Analysis Congratulations master coach, 3 x AFLCA coach of the year and premiership coach - Christian Fagan, 2025 coach of the year

[mpal6]

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?

We had a very good reason to put our feet up by midseason when injuries piled up and draw was getting the hardest. He kept the team in it, team loves to play for him.
To get to a granny again especially with this year's draw is an exceptional achievement.

 

[Mr Meow]

We had a very good reason to put our feet up by midseason when injuries piled up and draw was getting the hardest. He kept the team in it, team loves to play for him.
To get to a granny again especially with this year's draw is an exceptional achievement.

The footy shows this week have given him deserved praise. He seems to be more of a man manager and guru/mentor than a tactician - but he is 10/10 in that role.

It probably only works in a squad overflowing with talent, but he knows how to challenge the group when necessary and get the best out of them.

He has them so well motivated for big games especially in recent years. Maybe the slackness in other "easy" games comes from his more laidback approach.

 

[Osho]

Fages joined Brizzy at a low ebb. He went through the Hawthorn accusations not too long ago. I'm not sure how technical and "brilliant" he is as a coach. He doesn't bang on about tactics, nor does he pull many fast ones like Ronald Dale or Malcolm would do in their sleep. He interviews like Mr Rumbelow over the back fence, laid back, unremarkable, engaging, no smarm, no smart arseness, no fake tragedy, no defensiveness. He doesn't blow his own trumpet. He loves Ed Sheeran, and I bet Dan Brown. He seems so mediocre. And yet...

And yet he is a premiership coach on the rebound, that's a tough task, done. He's now in his 3rd GF on the trot. His team plays the best footy around imo, when they want to. They take more risks than a coked up gambler, most weeks. When faced with poor form, they double down on their instincts. He never over reacts to anything. He doesn't seem to over think or analyse paralyse. He doesn't pretend to be a guru like a bunch of other coaches do. He's remarkable for not appearing remarkable, even though his team and club are.

He may have a secret weapon. Leigh Matthews, who runs interference for him when required, reminds him he's on the right track, to keep following his instincts, to ignore the outside noise, to never panic.

And if he loses this week, there'll be no tears or self laceration. Life is to short. And he'll turn up again next year.

 

[Nunez]

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.

Can Nicks win it with Murray Davis coaching?

 

[Kappa]

I think that’ll ease a load off Fagan’s shoulders now, even if he doesn’t win the flag he’s got something almost as good.

 

[Lunchtime]

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.

Both Hardwick and Clarkson did full rebuilds and the rewards paid off...multiple Premierships. Great coaches.

I thought Nicks might of won it this year, massive rise from 2024 to 2025.

I have no issue with Fagan winning it. Can he become a multiple AFL Premiership coach? We will find out on Saturday.

 

[Viceregal]

I think the other coaches know how hard it is (or must be for some) to get a list to keep their focus year after year and especially the year after a premiership where some of the natural hunger may have be assuaged, they are the hunted every week, and the alternate opportunities start to rear their heads. Add in the injury list (and the multiple shortened pre-seasons) and the possibly raised egos and a record breaking hard draw on top of the racism accusations and the stadium furore and the difficulty factor just multiplies.

How often do flag teams do a Melbourne or a Collingwood and not show up the year after ...

Oh and on top of all that managing to plan it all out so that we are not about to fall off a cliff (a la Lions 2005+) the whole basket case to arguably powerhouse hopefully we have embedded it into our DNA enough that we don't return to Saint-like incompetence and irrelevance ever again!

All Hail King Fages and whoever rules the Fagedom when the legend moves on!

 

[HairyO]

-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.

Sure, if you are clueless you can argue that. Or just trolling.

Clarkson, Scott, Matthews and Hardwick are easily ahead. Because coach of the year is a dumb award.

Despite it being a dumb award, are you upset that Scott didnt win it?

Also, given its based on H & A only, how the **** did Nicks not win it?

 

[RCAB]

Sure, if you are clueless you can argue that. Or just trolling.

Clarkson, Scott, Matthews and Hardwick are easily ahead. Because coach of the year is a dumb award.

Despite it being a dumb award, are you upset that Scott didnt win it?

Also, given its based on H & A only, how the **** did Nicks not win it?

Your replying to someone who has many of these uninformed takes

 

[Mr Meow]

Sure, if you are clueless you can argue that. Or just trolling.

Clarkson, Scott, Matthews and Hardwick are easily ahead. Because coach of the year is a dumb award.

Despite it being a dumb award, are you upset that Scott didnt win it?

Also, given its based on H & A only, how the **** did Nicks not win it?

Someone's sarcasm meter is not working. I tried to make my post as ridiculous as possible.

To be fair in later posts I felt compelled to add some genuine thoughts on Fagan. A good motivator.

 

[Mr Meow]

Your replying to someone who has many of these uninformed takes

It's extremely surprising the post went over your super brain.

Let's see if you can figure this one out.

 

[Aristotle Pickett the3rd]

Great coach no doubt but has a chequored past with the racist accusations at Hawthorn.

 

[matthew_s]

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.

Have you had Twisties lately? They changed the recipe and they taste like shit now. They aint winning anything.

 

[Viceregal]

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.

So your thesis is that Fages built such a great list (remembering that some of keys were only their because he was coach and the culture he nurtured kept players on instead of the seemingly permanent revolving door of young talent) that anyone with a coaching certification could win with them and.that is why he is meh as a coach ... ok ...

 

[Rabish Binney]

So your thesis is that Fages built such a great list (remembering that some of keys were only their because he was coach and the culture he nurtured kept players on instead of the seemingly permanent revolving door of young talent) that anyone with a coaching certification could win with them and.that is why he is meh as a coach ... ok ...

He is a great coach and anyone who doesn't think this is the case is just shit stirring for the sake of it.

No issues with him winning the Coach of the year

I hope Brisbane get up tomorrow however I think it will be a tough ask against the Cats.