Brisbane’s Whiteboard Controversy and Coach’s Response
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has addressed the recent controversy surrounding a whiteboard used by the team to analyze opponents. He emphasized that the board serves as an essential “educational tool” for younger players, helping them understand the strengths and weaknesses of their rivals.
Fagan acknowledged that the situation involving the name of ex-Lion Jaxon Prior’s partner, Bronte, being listed on the board was not acceptable. He described the incident as “not OK” and “wasn’t good enough” from the reigning premiers. The leak of the whiteboard image sparked significant discussion before Brisbane’s victory over the Bombers last Saturday, creating an unwanted distraction ahead of their upcoming match against Carlton at the Gabba.
Despite the controversy, Fagan highlighted some positive outcomes from the situation. “It was unfortunate, what happened with the whiteboard, (but) the good thing was that early in the week I was able to sit down with the leadership group and chat about what happened and as a result, we put a few things in place at the club,” he explained.
One of the changes implemented is the installation of frosted windows at the Lions’ Springfield training facility to prevent public view of the internal space. “If that had been the case, we wouldn’t even talk about this stuff, so we were a little bit unlucky there,” Fagan said.
He also mentioned that discussions took place about what is appropriate to write on the board. “Certainly writing a partner’s name on the board isn’t, so we’ve made that clear to the playing group. That’s probably the first time a player’s partner’s name has ever been written on the board.”
Fagan clarified that the inclusion of the name was likely a joke or a light-hearted moment that was misinterpreted. “It was clearly just a bit of a joke and having a bit of fun, which unfortunately can be taken the wrong way, and I understand that. It wasn’t good enough on our behalf, (but) we’ll continue doing our whiteboard.”
He expressed his commitment to using the whiteboard as a tool for education, especially for newer players. “I’m unapologetic about that. We’re in a pretty tough business where every little thing matters. It’s been a really good educational tool that we’ve used over the years.”
When Fagan first joined the team ahead of the 2017 season, he noticed that players lacked sufficient knowledge about their opposition. “We put that whiteboard up to use, and now all the older guys are pretty good at that. We just use it for our one-to-four-year players as part of their education.”
Despite the leak of the whiteboard photo, Fagan reaffirmed the club’s commitment to welcoming the community to their Springfield base. “People say the security should have been better, (but) that clinic wasn’t scheduled for that indoor area,” he said.
He added that the weather conditions led to a last-minute change, allowing the clinic to take place indoors. “We did the right thing, unfortunately, somebody else didn’t do the right thing, and now we find ourselves talking about this ridiculously small issue all week.”
The Lions are strong favorites against a struggling Carlton team, which has lost seven of its eight games this season. This record has placed significant pressure on Blues coach Michael Voss, who previously captained the Lions to three consecutive premierships from 2001 to 2003.
Fagan expressed empathy for Voss, acknowledging the challenges of being a senior coach. “I have real empathy for him. I’ve gone through patches where I’ve been under pressure. It’s a tough place, and it’s a lonely place when you’re a senior coach. There are not many people that you can talk to other than your close friends about it, and you just have to be really resilient.”
He praised Voss’s efforts under difficult circumstances. “I’ve watched him over the last few weeks, how he’s gone about it. I reckon he’s done a fantastic job of that under really difficult circumstances.”
Fagan hopes to see Carlton improve soon to ease the pressure on Voss. “I would love to see Carlton get going so that the pressure can get off him. I just don’t want it to be (on Friday night). It sounds terrible, but that’s just the way it is in this game. It’s ruthless in that regard.”
