Brisbane Lions football boss Danny Daly has pulled out of the race to replace Chris Fagan as senior coach, according to the Herald Sun, leaving assistant coach Cam Bruce as the reported frontrunner.
The Herald Sun’s Jay Clark reported on Wednesday 7 October that Daly, the Lions’ general manager of football, has decided not to pursue the job. SEN and Zero Hanger have since carried the report. Brisbane had not made any announcement about its coaching search at the time of writing.
Daly is now expected to be considered as a member of the panel that chooses the new coach, SEN reported.
Bruce now leads the race
Daly and Bruce had loomed as the leading internal candidates since Fagan stepped down after the Lions’ premiership three-peat.
Bruce, 47, played 234 AFL games for Melbourne and Hawthorn, was part of the Hawks’ coaching staff during their 2013-15 three-peat and was named the AFL Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2025, Fox Sports reported. He runs Brisbane’s midfield and earlier this year rejected an approach to be part of Carlton’s coaching search, citing a desire to stay in Queensland, according to Fox Sports.
Brisbane is also reported to be considering former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, who withdrew from North Melbourne’s search before the Kangaroos appointed Jaymie Graham.
Daly’s change of heart
Daly, 54, never played a senior AFL game and worked at Collingwood, North Melbourne and Richmond before becoming Brisbane’s general manager of football in late 2020. He declined to be part of West Coast’s coaching search in 2024 and Melbourne’s last year, Fox Sports reported.
Speaking to SEN last month, Daly said he was open to the role but would back whatever the club decided.
“There is a little bit of a desire there, yeah,” Daly said. “Whether that’s myself or someone like a Cam Bruce or Dale Morris (club assistants), or getting someone new in, that’ll be their decision and I’ll be happy with whatever they decide.”
Fagan has said he will return to Melbourne to be closer to his family, and Carlton and Collingwood have both been linked to him, Zero Hanger reported.
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