The oldest first-time AFL coach took charge of a side that had won seven games in two years and was something of an AFL laughing stock. It desperately needed something …. anything.

After four wins to finish 17^th in 2015 and three wins to finish 17^th in 2016 it was one of football’s biggest assignments. A flagship club in a critical developing market for the AFL haemorrhaging on and off the field amid not just falling win counts but also memberships, crowds, corporate support and even public relevance.

Fast forward to the start of 2021 season against the Sydney Swans at the Gabba on Saturday night and it is a Lions team barely recognisable from that which began a total rebuild 87 games ago under the now 59-year-old coach and father figure.

Patience was a virtue. A necessity in a journey that delights Lions fans every time they hear it.

Five wins in 2017 earned the club the wooden-spoon and another five in 2018 saw them climb to 15th. And then two years of perseverance paid off. Sixteen wins in 2019 placed them second on the home-and-away ladder and another 14 in in 17-game 2020 Covid season did likewise in 2020.

Ironically, Fagan’s first game as Lions coach in 2017 was a double-header with the first AFLW grand final at Metricon Stadium between Brisbane and Adelaide.

His 88^th game as Lions coach on Saturday will be an AFL/AFLW double-header at the Gabba, with the Lions AFLW side to play North Melbourne from 4.10pm local time ahead of the Lions-Sydney AFL game from 6.45pm local time.

Critical has been off-field stability. Fagan has overseen a virtually unchanged senior coaching staff of Danny Daly, Murray Davis, Ben Hudson, Dale Tapping and Jed Adcock while operating under 2016 chairman Bob Sharpless and his 2017-21 successor Andrew Wellington, CEO Greg Swan and former football boss David Noble, now coach at North Melbourne.

Only Noble’s departure last November prompted a change to the off-field core, with Daly stepping up into the senior football administrative role and Mark Stone joining the coaching staff.

Importantly, too, has been stability in the skipper’s post. Dayne Zorko has seen the leadership change at 10 opposition clubs since taking over from Dayne Beams.

It’s been an entirely different situation in the Lions playing ranks. Only eight members of Fagan’s first Lions side are still at the club – captain Zorko, vice-captain Harris Andrews, Darcy Gardiner, Eric Hipwood, Ryan Lester, Dan McStay, Daniel Rich and Mitch Robinson.

Only 13 players have appeared at least once in each of Fagan’s four seasons – and of them Stef Martin and Alex Witherden moved on at the end of last season.

Since Fagan’s appointment the Lions have turned over 48 players. Even before his first game at the helm 11 members of the 2016 playing list were gone, with 10 more following in 2017 and 2018 ahead of seven exits in 2019 and another 10 over the past summer.

Among 41 players brought into the club through the same period are 18 interstaters via the national draft, three rookie picks, eight zone and academy selections, four category B rookies, eight trade-ins and four free agents.

Importantly, among the newcomers have been 11 Queenslanders.

In four years under Fagan 19 players have made their AFL debut and a further 11 their Lions debut. And on a reduced 44-player list in 2021 still 11 have yet to play at the highest level.

Among 61 players who have worn a Lions jumper through Fagan’s 87 games and 41 wins Zorko and Hipwood have played most games at 84, and Hipwood, McStay and Gardiner have played in most wins at 40.

Hipwood has been the club’s leading goal-kicker with 126, Zorko has been the leading possession-winner with 1805 and boom 2019 recruit Lachie Neale, the 2020 Brownlow Medallist, has polled most Brownlow votes with 57.

Top 10 cumulative stats leaders under Chris Fagan have been:

GAMES: Dayne Zorko (84), Eric Hipwood (84), Hugh McCluggage (82), Darcy Gardiner (81), Daniel Rich (79), Dan McStay (79), Stefan Martin (76), Jarrod Berry (75), Mitch Robinson (68), Cam Rayner (63).

GOALS: Eric Hipwood (126), Charlie Cameron (107), Dayne Zorko (92), Cam Rayner (57), Dan McStay (55), Hugh McCluggage (49), Mitch Robinson (42), Lewis Taylor (41), Dayne Beams (38), Lincoln McCarthy (35).

WINS: Eric Hipwood (40), Darcy Gardiner (40), Dan McStay (40), Dayne Zorko (39), Hugh McCluggage (39), Daniel Rich (38), Mitch Robinson (37), Jarrod Berry (35), Cam Rayner (34), Oscar McInerney (33).

BROWNLOW VOTES: Lachie Neale (57), Dayne Zorko (39), Dayne Beams (35), Jarryd Lyons (32), Eric Hipwood (15), Charlie Cameron (12), Stefan Martin (11), Hugh McCluggage (10), Jarrod Berry (10), Harris Andrews (8).