Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
Well deserved.
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Analysis Congratulations master coach, 3 x AFLCA coach of the year and premiership coach - Christian Fagan, 2025 coach of the year
- Thread starter Elixuh
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Orfullrules
Team Captain
- Jul 10, 2025
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Most relatable coach in the league. Scott bros and Sammy can only dream.
-3x coach of the year
-Back to back premiers/coach of the year double (never done before)
Does this put him above Matthews? Unfortunately all that we know is Leigh didn't win coach of the year for 2003 - so we can only assume he would not have won it for his other coached premierships.
You can argue this puts Fagan at number one for the AFL era.
-Back to back premiers/coach of the year double (never done before)
Does this put him above Matthews? Unfortunately all that we know is Leigh didn't win coach of the year for 2003 - so we can only assume he would not have won it for his other coached premierships.
You can argue this puts Fagan at number one for the AFL era.
Shouldn't do this until the grand final match, if he loses.................. WHOOOOOOOOOOPS
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- May 5, 2016
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With respect to the bloke, he’s won the comp last year and while they have had their challenges this year they still have a stacked list and haven’t - as yet - repeated that yet. He’s a gun coach obviously I’m not taking that away from him.
I’ll do something I didn’t think I’d do previously and go into bat for Damien Hardwick here. Yes the Suns have talent too but they’ve had talent before and stuffed it up. He’s taken them not only to the finals but into the second week of them. Isn’t that worthy of a reasonable amount of consideration?
I’ll do something I didn’t think I’d do previously and go into bat for Damien Hardwick here. Yes the Suns have talent too but they’ve had talent before and stuffed it up. He’s taken them not only to the finals but into the second week of them. Isn’t that worthy of a reasonable amount of consideration?
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Yeah probably my pick too. Nicks would have been up there as well had the crows not exited in straight sets.
- May 5, 2016
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And I agree Fagan had a lot to overcome and credit to him for doing it. He’s still got some great resources at his disposal though (and I guess it is hard to ‘improve’ your position when you’re already at the top) but given the natural progression of some of the stars that got them to the flag last year I dunno - and for all the exchanges you and I have i will say that I actually LIKE fagan and don’t particularly like Hardwick - but I thought he actually gave the Suns something this season that they’ve never previously had and that was belief and spine. It was more than just talent so for that I feel he would have been a pretty deserving winner.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
- Thread starter
- #9
The resources thing is interesting. We are the youngest side in the 8 this year and are playing 3 teenagers and 6 other players under 22.
Id be interested to know how many teams are making it to a granny with that list profile. It’s very good coaching.
- May 5, 2016
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It is. They are very good players though and will be for quite a while I would think. And they have come into a good system
Fagan was the logical choice.
If Nicks had a finals-competitive team he may have got the honours. He was still arguably the best bald coach in the league though.
- Feb 27, 2011
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A bag of twisties could coach the Lions to grand finals, such is their talent pool and leg ups they get from the AFL every year.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
- Thread starter
- #13
That’s true. Will and Levi are obviously top end talent, but my concern all year is regardless of system, too much youth and inexperience does create a tipping point. We currently have run out of legitimate depth and are playing all of our 2024 ND selections.
- May 5, 2016
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Those absolute raw newcomers are always going to be a concern so that’s fair enough.
It’s the guys that have come in without as much fanfare over the last few years that impress me like Lohmann and Morris who really give me the impression that you just won’t be going away for ages.
It’s easy - well not easy - but logical enough that any good team can luck out and find one or two really good players through a F/S or whatever and get hyped up and deliver on it. When the other young players below them or without the fanfare turn out to be already up to standard as soon as they’re given regular game time and can nail down a best 22 spot from early on it’s a pretty handy asset.
Just going on stats, Nicks took Adelaide from 15th to first.
That's enormous.
Doesn't really matter what we think though, It's voted on by the other coaches.
That's good enough for me.
Onya Fages.
It's the icing on the cake. If the coach of the year can't win the grand final, it's a mockery.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
- Thread starter
- #19
I suppose the sense I get is that there are plenty of coaches out there who if given our draw and the list we rolled out for a large part of the year and into finals - may not get us to top 4 or a granny. And perhaps the difficult of that which is somewhat intangible is what has been recognised.
It’s also quite a commendable premiership defence.
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His best chance would've been if Geelong won the 2024 prelim after finishing 12th in 2023.
Usually it's awarded to big risers year-on-year. Very occasionally a GF or premiership coach who backs it up with a great season (outstanding record or overcoming adversity).
14 of 23 times it's gone to a GF coach. Clarkson and Scott do stand out for so many GF appearances and no coach of the year awards.
Yeah it's interesting, I would have Scott at #1 for coaches the last 20 years or so, ahead of Clarko - as we see with North, he just got lucky with the players he had at Hawthorn. Though I suppose we could make the same claim about Scott, but winning flags in two, almost three different eras feels more credible.
I don't think any credit should be taken away from Clarkson at Hawthorn or Hardwick at Richmond for creating outstanding teams that stood up in finals and had relentless periods. Every coach needs the players to make it work.
To sustain it over such a long time is exceptional though. People will argue that a few stars fell into his lap or Wells was busy providing magic at the draft table (both valid), but that has been offset by not getting access to many elite draft picks at all for 15 straight years. It has been gravity-defying with a lot of that down to Scott himself.
A 3rd premiership would start putting him right up there - with some reward for the hard work. 3 quite different teams, because the 2025 edition is 50% changed compared to 2022.
It'll be tough though because Brisbane this year and in the seasons to follow will be as difficult to overcome as the previous dynasty teams or other strong runners up like Collingwood 2011 or St Kilda 2009.
- Nov 25, 2017
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Nicks would have won the award if the Crows didn't go out in straight sets. Chuffed for Fages but he'd trade this award for the Jock McHale medal on Saturday.
