The Brisbane Lions are expected to name a successor to three-time premiership coach Chris Fagan this week, with assistant coach Cameron Bruce considered the favourite, according to the Brisbane Times.
The club is weighing up whether to appoint Bruce as an internal candidate or turn to external options Nathan Buckley, Hayden Skipworth or Adam Simpson, the Brisbane Times reported on Sunday evening.
Despite Bruce being considered the favourite, the Lions have been adamant they had not settled on a successor, the report said, with industry sources saying the club needs to be convinced an internal appointment is at least as capable as the external candidates.
The four candidates will begin formal presentations to the selection panel on Wednesday and will all be interviewed before the end of the week, AFL.com.au reported. A recommendation is then expected to go to the board, with a decision on the new coach confirmed in the days after.
The Lions selection panel includes chair Andrew Wellington, chief executive Sam Graham, football manager Danny Daly and coaching mentor Phil Smyth. Board member and four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews is acting in an advisory capacity, while Simon Black and Matti Clements are being consulted.
Read more: Chris Fagan Joins Carlton as Director of Coaching
The contenders
Bruce has been involved in six premierships as a development and assistant coach at the Lions, Carlton and Hawthorn since 2013. He joined Brisbane in 2022 and was responsible for the midfield and centre bounces in 2026, after playing 224 games for Melbourne and 10 for Hawthorn.
Simpson coached West Coast to the 2018 premiership against Buckley’s Collingwood and finished at the Eagles in 2024 after 242 matches. Buckley, who coached the Magpies for 218 matches, returned as an assistant at Geelong in 2025 and was a candidate for the Tasmania Devils job.
Skipworth is an experienced assistant who has worked at Collingwood and Essendon.
Big shoes to fill
Fagan retired after leading the Lions to a third consecutive premiership, and announced last week he was joining Carlton as director of coaching for 2027. He finished with 243 matches as Brisbane coach at a winning percentage of 61.32.
Read more: Murray Davis Rules Himself Out of Brisbane Lions Coaching Race
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