Long-time assistant Cameron Bruce will succeed three-time premiership coach Chris Fagan as Brisbane Lions senior coach, with the club expected to make the appointment official on Tuesday.
The Lions board met on Monday afternoon and ratified Bruce as Fagan’s successor, AFL.com.au reported. His deal is believed to be for three years.
Bruce, 47, beat a strong field that included 2018 grand final coaches Nathan Buckley and Adam Simpson, as well as Collingwood senior assistant coach Hayden Skipworth, The Age reported. All four candidates were interviewed by the club’s coaching selection committee last week.
The selection committee was made up of chairman Andrew Wellington, chief executive Sam Graham, football manager Danny Daly, board member Leigh Matthews, club great Simon Black, psychologist Matti Clements and coaching mentor Phil Smyth, according to AFL.com.au.
Fagan’s right-hand man steps up
Bruce has been an assistant under Fagan for the past five seasons and was Brisbane’s midfield coach during the club’s hat-trick of premierships. He has been involved in six premierships as a coach, made up of two three-peats: first under Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn, then under Fagan at Brisbane, AAP reported.
Read more: Brisbane Lions to Name Fagan Successor This Week, Report Says
AAP reported Bruce was always the favourite and received strong endorsement from Fagan, who stepped down after Brisbane’s grand final win over Fremantle in September and has since joined Carlton as director of coaching.
The Age reported that Brisbane’s hierarchy insisted on an open process rather than simply appointing Bruce, which is why the appointment came later than usual for a senior coaching job.
Who is Cameron Bruce?
Bruce played 234 AFL games, 224 of them for Melbourne from 2000 to 2010 and 10 for Hawthorn before he retired in 2012. He played in Melbourne’s 2000 grand final side and won the Demons’ best and fairest in 2008, the ABC reported.
Read more: Chris Fagan Joins Carlton as Director of Coaching
He moved straight into coaching at Hawthorn, starting as a development coach before becoming a senior assistant under Clarkson, and was at the Hawks from 2013 to 2017. He then spent four years at Carlton as an assistant under Brendon Bolton before joining Brisbane ahead of the 2022 season.
Bruce had been approached to enter the race for the Carlton coaching job this year but declined, 7NEWS reported.
The appointment is his first senior AFL coaching role, and he takes over a Brisbane side that will chase a fourth straight premiership in 2027.
More News
