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Sport Nation
“Fagan’s finest moment”: Derm commends Lions' coach
Jaiden Sciberras • September 27th, 2025 10:30 pm
Chris Fagan’s Lions have done it again, going back-to-back to claim their second premiership from three consecutive Grand Final appearances.
Despite breaking the drought last season, their 2025 triumph has an increased sense of achievement for Fagan’s men.
Copping the most difficult home and away fixture in recent history, the Lions faced off against top eight sides in all of their final six contests (both home and away and finals), with many writing the side off prior to their September venture.
However, the Lions proved so many wrong, coming out on the final Saturday and capitalising to maximum effect.
Given their run home, their injury crisis and their performance against the odds with Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton has crowned this contest as Fagan’s best of his 2016 games in charge.
“Fagan’s finest moment,” Dermott told AFL Nation.
“I’m sure he’s had some wonderful days in his life, but this is the defining moment of his sporting career.
“I just couldn’t see this happening. I thought if there was going to be a margin like this, I thought it be the Cats’ way. I didn’t think it would be a 90-point swing the other way!
“To make them believe… when you look at it, this team is cobbled together at the moment. You’ve got (Hugh) McCluggage on one knee, Lachie Neale who’s been doubtful as to whether he could get back. If you had have said at the start of the year that Darcy Gardiner is going to be your key back to assist Harris Andrews, you’d have said, ‘we’ll hopefully make the eight’.
“But, my god, to allow those boys to believe that they could succeed… what an endeavour. The emotion it must have taken to make them believe.
“In the longest season we have ever have, they played two finals teams in round 23 and 24, and then they’ve played four finals teams in a row, progressively getting better and harder each time, and then to come out and do that… it is staggering.
“Absolutely staggering.”
