Craig Starcevich has signed a three-year contract extension with the Brisbane Lions, ending a late approach from Collingwood and a serious bid by Tasmania to lure him away.
The 59-year-old dual premiership coach told his players on Wednesday morning, alongside chief executive Sam Graham, that he would stay at Brighton Homes Arena. The deal extends his record as the AFLW's longest-serving coach at one club.
Starcevich confirmed he received a call from Collingwood to test his interest in returning to Victoria, but said it came "quite late" after he had already committed to re-signing. "That's something I couldn't really give too much consideration to at all," he said.
The Magpies are looking for a senior coach after Sam Wright stepped down on Tuesday, and have recently lost captain Ruby Schleicher amid concerns from senior players about the program's direction. St Kilda and Essendon are also searching for new coaches after seasons in which each club recorded just one win.
Tasmania, which is seeking its inaugural AFLW coach for a 2028 entry, was also interested in Starcevich. He said the prospect had "some of the hallmarks of what we did 10, 11 years ago in setting up the Lions", but that he loved the club and its people too much to leave.
He described the Lions as "the most powerful club in the AFL at the moment", citing the club's "one-club mentality", monthly board catch-ups and a purpose-built facility that houses both the men's and women's programs. "You walk through the front door, and they're all Brisbane Lions people," he said.
The extension comes during a difficult season. The Lions are set to miss the finals for the first time since 2019, which Starcevich attributed to an extensive injury list, including hamstring issues for Ally Anderson, wrist problems for Jade Ellenger and Courtney Hodder's absence due to pregnancy. He maintained the team had "fire in the belly" for next year, and joked about "southern state snobbery in football" for northern clubs.