THE NEW Brisbane Lions brains trust believe a change in fortunes isn't too far away for the struggling club.
New head coach Chris Fagan and recently appointed football manager David Noble were unveiled to the media for the first time on Tuesday and were upbeat about the prospects of their new club.
After Justin Leppitsch managed 14 wins in his three seasons before being sacked last month, Fagan and Noble weren't about to set expectations too high, but were adamant they would make a difference.
Fagan, who has worked at Hawthorn for the past nine years as both the head of coaching and the general manager of football operations, said the Lions had a "really talented young list" he could develop.
He said his primary focus would be to drive the club's culture, develop an inclusive environment and lead a team that played a "selfless" brand of football.
"You need to get the people things in place first so this is a really good place to come to so the players feel like they're improving every day and the Brisbane Footy Club can become a team that people respect and look forward to watching play," Fagan said.
He has a close relationship with Noble – they coached against each other in the TAC Cup during the mid 1990s – a fact Fagan believes will help them transition quickly ahead of the upcoming NAB AFL Draft Combine and Trade Periods.
Lions CEO Greg Swann said they would also finalise the last "two or three" spots in the coaching department in coming weeks.
Despite coming off a disastrous three-win season, Noble said he was excited by the list, particularly having the Lions academy at his disposal.
"I don't think you need to rebuild," he said.
"We've got some really good key talls. I think it's not as good as it seems and it's not as bad as it seems at times.
"Chris and I have known each other a long time, we believe we can bring that development, bring that culture and we think the list can advance quickly.
"I think we're both excited about the future growth of this list.
"The planning and strategic aspect of the list build is paramount, whether you look at Geelong, the Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Adelaide, those clubs don't get there through fluke. They're well planned, they're well managed and that's what we think we can add to Brisbane and move the club forward."
Fagan said his main focus in the coming weeks would be to speak to each player individually.
"What we should be judged on first and foremost is the effort of the team across four quarters on a consistent basis," Fagan said.
"Get better at defending, get better at using the ball, get better at winning the ball.
"The other thing I really value is the team to play a selfless brand of football … that's what I've become accustomed to the last few years.
"Players sacrifice for each other and they care for each other. From a cultural perspective, they're the sort of values we're trying to build into the team."
