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New Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says working with a talented young AFL list and the opportunity to build a strong culture were key reasons why he took the job.
The Lions unveiled the former Hawthorn football manager on Tuesday.
Fagan, 55, replaces Justin Leppitsch, who was sacked in late August after three unsuccessful years at the helm, yielding just 14 wins from 66 matches.
The Lions finished second-last on the ladder in 2016, above Essendon on percentage only.
Fagan was the Hawks’ football chief and will become the sixth current AFL coach to have worked under four-time flag-winner Alastair Clarkson.
He was a key figure at Hawthorn, becoming Clarkson’s right-hand man late in the 2013 season.
The Hawks won three straight premierships between 2013-15.
Fagan also had several football department roles at Melbourne before joining the Hawks.
“Brisbane have a really talented young list and their best football is ahead of them,” Fagan said.
“They really need a coach who can develop that talent and I feel like that’s one of my great strengths.
New Brisbane football boss David Noble held a similar role at Adelaide and Fagan said the Crows and Hawks had first-rate cultures.
“One of things that Swanny (Lions chief executive Greg Swanny) thought that was needed here … we could actually build that culture,” Fagan said.
“Then obviously on top of that, performance will hopefully build as well – but you need to get the people things in place first, so that this place is a really good place to come to.”
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