Three-time premiership-winning coach Chris Fagan may be leaving the Brisbane Lions as the toast of the AFL world, but he’s still continuing to inspire the Tasmania JackJumpers as their NBL good-luck charm.
Fagan was at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday to witness the JackJumpers climb into second position on the ladder with a stirring 109-99 overtime win over the Brisbane Bullets.
Fagan received a rousing ovation from the fans when he appeared on the big screen, six days after steering the Lions to a titanic grand final victory over Fremantle at the MCG.
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The 65-year-old was presented with the keys to the city of Brisbane during the week and will always be revered as a coaching icon in Queensland.
But Fagan remains a Tasmanian at heart — born in Queenstown, some 250km northwest of Hobart — and the secret weapon for the JackJumpers, proudly wearing their colours from the stands, where he never seems to witness defeat.
“Big shout out to Fages in the building,” said Tasmania coach Scott Roth, who led the JackJumpers to the 2024 NBL title, six months before Fagan’s first flag for the Lions.
“He’s obviously a Tasmanian and a huge supporter of us.
“His record is undefeated. Every time he seems to show up, we end up winning.
“Congratulations to him and his three-peat and retirement.
“He’s been a great friend of mine the last few years.
“To have the GOAT in the locker room after the game, is a massive thing for our group.”
The JackJumpers trailed Brisbane by 14 points in the first half, but they refused to panic, outscoring the Bullets 34-18 in the third term, then dominating the overtime period after almost frittering away a nine-point fourth-quarter lead.
Roth said it was nothing new for his group to stay resilient and prosper when challenged on the road.
“I’ve been doing this for quite a long time here with these guys and we just are not going to quit on anything,” he said.
“If we get punched around, which I’m sure we will during the course of the season, we’re just going to keep attacking and doing what we do and these guys stayed patient.”
