Chris Fagan still recalls the days when the Brisbane Lions struggled to attract Gabba crowds. The ground had become a sobering reminder of just how far the club needed to lift themselves out of the gutter.
Oh, how times have changed. When the Lions now grace their home turf, there is barely an empty seat. Fans across the state, so typically dominated by rugby league, have galvanised behind the success Fagan has ushered into the city.
“I don’t think we should take all the credit for that; I think people at AFL Queensland work pretty hard as well to promote the game and to help all the clubs at local level become stronger. [But] I think the Lions have probably captured the imagination of the football public,” Fagan said.
“I remember early days when we all started on this project together, we might get 15,000 to a game at the Gabba, and there were a lot of empty seats. Now it’s full. I’m really proud that our club’s been able to do that.
“There’s no doubt footy in the state of Queensland is in a much stronger position than it was 10 years ago, and we’ve played a bit of a role in that.”
Consecutive premierships from three-straight grand final appearances have come on the back of what is now eight-consecutive September campaigns – a far cry from their cellar-dwelling years in which they reached this stage of the season just once from 2005 to their 2019 finals return.
However, assembling the squad and implementing a program to make this decade of triumphs a reality took careful planning. It involved harnessing homegrown talent and forging a succession plan that ensured that if one man succumbed to injury or departed the Den, the next brigade was ready to pick up the slack.
True, they have been well-supported by the academy processes, which allow clubs to match Draft bids for their services. However, just 10 of the 44-man squad have come through those pathways, with nine of the 16 Queensland-raised players born within the Lions’ 14 years in the doldrums.
In contrast, seven members of the Lions’ 2003 premiership team grew up in the state, with four born outside Queensland.
“We were always just looking for the best players wherever we could find them around the country, but obviously, given we’re a Queensland-based team, the more guys we could get from the state the better,” Fagan said.
“We’ve got our people who run our academy who have done a tremendous job in identifying talent and developing talent. It’s important for the team to represent and have within it a lot of Queensland born and bred players.”
Intertwined with the vision of a local talent factory taking the AFL by storm were some shrewd recruitment moves to inject more experience into the youthful group.
The addition of Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge from 2018 to 2019 began that shift, with Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Charlie Cameron following suit.
In 2026, the new faces have continued to add layers to Brisbane’s charge towards a third-straight premiership, with Sam Draper providing an enigmatic presence at the ruck, while former West Coast captain Oscar Allen has enabled Fagan to deploy three talls in his forward line.
Fagan was emphatic that their recruitment strategy should involve identifying “great characters” who would add value to the club’s culture, while labelling those who have joined the outfit as “real difference makers”.
But the efficacy of Brisbane’s succession plan may not be realised until 2027, when Neale is expected to line up in Collingwood colours.
The two-time Brownlow Medal winner has endured a tumultuous year off the field following his scandalous marriage breakdown, which ultimately led him to stand down from the co-captaincy.
On the field, however, he has remained one of the game’s leading midfielders – averaging 30 disposals, seven clearances, and more than four inside 50s per game, at a time when fellow star Zac Bailey is weighing up a lucrative move to South Australia.
While Fagan stressed that Neale had not confirmed to him that he would be a Magpie next year, he stressed the uncertainty surrounding the All-Australian pairing had not prevented them from galvanising their younger peers.
“Obviously, we want to keep them as players, we’re desperate to do that, but it doesn’t change what we do on a daily basis,” he said.
“He [Neale] has had a lot going on, and a lot of it’s really uncomfortable and difficult stuff to deal with … but he’s dealt with it incredibly well. He seems to be one of those people who can compartmentalise his professional life and what’s going on outside it.”
Fagan confirmed co-captain Hugh McCluggage would return from a calf issue in the qualifying final clash with the Sydney Swans.
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