Chris Fagan has proven to be an inspired choice as Brisbane coach and one of the men who appointed him, Simon Black, said it was obvious he was the right man within minutes of starting his interview.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan admits his side "were looking down the barrel" at the halfway mark of the season, before recovering to reach the finals and claim the club's first AFL premiership since 2003.

Spurred on by the pain of their four-point defeat last year, the Lions crushed Sydney in front of a packed house at the MCG.

Many AFL fans believe Mitchell was robbed in Coach of the Year vote after Fagan was crowned the winner.

This was Brisbane’s version of welcome to the jungle. It was 20 minutes of mayhem in the second quarter that delivered the Lions the 2024 premiership and, in doing so, elevated coach Chris Fagan from popular elder statesman to 150-year record-breaker.

After seeing his side officially crowned AFL premiers, the first person Lions coach Chris Fagan turned to was Leigh Matthews, the footy great who himself led the same club to four flags.

After more than two decades in the wilderness, Brisbane Lions were out in force celebrating — and in one case, proposing — late yesterday.