The Brisbane Lions are three-time consecutive premiers — and the man who coached them there doesn't yet know if he's staying. The day after Saturday's grand final, Chris Fagan told the ABC he would spend the next week contemplating his future at the club. "Do I want to go on for an 11th [year]? Do I want to be with the group and chase a fourth [premiership]? Maybe," he said. "But maybe that might be a good opportunity for somebody else to come in and do that because it's not all about me, it's about the group of players."
The flag itself came out of nowhere. Fremantle led by 17 points late and were on course for a maiden premiership when the Dockers triggered their "Wharfie Time" crowd activation after Patrick Voss's goal — and Brisbane burst to life. Charlie Cameron and Zac Bailey closed the gap, and Logan Morris put the Lions in front with a minute left, then kicked the sealer. The final score, in front of 100,023 at the MCG: Brisbane 14.12 (96) to Fremantle 12.17 (89), a seven-point win that puts this side alongside Hawthorn (2013-15) and Brisbane's own legendary 2001-03 team as the only three-peat premiers this century.
Fagan was the first to concede his side had been second-best for most of the afternoon. "Fremantle deserved to win that game today. They were better," he said after the match. "They were killing us at clearance and contested possession, particularly in that third quarter and we couldn't get any territory." By ABC analysis, the Lions overcame the biggest time-on lead in a final since at least 2001. "It's a little bit like this group has become this team that seems to need to get themselves into a dire situation before they can actually produce their best," Fagan said.
He admitted he thought they were "cooked". "I was a little bit stunned when the siren went," he said. "One minute I'm working out what I'm going to say in my losers speech in my head then those four goals happened in no time. I mean, I never really doubt this group. For the last eight years they've won more games than any other team in the comp … they know how to win."
Will Ashcroft (31 disposals, nine clearances), co-captains Harris Andrews and Josh Dunkley, three-goal Charlie Cameron and veteran Dayne Zorko led the Lions, but the Norm Smith Medal went the other way: Fremantle's Shai Bolton polled 10 votes to edge out Zorko and Ashcroft on six apiece, becoming the first player in 21 years to win it in a losing side. It capped a remarkable finals run for Brisbane, who lost their qualifying final to Sydney by 53 points before beating Adelaide and Hawthorn to reach a fourth consecutive grand final.
On Sunday the players carried the cup to Brunswick Street Oval, in the old Fitzroy Lions heartland, where Fagan told fans the grand final "wasn't the prettiest" before paying tribute to his group's "amazing heart and amazing resilience" — and "the best five minutes you'll ever see in a grand final". Among the crowd was Robyn, a former Fitzroy and now Brisbane supporter who arrived at 5:45am for a spot near the stage. "I've barracked for the Lions for 62 years and with my great grandchildren, it'll be five generations that have followed the Lions," she said. Fagan left the stage to chants of "10 more years".
He was less keen on the "triple premiership winning coach" label. "I'm just happy to have been involved with the group for 10 years, and the last three years have been able to win the ultimate prize," he said, acknowledging the toll of a job he describes as "365 days a year, seven days a week". SBS reported heavy speculation Saturday was his final game at the helm; Fagan, for his part, says only that the answer is coming soon. "I don't want to leave the club hanging too long."