Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan believes that a candid analysis of the team’s grand final loss will improve the players for 2024.
Coach Chris Fagan of the Brisbane Lions is optimistic that a “open and honest” examination of the team’s close loss in the previous year’s grand final, in which players offered self-reflection, has cleared the path for a clear shot at winning the premiership in 2024.
Days following the heartbreaking four-point loss to Collingwood in the AFL championship game of the previous year, Fagan said he and his coaching staff sought out lessons and “milked that for all it was worth,” encouraging his players to vent their regrets before they left for vacation.
In an effort to start 2024 with a clear focus, Fagan asked players to share times during the game when they felt they could have performed better. After some of them made themselves appear “pretty vulnerable,” he is optimistic that the lessons they learned will help them this season.
“It was an excellent review. That grand final really came down to a few moments, so I think it’s great that the players were so honest,” Fagan said on Tuesday.
“I went around the room and spoke with the players, asking them if there was ever a moment they would like to go back to. I also reminded them that there would be no retaliation and that they would make mistakes and regret things because they are only human.”
To ensure they don’t think about them for the next six months, it was crucial to have a conversation about them before they left on vacation.
Since we (the coaches) had watched the tape and were aware of every moment, I was a little curious as to how they would respond to honesty. They didn’t, however, miss one.
Some of them had to expose themselves pretty much, but they were all so honest.
However, it went really well, and at the end, I said, ‘This is what you just said.'” After watching it on the video, we were done.
Having won 17 of 23 home and away games in the previous season, Fagan said they should be even more formidable in the preseason with some adjustments to their own style of play.
However, he also thinks that having 23 players who have participated in a grand final will improve them in the event that they return.
“We’ve now participated in a Grand Final,” Fagan said to SEN Breakfast.
“After the Grand Final, I told them, ‘We had three guys who had participated in a Grand Final before today; now we have 23 and you’ll all be better for the experience.’
“In the two or three days following the Grand Final, we made the most of that in order to retain the lessons and store them in the vault. Hopefully, we return and are given another opportunity.
On Friday, March 8, Brisbane will kick off their 2024 campaign at the Gabba against Carlton in the Opening Round.
