Chris Fagan Celebrates Grand Final Win Amidst Future Uncertainty

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan joined his team in energetic celebrations Saturday night at the Pullman Hotel East Melbourne following their seven-point AFL Grand Final victory over the Fremantle Dockers. Footage emerged of Fagan, 65, perched atop co-captain Harris Andrews on the dance floor, grinning and raising his arms amidst partygoers. The win marked a 'three-peat' for the Lions, securing premierships in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

The jubilant scenes followed a surprising revelation from Fagan about his coaching future. In a post-match interview, he stated he was contemplating stepping down from the demanding role he has held for a decade, despite being under contract with the Lions until the end of 2027. "I’m going to have a think about it this week," Fagan said. "I’ve been doing it for 10 years. It’s a hard job. I’ll think about it. I’ll [give it] a few days just to clear my head and make a decision." He further expressed a desire to retire while the team is at its peak, stating, "I don't really want to be that guy who hangs around until we fail... There's a little bit inside me that would rather walk away when the team's on top... a dream way to finish."

Despite the contemplation of his future, Fagan was the focus of the team's revelry. The celebrations continued into Sunday morning, with some players heading to The Osborne Rooftop & Bar, a venue that has become a tradition after previous Grand Final wins. Players Josh Dunkley, Logan Morris, and Kai Lohmann were reportedly seen drinking from the premiership cup, while Cam Rayner participated in a 'shoey'.

Meanwhile, Fremantle players gathered at The Beverly Rooftop on Chapel St to commiserate. The Dockers' loss marked their second unsuccessful attempt at securing the club's first AFL premiership.

On Sunday morning, Lions players, many appearing to shield themselves with sunglasses, returned to their historic home ground at Brunswick Oval in Fitzroy North to greet fans. Fagan addressed the crowd, acknowledging the difficulty of the match. "It wasn't the prettiest of grand finals and for large parts of it we looked like we probably weren't going to win the game," he said. "But this group's got amazing heart and amazing resilience but when they got 17 points up and played that wharfie thing, our boys fired up and were able to play the best five minutes you'll ever see in a grand final."

Fagan's reference to 'Wharfie Time' alluded to a tactic where the Lions used the Fremantle crowd-rallying celebration, triggered by AC/DC's 'Hells Bells' and dramatic visuals, as motivation. When the Dockers gained a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter and initiated 'Wharfie Time,' the Lions responded with four goals in the final four minutes, ultimately securing the victory. Fagan was met with chants of "10 more years" from the assembled fans as he left the stage.