Brisbane Coach Chris Fagan to Celebrate Heritage with Cup Visit to Queenstown’s Gravel Oval

From the West Coast to the AFL: Chris Fagan to share Premiership Cup with Queenstown Community. Here’s when.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Brisbane Lions players and coach Chris Fagan, celebrate with the Premiership Cup after winning the AFL Grand Final match between Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on September 28, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan will honour his roots by taking the AFL premiership cup to Tasmania’s West Coast on November 23 for a visit to Queenstown and its famous gravel Oval.

Fagan grew up on the state’s remote West Coast where his father, the late Austin Fagan, was a star player and coach in arguably Australia’s toughest football competition.

MELBOURNE , AUSTRALIA. SEPTEMBER 28, 2024. AFL Grand Final between the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions at the MCG. Chris Fagan coach of the Brisbane Lions on the empty MCG with the cup. Picture: Mark Stewart

When the Lions mauled Sydney in the 2024 AFL grand final in September, the Queenstown community came out loud and proud calling for Fagan bring the cup “home”.

Fagan has finally found room in his post-season schedule to go west.

He has been working on the plan with his brother Grant, the newly-appointed coach of local club Clarence in the Southern Football League, as well as AFL Tasmania and the Mayor of Queenstown, to get the precious metal to Tasmania.

“That’s what I’ve been wanting to do,” Fagan said.

“When we won the premiership there was a bit of narrative from that part of the state that they would like that to happen.

West Coast Football community on the famous 'gravel' oval of Queenstown during the unveiling of the Tasmania Devils Football Club. Picture: Grant Wells/Solstice Digital.

“It has just taken me a while to work out how I can get that done.

“I can do it later in November _ I want to do it and it will be a nice thing to do.

“It will be good for footy around there and probably footy in Tasmania as well, and an acknowledgement that that’s where I started.

“I had a lot of good experiences there.”

Fagan will not be accompanied by any premiership players.

“It’s too hard to co-ordinate because they are all on leave, so it’s just me,” he said.