Chris Fagan (coach)

Christian Fagan (born 23 June 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer who is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He spent his entire playing career in Tasmania, playing 263 senior games with Hobart, Sandy Bay, and Devonport. Before being appointed head coach of Brisbane in October 2016, Fagan had spent long periods as an assistant coach at Melbourne (1999–2007) and Hawthorn (2008–2016).

Playing career
Fagan was born in Queenstown, Tasmania. He played 263 senior games in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) and Tasmanian Football League (TFL) with Hobart, Sandy Bay and Devonport and kicked 430 goals in his career. He represented Tasmania on 11 occasions and played in two Premiership teams – Hobart in 1980 and Devonport in 1988.

Tasmania
Fagan spent two years as an assistant coach at North Hobart before being appointed senior coach of Sandy Bay for 1993 and 1994. He was the inaugural coach of the Tassie Mariners from 1995 to 1997. He was the 181st person to be inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

Melbourne Football Club assistant coach (1999–2007)
Fagan was an assistant coach at the Melbourne Football Club under senior coach Neale Daniher between 1999 and 2007, during which the club reached the 2000 AFL Grand Final, where they lost to.

Hawthorn Football Club assistant coach and general manager of football (2008–2016)
He served two roles at the Hawthorn Football Club between 2008 and 2016, where he was instrumental in the club's 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015 premiership victories. He was head of coaching and development between 2008 and mid-2013, while he was also the general manager of football alongside senior coach Alastair Clarkson between mid-2013 and the end of 2016.

In September 2022, following his departure from the club, he was alleged to have been involved in the isolation and separation of indigenous players from their partners and families, allegations which came to light as part of an external review into historical racism commissioned by Hawthorn. Investigations into the allegations are ongoing.

Brisbane Lions senior coach (2017–present)
On 4 October 2016, Fagan was appointed as the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions, replacing Justin Leppitsch. Fagan took the Lions to the finals in his third season as coach and was subsequently honoured by the AFL Coaches Association with the 2019 Allan Jeans Senior Coach of the Year Award, although the Lions fell short of expectations, succumbing to a three-point semi-final defeat to GWS at the Gabba. Fagan would then take the Lions to the finals in the subsequent 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, but did not reach the grand final in any of those seasons, falling short in two preliminary finals defeats, both to the Geelong Cats, and a semi-final defeat to the Western Bulldogs.

On the 4th of March, 2023, the Lions announced that Fagan had signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until the 2025 season.

In 2023, Fagan led a successful finals campaign that saw the Brisbane Lions advance to a Grand Final against Collingwood, which they lost by four points. At 62 years old, he was the oldest coach of a team in a VFL/AFL grand final; and was only the second VFL/AFL grand final coach—after Jack Worrall—to have never played any games at VFL/AFL level.

Playing honours
Team
 * TANFL premiership player (Hobart): 1980
 * TFL Statewide League premiership player (Devonport): 1988

Individual
 * Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame (2007 Inductee)

Coaching honours
Individual
 * AFLCA Allan Jeans Senior Coach of the Year Award: 2019