Each year AFL coaches are either put under scrutiny or praised for what they have done with the club's list and where their side has finished at the end of the year.
Whether it's a club going through a rebuild, a premiership contender, or a side failing to fulfil expectations, here is every coach ranked as safe, pressure-building, or under the pump heading into the 2027 season.
Chris Fagan (Brisbane)
Safe
Fagan is still also left uncontracted beyond 2027, but it looks as though it'll be up to him to decide if he wants to continue on. Obviously, the fans and the club would love for Fagan to stay on; being constantly known as one of the most loved and successful coaches in the league is a tough status to get to, but he has done that during his tenure.
Fagan's coaching record speaks volumes about what he has done. Taking over in 2017, the club has not had a losing season since 2018, and has made finals every year for the last seven years, missing the top four only twice. Throw in back-to-back premierships in three consecutive Grand Finals alongside overtaking Leigh Matthews for the most wins and games coached as Brisbane Lions coach, he is arguably the best ever coach in their history.
You never hear players speak badly of Fagan and continuously praise him for being a “father-like figure”, and he is proof that one does not have to have played at the highest level to coach and be a really good one. At the end of the day, it is expected that he will go out on his terms and will want to hopefully help deliver Brisbane a third premiership in four years.
