Buckley to make pitch to Lions

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 22, 2026

Nathan Buckley is set to present his coaching credentials to the Brisbane Lions as a candidate for their senior coaching role, with the club planning to review his approach upon his return in early November. This comes as Brisbane narrows its search to finalists including assistant coach Cameron Bruce, while outgoing coach Chris Fagan explores new coaching opportunities with several AFL clubs.

Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley is set to formally present his credentials to the Brisbane Lions selection panel as a candidate for the club’s senior coaching position. Brisbane is expected to wait until early November, when Buckley returns from an overseas family trip, to hear his coaching philosophies in detail.

The Lions have narrowed their search to three or four finalists to succeed Chris Fagan, with Cameron Bruce widely regarded as the frontrunner. Bruce, who has served as an assistant coach at the Lions and previously at Hawthorn, played a significant role in Brisbane’s recent success, including three consecutive premierships and four straight grand final appearances. With a total of six AFL flags to his name—three as a Hawthorn assistant and three with Brisbane—Bruce’s credentials have been heavily endorsed by Fagan.

Despite Fagan’s support for Bruce, club officials have not yet made a final decision and remain keen to evaluate all top contenders before proceeding. Buckley, who withdrew from North Melbourne’s coaching search and was also considered for senior roles at Melbourne and Tasmania, has drawn interest due to his broad coaching experience, including his time as Collingwood’s coach during the 2018 grand final.

Meanwhile, Chris Fagan is in the process of meeting with several AFL clubs to explore senior coaching or performance management roles following his departure from Brisbane after a highly successful decade. Clubs such as Collingwood, Carlton, and Melbourne have expressed interest. While Carlton is favored to secure Fagan to assist head coach Josh Fraser, Fagan also maintains strong connections to Melbourne, where he began his coaching trajectory under Neale Daniher.

Fagan, who helped guide Brisbane to three consecutive premierships and has been involved in seven AFL flags across his tenure at Brisbane and Hawthorn, is expected to make his decision on his next appointment within the next two weeks. He has relocated back to Melbourne to be closer to family after stepping down as Brisbane’s senior coach.

With both coaching vacancies and leadership roles in flux, the upcoming weeks will be pivotal in shaping the strategic direction and future success of these AFL clubs.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.