The season might be over, but there is still plenty to talk about -- particularly at the Lions. Chris Fagan is gone, Lachie Neale is off to Collingwood, and suddenly Brisbane's future looks very different.
Let's get to this week's overreactions column, where we judge the biggest takeaway as legitimate or irrational.
Brisbane can't win the 2027 premiership without Chris Fagan and Lachie Neale
Beloved Lions coach Chris Fagan revealed to his playing group on Thursday morning that he would be departing the club and drawing the curtain on one of the greatest coaching decades in football history.
Fagan coached Brisbane for 10 seasons and on Saturday afternoon became just the sixth man to lead a team to a premiership three-peat.
The 65-year-old joins dual Brownlow Medal winner Lachie Neale as off-season Lions departures. Earlier in the week, Neale informed the club of his intent to sign with Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent.
Verdict: Overreaction
The losses of Fagan and Neale are obviously immense, and one could argue they were the two most critical pieces to Brisbane's dynastic run. But does anyone really believe this club is now set to nosedive? I didn't think so.
Let's start with Fagan. He leaves behind a Hall of Fame-worthy legacy and some mammoth shoes to fill. But there may not be a club more prepared to fill them than the Lions. Football boss Danny Daly, who has been involved in the AFL for 26 years, is someone that's been both waiting in the wings and long touted as a future senior coach. Should he get the nod, there are many at clubland who believe he can carry on what Fagan has built.
And then there's Neale. Like Fagan, he departs with an all-time resume, but a reminder, he's 33 years of age and probably now behind Will Ashcroft in the club's midfield pecking order. Neale's void isn't one that must be plugged, necessarily, rather it will provide opportunity for others to step up and take on greater responsibility.
Brisbane has already shown it knows how to evolve. This club didn't win three premierships by relying solely on Fagan and Neale. Luke Hodge, for example, helped steady the ship in the early years of Fagan's tenure before the Lions' flag run began. And since then the club has continued to build a deep, talented list.
The Lions might be the second-oldest team on paper, but that's selling short their future. Harris Andrews, Josh Dunkley, Tom Doedee, Jarrod Berry, and Hugh McCluggage are all still on the right side of 30, while Kai Lohmann, Darcy Wilmot, Jaspa Fletcher, Will Ashcroft, Logan Morris, Ty Gallop, Levi Ashcroft, and Daniel Annable are all aged under 24.
The Fagan era is over. The Neale era is over. But that doesn't necessarily mean the Lions' era is, too.
-- Jake Michaels
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