Coach Fages and the coaching group

Remove this Banner Ad

Tassie will be the decider. Like Sheeds at GWS, the Devils need Fages at the helm. And for himself, I reckon Fages will love going home to start that.

The wheel of life will turn the full circle.
If you can live in Queensland and have a great gig , with what he's been through I don't think going back to Tassie and starting from scratch would be overly appealing at his age.

He can build a dynasty here with more shots at a flag .

Unless something changes dramatically, and it can in footy I suppose ,I can't see him giving up what he has here.

The press will be howling like wild banshees for it so the AFL might throw the kitchen sink at him but it'd need to be an almighty offer.
 
If you can live in Queensland and have a great gig , with what he's been through I don't think going back to Tassie and starting from scratch would be overly appealing at his age.

He can build a dynasty here with more shots at a flag .

Unless something changes dramatically, and it can in footy I suppose ,I can't see him giving up what he has here.

The press will be howling like wild banshees for it so the AFL might throw the kitchen sink at him but it'd need to be an almighty offer.
I can see him leaving for a Head of Footy role but not the Head Coach.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

I wonder what the number or percentage is for people returning to Tasmania after living in the SEQ area for 5-8 years.
I think it would be quite low.
Fages strikes me off the type of bloke who is proud to be a Tasmanian and would return back there tomorrow if he could.

Don't get me wrong that I hope he stays with our club but I wouldn't say a bad word about him if he decides the time is right to return home to Tasmania especially after everything he has done for our club in the past 8 years.

Feels like yesterday he was announced as our head coach and made me fall back in love with the club again :)
 
I wonder what the number or percentage is for people returning to Tasmania after living in the SEQ area for 5-8 years.
I think it would be quite low.
A lot of southerners do seem to stay once they get a taste of QLD life (it could also be they marry QLD girls too) from the likes of Brown, Rich and Black but more lately Hodge, Birchall and families and even lesser lights like Leuenberger and Brent Moloney.

As Elixuh said, I could only see Fages going back to be the Director of Footy or GM of Footy, not the coach and could hardly begrudge him; he'll always be a Lion at heart. I also genuinely think that many foundational Tassie Devil people will have two clubs anyway; Alistair Lynch Jack Riewoldt and Matthew Richardson have all been very passionate and vocal in their support of the Devils and wanting it to succeed and I don't see there love for the Lions and Tigers respectively waivering.
 
A lot of southerners do seem to stay once they get a taste of QLD life (it could also be they marry QLD girls too) from the likes of Brown, Rich and Black but more lately Hodge, Birchall and families and even lesser lights like Leuenberger and Brent Moloney.

As Elixuh said, I could only see Fages going back to be the Director of Footy or GM of Footy, not the coach and could hardly begrudge him; he'll always be a Lion at heart. I also genuinely think that many foundational Tassie Devil people will have two clubs anyway; Alistair Lynch Jack Riewoldt and Matthew Richardson have all been very passionate and vocal in their support of the Devils and wanting it to succeed and I don't see there love for the Lions and Tigers respectively waivering.

Yeah no coaching for Fages, more like a nice cushy ambassador gig and attracting sponsorship + players to build the list up.
 
Tasmania would be a 5 year timeline starting from scratch (minimum). He will be 66 in their first year. Can’t see it tbh.

Agree, I can’t see what appeal 5 years of toiling in a freezing start-up environment with near-zero prospect of success would hold for him professionally…unless he has a personal drive to help Tasmanian football, I think he’s the sort of loyal person who’d prefer to ride out this dynasty in Brisbane…the Wilmott, Kai, Morris, Fletcher, WAshcroft, LAshcroft, Marshall era is underway 😎 😂
 
Agree, I can’t see what appeal 5 years of toiling in a freezing start-up environment with near-zero prospect of success would hold for him professionally…unless he has a personal drive to help Tasmanian football, I think he’s the sort of loyal person who’d prefer to ride out this dynasty in Brisbane…the Wilmott, Kai, Morris, Fletcher, WAshcroft, LAshcroft, Marshall era is underway 😎 😂
And then once those 5 players retire, he'll be able to be coach the Zorko, Lester and Rich Jnr era at the young age of 76 ;)

What a full circle moment that'll be for him and the club.
 


Then there is Chris Fagan, the 63-year-old Tasmanian football "legend" who brilliantly steered Brisbane Lions out of a broken state in late 2016 through to the 2024 premiership. He's already on the Lions' books for 2025 and will almost certainly soon sign an extension.

There is a guaranteed senior role for Fagan at the Devils. And it will be his call to make, both how that role could look and even if he would want it.
Doesn't sound like an extension has occurred yet and the above is the only reference to Fages in the article.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Basically what we are thinking in that there would be an open offer for him to join Tassie in some form. But they arent making a call on what that would be and whether he would want it or not.
Wonder if Fages gets another year and stays on til 2026 before taking a year off and then going to the Devils in 2028.

Depends on how Fages is tracking as well, both physically and mentally cause this year was extremely tough on him.

As much as it will be sad when Fages does leave someday, we should be very grateful for what he has brought to our footy club and deserves to retire / work-less at his age now so hopefully the supporters will feel the same way.
 
