BARRETT: Lions eye their next coach, but they might face a fight

Clubs are queueing up for the services of football's main man in waiting, writes Damian Barrett

Danny Daly and Chris Fagan after Brisbane's win over Richmond in the 2022 elimination final. Picture: AFL Photos

A DECISION won't need to be made for at least two years, but it is highly probable the Brisbane Lions have already identified their post-Chris Fagan coach.

They've known this person well for 12 years. They have watched him gain the highest levels of trust inside their organisation, initially as a senior assistant coach and more recently as general manager of football operations.

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They have watched him field multiple approaches from rival clubs in recent years, ranging from a request to consider a vacant senior coaching role to many times being offered the most senior posts as head of football operations.

Despite always seeking a low profile and running away from headlines and limelight, the secret of Danny Daly is out. He is football's main man in waiting.

Harris Andrews and Danny Daly at a Brisbane training session in September 2020. Picture: AFL Photos

Having convinced premiership coach Fagan to stay in charge of their club until the completion of the 2027 season, the Lions have begun preliminary consideration on how the future could look, and a transition from Fagan to Daly has already been informally discussed by those who hold the club's power.

It would make sense. West Coast desperately wanted Daly to be part of its coach search after Adam Simpson exited last year. When Daly politely declined that process to fully focus on the Lions' finals campaign, the Eagles wanted him to consider their general manager of football position.

Before that, Collingwood coach Craig McRae had been very hopeful Daly would replace Graham Wright as Pies' football boss.

It is believed at least two other clubs have recently sounded him out for senior roles beyond the 2025 season.

Danny Daly at Brisbane training in December 2019. Picture: AFL Photos

Like Fagan, Daly never played at the highest level. Like Fagan, he became crucial to multiple AFL club operations as a trusted assistant coach and administrator. And just as Fagan was the right-hand man of Alastair Clarkson for Hawthorn premiership success, Daly has been the same for Fagan at Brisbane.

The Daly AFL CV is close to perfect. Welfare manager, forward scout, senior assistant coach, GM of footy and always-trusted confidant are among the roles he has held since 2000 when he worked with Mick Malthouse at Collingwood.

He was a 'captain's call' appointment of Dani Laidley when Laidley was signed as senior coach of North Melbourne in 2003, then with Damien Hardwick at Richmond from 2010. Before his AFL career, he held senior management roles in the banking industry.

Danny Daly, Dani Laidley and Darren Crocker during a pre-season game between North Melbourne and Fremantle in 2009. Picture: AFL Photos

When Hardwick made his 2023 move from Richmond to Gold Coast, he had been hopeful of wrenching Daly out of the Lions and back into his world.

Many people attached to Brisbane helped it reclaim premiership status off an embarrassingly mediocre period in the mid-2010s. Fagan and the recently departed CEO Greg Swann, who this week began as head of football at the AFL, were most crucial. But ask those two who else deserves acclaim, and they instantly say Daly.

Daly may continue to reject all the offers. But they will inevitably keep coming. And if he privately declared he wanted to take over from Fagan, it would likely be the smoothest of AFL coaching succession plans.

X: @barrettdamian

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