Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is set to add another year to his current deal, extending with the club until the end of 2026.
It is understood that Fagan - who has yet to secure a premiership despite six consecutive finals series - is "the guy going forward", especially since reviving the club earlier this year.
After a heartbreaking four-point loss in last year's grand final, the Lions' 2024 season was slow to begin with, but a mid-year resurgence nearly claimed another top-four finish.
Brisbane advanced to the semi-finals after knocking out Carlton by 28 points following a dominant start and will face GWS on Saturday at ENGIE Stadium.
โChris Fagan will sign an extra year on his contract,โ Herald Sun's Glenn McFarlane stated on Fox Footy'sย Midweek Tackle.
โHe was already contracted for 2025, but the Lions have been so impressed by the way he's handled their poor start to this year.
โThe way he has been able to keep this group together and get them back into finals; the insiders at the club are really confident that he is the guy going forward. He's 63; he doesn't coach like he's 63.
โHeย told Jay Clark last weekย that he would walk away if he didn't have the players โ he's got the players, there's no doubt, and the Brisbane hierarchy knows that.
โIf this gets through to the end of 2026โฆ this will make him the longest-serving coach in Brisbane Lions history, he'll pass Leigh Matthews. Will he have a premiership by the end of that contract?โ
Ahead oof the club's semi-final clash against GWS, Fagan spoke about his love for the players.
"I love the club and I want to coach our club for as long as the club wants me to," Fagan said.
"In terms about having chat about (re-signing), I imagine that will happen at the end of the season, because I haven't talked to anybody at the club about it in any formal way."
"There'll probably come a point in time where maybe I get a bit worn out from it or the players get a bit worn out from me. We haven't arrived at that point."
Fagan has coached the Lions since the beginning of 2017 for 107 wins from 186 starts (including finals).
The reported new contract will likely rival legendary coach Leigh Matthews as the most capped mentor in Brisbane.
Matthews coached 237 games for the Lions for three flags between 1999-2008.
His record in finals is extraordinary, claiming 14 out of 18 victories. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Fagan, who is six from 13, with a chance to square the ledger this weekend.
