Even Jonathan Brown, a magnetic figure of Brisbane's first premiership three-peat in the early 2000s, is in awe of Chris Fagan.
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A warrior for the Lions, Brown experienced glory as a teenager in 2001.
But after losing the 2004 grand final - his fourth premiership decider in his first five years in the AFL - Brown played in just two more finals in the last 10 seasons of his glittering career.
The hulking forward is proud and astonished with how Fagan, famously appointed as a 55-year-old without ever playing in the AFL, has transformed the club he grew up supporting and then became an icon at.
Selfishly, if Brown has his way, Fagan will continue coaching beyond Saturday's remarkable grand final triumph over Fremantle.
But speculation is mounting Fagan, a disciple of the legendary Neale Daniher and four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, will call it quits after 10 seasons in Brisbane.
Brown wants Fagan to go for the slice of history that his own brilliant team fell just one win short of.
"Hopefully the thought of a four-peat is too powerful," Brown tells AAP.
"He's already immortal in my eyes and the footy club's eyes.
"What's the next step up from immortal, if he did that?
"... But you know what - if he wants to walk away into the sunset, we'll carry him off into the sunset.
"He's been an unbelievable figure in our club - a giant."
It's not the first time Fagan has considered walking away from the Lions job.
After a difficult start to the 2024 season, Brisbane slumping to 2-5 with a heavy defeat in Canberra to GWS, the Tasmanian experienced a personal crisis.
While grappling with a health scare amid the Lions' alarming drop in form after their heartbreaking 2023 grand final loss, Fagan was prepared to walk away.
Privately, he was also dealing with being entangled in the Hawthorn racism saga
Heading into a QClash derby with Gold Coast in May 2024, he was readying himself to tell club leaders, including chairman Andrew Wellington, that he needed a break.
But Wellington and then-chief executive Greg Swann got wind Fagan was struggling and arrived at his house the morning after the Lions secured a famous win over the Suns.
Simply sharing his issues and being listened to was enough to help Fagan get back on track.
Since that chat with Wellington and Swann, the Lions have lost just 18 of 75 games while collecting three-straight premierships to become one of the greatest AFL teams of all time.
"There's been lots of times along the journey when one premiership seemed a long way away, let alone three," Wellington explains to AAP.
"He had a bit of a rough patch with a whole bunch of stuff that was going on and thought about whether he wanted to coach on.
"One of his great strengths is his vulnerability ... one of his great gifts.
"He's happy to talk about the fact that he might have doubts at different times, and that actually builds empathy with all the people around him and builds trust."
The Lions played finals just once between 2005 and 2018, losing money, players, sponsors, fans and respect in the process.
The club was in such a perilous position only a decade on from a three-peat, the AFL intervened and ensured Swann, an experienced administrator at Carlton and Collingwood, went to save Brisbane in 2014.
Although the Lions won just five games in each of Fagan's first two seasons, the club was already on the way up.
Players were deciding to stay, and it appeared near impossible for potential recruits to turn down Fagan's charms.
First it was Charlie Cameron at the end of 2017, then Lachie Neale in a bombshell trade from Fremantle the following year.
Fagan's players adore him.
"Definitely try and get into his ear (to continue coaching) but the great man can do as he pleases," three-time Lions premiership captain Harris Andrews tells AAP.
"He's been an absolute legend for us.
"Ever since he arrived he's remained true to himself, he's built this club up.
"We've been absolutely blessed to have his presence at our club for such a long period of time.
"I would love him to go on because we love playing footy for him."
After finishing last in 2017 - Fagan's first season in charge - the Lions had pick No.1 in the draft and selected Cam Rayner.
Despite growing up in Melbourne and regularly getting offers to return to Victoria, Rayner has committed to playing out his career in Brisbane.
"I don't know what he's been talking about this week!," Rayner told AAP of the speculation surrounding Fagan.
"I'm gonna have to speak to him pretty quickly so we can get all this stuff out of the way."