The Lion King treats players ‘like his sons’

THERE was a brief period last year when Brisbane coach Chris Fagan could have been forgiven for regretting his open-door policy.

After tearing his hamstring as he exited the “Freeze MND” pool on the Queen’s Birthday, Tasmanian Fagan was not missed by his players who made light of the injury at every opportunity.

“A lot of us got stuck into him,” Lions captain Dayne Zorko said. “It came up a fair few times in meetings as well, the replay of it. We stitched him up a few times.”

Brisbane was a little bit like Freeze MND pool at that stage last year — ice cold. The Lions had just one win to their name from 12 games in Fagan’s second season in charge.

However, a win over Carlton at Docklands Stadium today would leave the club 8-4 at the same stage 12 months on and the ridicule of Fagan is no more. The football father figure, who turns 58 years old later this month, is now one of the hottest talking points in town, as much as he despises that.

“I don’t love the media attention and the spotlight and all that, but the pure coaching side of it is just a magnificent thing,” Fagan said. “Just to watch the confidence grow and the belief grow and see players become better footballers and better men. That’s why I do it.”

Fagan was 55 when appointed to his first top job at the Lions, having previously been a long-time assistant with Melbourne and going on to serve as head of coaching and, later, football manager during Hawthorn’s period of success under Alastair Clarkson. Brisbane players — hurting after a disastrous three-win 2016 campaign — were all ears as soon as their new coach walked in the doors, knowing he had just overseen four flags in nine seasons with the Hawks.

“He came from a club that had been so successful for such a long period of time,” Zorko said. “He knows what it’s like to be successful because he’s been in those situations before. So the learning mechanisms and the teaching mechanisms were enforced straight away.”

While a teaching coach by nature, both Fagan and his players believe his biggest strength as senior coach is the relationships he has built. “What I try to do is take an interest in every single one of them personally, try and care for them like they’re your sons in a way,” Fagan said.

“I don’t try to be someone that I’m not but I just try to be genuine and they seem to appreciate that. I think I’m more interested in their development as people than I am in their development as footballers and I’m really genuine about that.”

Zorko agrees. “It doesn’t matter if you’re playing reserves or senior football, Fages will sit down and the door’s always open,” the skipper said. “You can walk in at any time and he’ll talk to anyone about anything. I think that’s fantastic.”

Fagan started out in the coaches’ box but has since moved his role to the boundary line where, unlike others, he is rarely seen in emotional fits. Post-game press conferences — win or lose — are similarly calculated and free of emotion.

Fagan is arguably the most cool, calm and collected coach in the competition.

“Trying to be as calm as I can and as realistic as I can is a really important thing with a young group and I feel if I’m calm they will be too — and they need to be out on the oval because there’s a lot going on,” Fagan said. “But I’m probably like the duck on the pond. I look all right on the top but underneath I’m churning at times.”

Fagan hoped to drive change and greater success when he took on the job, but did he envisage being 7-4 in the third year? “It’s a good question,” he said. “I guess the plan was just to improve and I didn’t know how much it would be each year. I feel like we’ve done that.

“It’s more pleasing not so much for me but the players and the people around the footy club. It just helps with the optimism and sponsors and people turning up to the game. That’s the good part to see.”

Fagan now faces a fresh challenge on the back of the strong first half of the year — managing expectations.

Some commentators are tagging the Lions as a potential top-four side, but the coach does not want his players getting ahead of themselves just yet.

“We’ve still got lots to do and lots of experiences to go through,” Fagan said.