that, Leigh knows that, the president knows that and they asked me after the Grand Final if that had changed and I said ‘I didn’t think so’.

“So, if we keep performing and I keep enjoying it, we’ll keep going, and if we agree to extend for another year and keep reviewing it at the end of every year, I’m happy with that.

“I’d rather not be coming out of contract, but I’m only asking for one year at a time – a bit like the end of playing careers, you only get plus-ones.”

Chris Fagan and Greg Swann after the Lions’ premiership win. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Fagan listed multiple reasons why he’d prefer a one-year extension, one being his age – he is 63 – and another being about living in the present.

“I’ve been at the Lions for eight years and I’m not sure what the shelf life is, so that’s one thing,’’ Fagan said.

“Secondly, I don’t want the club to lock in anything long-term and then suddenly they change their mind or I change my mind, so I’m OK with short-term.

“At my age, I don’t want to ask for a three-or-more (year) extension, because I might get tired of it. And I’m trying to set an example to my players. I’m not going to sit back and be happy with myself because I won a flag, that’s why I want a year at time as well, I want to stay on edge.’’

His desire to advance his relationship with the Lions via a short-term deal and not a long-term commitment should not be construed as a man satisfied with his only premiership.

The retirement of key forward Joe Daniher leaves the team short of an experienced matchwinner, but Fagan says he and the players are determined to stay near the top.

He has not yet set out a theme for the 2025 campaign, but it will revolve around maintaining the rage.

“A bit of it is we’ve worked really hard to get to this point, let’s try and build on it,’’ Fagan said. “I don’t see what happened against Sydney in the Grand Final as the end point for this group and I don’t think they see it that way either.

“I’m very enthusiastic about the season ahead. And as I said, I feel like we’ve done a lot of hard work to get this group to this point and I’d like to keep going with them because I’d like to think we’ve got the opportunity to have more success ahead of us.

“I’m sure a lot of teams are thinking that about themselves, but I’m still 100 per cent keen and looking forward to getting going again.”

Leigh Matthews and Chris Fagan embrace after the grand final. Picture: Channel 7

Fagan will join his first-to-fourth-year Lions at training in a couple of weeks’ time, which will coincide with him taking the premiership cup to Tasmania to his hometown of Queenstown on November 23 and 24. It will be 32 years since he lived there.

“I’m taking the cup to the gravel oval where I started,’’ he said.

“I haven’t been back to Queenstown since 1992 – that’s when my grandmother passed away, and it will be a sort of way of saying thank you.

“I lived there for 15-and-half years, did all my study up to Year 10, that’s where my mum’s family is, my dad’s family is – they are a bit spread out now, but it’s very much my home town. It will be great to take the cup. It’s amazing how many people love to see and touch the cup, that never ceases to amaze me.’’

Originally published as Mark Robinson: Why Chris Fagan only wants a one-year extension after Brisbane’s premiership