Lions choose next AFL coach

The Brisbane Lions have finalised their search for a replacement for sacked senior coach Justin Leppitsch.

A disappointed Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch

The Lions have finalised their search for a replacement for sacked AFL coach Justin Leppitsch. (AAP)

Alastair Clarkson's premiership-laden reign at Hawthorn is set to produce another AFL senior coach, with Brisbane to announce the appointment of Chris Fagan.

The Lions are expected to present Fagan as Justin Leppitsch's successor at a press conference on Tuesday.

He will join Western Bulldogs premiership coach Luke Beveridge, Richmond's Damien Hardwick, Greater Western Sydney's Leon Cameron, West Coast's Adam Simpson and Carlton's Brendon Bolton as current AFL coaches to have worked with Clarkson.

Fagan, 55, has been the frontrunner to replace Leppitsch since he was sacked following the club's disastrous three-win season.

Blues assistant John Barker was also believed to have come under strong consideration.

Fagan has been with the Hawks since 2008, where he experienced premiership success on four occasions and worked alongside Mark Evans, who will have had some input into the Lions' decision as the AFL's football operations manager.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in August this year that the league, which has already invested heavily in the cash-strapped Lions, would work with the struggling club to get the right people in key positions.

The AFL was instrumental in luring respected football operations manager David Noble from Adelaide to oversee Brisbane's overhauled football department.

Fagan will take on a senior coaching role in the AFL for the first time and never played at the elite level, but is a well-respected figure in the industry who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge.

He was an assistant coach to Neale Daniher at Melbourne, where he also took on the role of football operations manager and has a strong coaching and playing background in his native Tasmania.

The five-person selection panel that oversaw the search for a new coach was led by Lions chief executive Greg Swann and included club great Simon Black, list manager Peter Schwab, psychology firm executive Matti Clements and Noble.


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Source: AAP



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