BRISBANE'S search for the coach to succeed Chris Fagan will hit overdrive this week when four candidates begin formal presentations on Wednesday.
Cameron Bruce, Nathan Buckley, Adam Simpson and Hayden Skipworth will all be interviewed by the Lions selection panel before the end of the week.
It is then expected a recommendation to the board will be made and a decision on the new coach confirmed in the days after.
Fagan announced shortly after winning his third premiership as coach that 2026 would be his last year at the helm of the Lions.
Once football manager Danny Daly withdrew himself from the process, Bruce emerged as the frontrunner to replace Fagan.
The 47-year-old has been a Lions assistant the past five seasons and is seen as ready-made to step into the main job. He has been part of six premierships in a coaching capacity over 14 seasons – three each at Hawthorn and Brisbane.
However, the club is hell-bent on running a thorough process to find the best replacement available, sparking weeks of conversations with prospective candidates.
Buckley last coached Collingwood in 2021 and has spent the past 12 months under Chris Scott at Geelong, while Simpson finished at West Coast late in 2024.
Skipworth has served a long apprenticeship at Collingwood and is seen as Craig McRae's right-hand man.
Brisbane’s selection panel is very similar to the one that astutely selected Fagan a decade ago.
Alongside chairman Andrew Wellington, CEO Sam Graham and Daly, are director Leigh Matthews, club great Simon Black, psychologist Matti Clements and former Australian basketballer and coaching mentor, Phil Smyth.
It was confirmed on Saturday Fagan would continue his career with Carlton as a coaching director in 2027.
