Carlton pulls off major coup as premiership-winning coach joins
Triple premiership-winning coach Chris Fagan has landed at Carlton in a newly created role at the club, joining rookie head coach Josh Fraser for the 2027 season.
Fagan left the Brisbane Lions after 10 years as senior coach just days after Brisbane won the 2026 premiership.
Chris Fagan is one of AFL’s most decorated coaches. AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Blues announced the major coup on Saturday morning, confirming that Fagan will join the Victorian club as the director of coaching, becoming a “trusted advisor” to Fraser.
“While I loved my 10 years as a senior coach, this is a role I am passionate about and where I know I can have a real impact in this next phase of my football career,” Fagan said.
“Supporting people to get the absolute best out of themselves is what I love most about football, so the chance to now be able to do that on a full-time basis is incredibly exciting.
“To have the senior leadership of a football club share such clarity in their direction, combined with a role that gives me genuine purpose, makes joining Carlton an opportunity too good to pass up.”
The 65-year-old guided the Lions to four consecutive grand finals and three straight flags in his decade at the Gabba and has said for years that he would return to Victoria once his days with Brisbane were up.
The AFL veteran will now mentor the entire coaching group at the Blues to establish development pathways, in a bid for Carlton to foster in-club progression in their football programs.
There will also be a “match-day component” of Fagan’s full-time gig.
Fagan is one of the game’s most decorated coaches, having won three premierships at the Lions.
He is also a three-time AFL coach of the year.
“We want to build our football club around good people and they do not come any better than Chris Fagan,” general manager of football Chris Davies said.
“Few in the game have his wealth of experience and ability to connect with and get the best out of those around him.
“Most importantly, he is a proven winner who knows what it takes to build a consistently high-performing environment.
“Chris and Josh have built a connection in recent weeks over a shared philosophy of putting people first and building a program the right way.
“With Chris on board, Josh will be well supported, our coaches will be well developed and our program will continue to build the clarity and discipline required to be truly elite.”