Wonder if Fages gets another year and stays on til 2026 before taking a year off and then going to the Devils in 2028.

Depends on how Fages is tracking as well, both physically and mentally cause this year was extremely tough on him.

As much as it will be sad when Fages does leave someday, we should be very grateful for what he has brought to our footy club and deserves to retire / work-less at his age now so hopefully the supporters will feel the same way.
Hopefully going for the 3 peat....
 
Wonder if Fages gets another year and stays on til 2026 before taking a year off and then going to the Devils in 2028.

Depends on how Fages is tracking as well, both physically and mentally cause this year was extremely tough on him.

As much as it will be sad when Fages does leave someday, we should be very grateful for what he has brought to our footy club and deserves to retire / work-less at his age now so hopefully the supporters will feel the same way.

Chris Scott 2028 ;)
 
Josh Dunkley & Luke Hodge are coaching the AFL 1st team in AIC Sport at St. Laurence's College (Brisbane) next year.

Didn't realise Dunks was interested in coaching.
 
Josh Dunkley & Luke Hodge are coaching the AFL 1st team in AIC Sport at St. Laurence's College (Brisbane) next year.

Didn't realise Dunks was interested in coaching.

Forget Dunks, I didn't realise Hodgey would even consider coaching!
 
Forget Dunks, I didn't realise Hodgey would even consider coaching!
No you got it wrong, Perrip meant to say Dunkley is coaching the side and Hodgey is being the part-time trainer on-field.

Gotta get the newcomer into becoming a good trainer on the field first just like his good friend in Birchall was ;)
 
Josh Dunkley & Luke Hodge are coaching the AFL 1st team in AIC Sport at St. Laurence's College (Brisbane) next year.

Didn't realise Dunks was interested in coaching.

And so (in a deep documentary voice over tone) begins the journey of the AFL legend Luke Hodge, on his migratory journey to the position of Brisbane Lions senior coach.

Restricted at the moment by his natural parenting instincts that mean he cannot yet leap enthusiastically into this new and bewildering stage of his life, the urge to mentor and develop the young continues to build.

He is driven to act on the urge by braving the wilds of the school environment and coach a bunch of kids who, due to his advancing age, do not understand the greatness that is before them. These kids will be stunned when hordes of wild fans turn up to watch the interschool matches, that frankly are not worthy of the attention.

They will not realize that the said fans do not give rats about the kids but are their to witness the first steps toward greatness by the man who will become know as the Lions legend squared (legend 2) for his dual roles of player, coach and the two premierships to which he leads the club.

Or not, but that was fun to write.
 
And so (in a deep documentary voice over tone) begins the journey of the AFL legend Luke Hodge, on his migratory journey to the position of Brisbane Lions senior coach.

Restricted at the moment by his natural parenting instincts that mean he cannot yet leap enthusiastically into this new and bewildering stage of his life, the urge to mentor and develop the young continues to build.

He is driven to act on the urge by braving the wilds of the school environment and coach a bunch of kids who, due to his advancing age, do not understand the greatness that is before them. These kids will be stunned when hordes of wild fans turn up to watch the interschool matches, that frankly are not worthy of the attention.

They will not realize that the said fans do not give rats about the kids but are their to witness the first steps toward greatness by the man who will become know as the Lions legend squared (legend 2) for his dual roles of player, coach and the two premierships to which he leads the club.

Or not, but that was fun to write.
Wrong account David Attenborough.
 
And so (in a deep documentary voice over tone) begins the journey of the AFL legend Luke Hodge, on his migratory journey to the position of Brisbane Lions senior coach.

Restricted at the moment by his natural parenting instincts that mean he cannot yet leap enthusiastically into this new and bewildering stage of his life, the urge to mentor and develop the young continues to build.

He is driven to act on the urge by braving the wilds of the school environment and coach a bunch of kids who, due to his advancing age, do not understand the greatness that is before them. These kids will be stunned when hordes of wild fans turn up to watch the interschool matches, that frankly are not worthy of the attention.

They will not realize that the said fans do not give rats about the kids but are their to witness the first steps toward greatness by the man who will become know as the Lions legend squared (legend 2) for his dual roles of player, coach and the two premierships to which he leads the club.

Or not, but that was fun to write.

And joins that elite group to coach his sons to flags.
 
Josh Dunkley & Luke Hodge are coaching the AFL 1st team in AIC Sport at St. Laurence's College (Brisbane) next year.

Didn't realise Dunks was interested in coaching.

Good on both of them for dipping their toes into the coaching wafer. Maybe Hodgey (or Fossil as Cam Rayner and Alex Witherden used to call him) could become an academy coach in a couple of years.
 
Last edited:
Good on both of them for dipping their toes into the coaching wafer. Maybe Hodgey (or Fossil as Cam Rayner and Alex Witherden used to call him) could become an academy coach in a couple of years.
Once Hodgey stopped playing the last thing he ever wanted to do was coach.

But in our ranks we have 2 guys in Andrews and Neale who are definitely interested in coaching when the time's right.

So who knows we could keep a playing/coaching dynasty going here for quite a while if we're able to keep refreshing the list.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Coach Fages and the coaching group

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top