Chapter III · 2005 – 2016
Every dynasty ends. What came next tested the faithful: a proud club ageing, falling, and finally hitting rock bottom. But these were the years of Jonathan Brown's staggering courage, one last brave finals charge — and, right at the end, the quiet appointment that would change everything.
The premiership core aged together, and the drop was steep. But this chapter isn't just decline — it's the story of a champion who kept getting up, a coaching legend who came home to try, and a battered list slowly being restocked with the names that would one day roar again.
The warrior
If the dynasty had a bridge to the future, it was Jonathan Brown. A bull of a key forward and three-time club champion, Browny attacked the football with a fearlessness that became legend — and paid for it. He suffered horrific facial injuries, including sickening collisions that required major surgery and left many wondering if he'd ever play again.
He always came back. Helmet on, head over the ball, leading a struggling team by sheer force of will. For a decade of lean years, Jonathan Brown was the reason to keep turning up.
"Jonathan Brown — Highlights" · via YouTube. Opens in a new tab.
2009 · One last charge
In 2009 the dynasty's captain returned as senior coach. In his very first year, Michael Voss dragged the Lions back to September for the first time since the 2004 Grand Final — and produced one unforgettable night: an elimination final against Carlton in which Brisbane trailed by around 30 points early in the last quarter before storming home to win. It was pure dynasty-era defiance.
The run ended a week later against the Western Bulldogs in the semi-final. It would be the club's last taste of finals for a long, long time — but for one September, the old roar was back.
Thirty points down in the last quarter of a final — and they refused to lose. Some habits die hard.The 2009 elimination final comeback v Carlton
The wilderness
After 2009, the slide was long and painful. Stars retired or moved on, wins dried up, and crowds thinned. Voss's tenure ended in 2013, and Justin Leppitsch — a triple-premiership Lion himself — took over into an even tougher stretch, the club scrapping near the very bottom of the ladder. In 2016 Brisbane finished second-last, avoiding the wooden spoon by barely half a percentage point, and Leppitsch was let go.
But underneath the losses, the pieces were quietly gathering: Dayne Zorko, Harris Andrews, and a top draft pick named Hugh McCluggage. And in October 2016, the club made the call that changed its history — a 55-year-old first-time senior coach named Chris Fagan.
October 2016 · The hinge of history
Chris Fagan arrived from Hawthorn's football department as the oldest man ever to debut as an AFL senior coach. There were no headlines, no guarantees — just a patient plan, a battered list, and a belief the roar could return. It could. It would.