CONSPIRACY theories have abounded since Leigh Matthews was all-too-perfectly replaced as coach of the Brisbane Lions last week by his three-time premiership captain Michael Voss.

And despite the backdrop of the AFL finals, the fact that the Lions suddenly seem situated on the other side of the planet as far as September is concerned and have even been mildly upstaged in the past week by their new Gold Coast neighbour, observers continue to ask what really happened.

Was Lethal, the AFL legend, pushed? Was he the victim of a player revolt? Did Voss' decision to move west to learn more about coaching force the Lions' hand?

And why did Jonathan Brown announce his new deal only after the coach had announced his departure? Brown's role in the brief but intriguing saga was particularly controversial, given the reports that Collingwood believed it had secured the star forward on the eve of the round-22 Sydney-Brisbane clash.

Further, the theorists would have it, the timing was perfect, too, with the changeover falling on the eve of the finals, prompting most commentators to rightly lose interest in what really took place.

The fact is that none of the above is true. While it has been said that the Voss appointment was suspiciously — and almost disrespectfully, as far as Matthews was concerned — hasty, the truth is that the matter has been put to bed quickly and cleanly along with any lingering resentments.

While West Coast might beg to differ, even the Eagles would admit that an assistant coaching role is just that — an assistant. The position is often overpaid, sometimes overrated and if Voss was always going to take the job once Matthews retired, then West Coast would have been quite right to ask itself what it was doing investing so heavily in a teaching position.

Fact: Matthews was not pushed. If he had been, he would have been paid out of his contract that does not end until the close of the 2009 season. Instead, the premiership coach is walking away from the final year of his latest agreement.

Fact: Brown unofficially told the club on the eve of the round-21 game against Carlton that he would stay. If the Magpies believed he was theirs, they were deluded and we suspect that rumour came from Carlton, which had also made a play for the 26-year-old.

Fact: Voss was unofficially offered the job one week ago today, some 90 minutes after Matthews had clutched the forearm of his chairman Tony Kelly during the second quarter of the Brisbane reserves game at Coorparoo and told him he was giving the job away.

"Are you sure about that?" Kelly replied, not once but four or five times before accepting that Matthews was serious. The coach had already told his football manager, Graeme Allan, earlier in the game as Allan had launched into list talks for season 2009.

Matthews' bombshell went along these lines: "You're the first person I asked to come here and you're the first person I'm telling I'm leaving."

Once Matthews had convinced Kelly he was serious, the chairman sent a text message to Voss asking whether he was at home. By the time the final siren had sounded at Coorparoo, Kelly was sitting at Voss' house explaining the situation.

In his heart, and despite his promises to West Coast and the houses he had looked at and the schools he had chosen, Voss knew immediately that he wanted the job.

Voss might have procrastinated last year over the Carlton and Essendon jobs and struggled to come to grips with what he was being offered at the Gold Coast, but not this time. Come Tuesday at 9am, he was sitting in a meeting with his lawyer and Kelly doing the deal, a deal that was announced publicly that afternoon.

Voss has been unfairly criticised for the manner in which he conducted himself in between his first more-secret meeting with Kelly on the Sunday and Tuesday's announcement. Perhaps his biggest mistake was to agree to an interview with Channel Ten on the Monday night — an interview laced with hyperbole and non-answers that made him look silly.

In my view, he fell on his sword in an attempt to show respect to Matthews, while at the same time not abandoning his current employer. Something tells me Voss will not be so compromising as a coach. Something tells me the Lions will have one captain next year.

Matthews was right to walk away. The modern commentator who puts complicated statistics and youth and tactical speed-speak ahead of all those unknown quantities that make great coaches would have it that Matthews had lost touch with the modern game.

The truth was more simple. He had been there too long.

This was certainly backed up by the fact that players were critical of the coach. Matthews and his players had fallen out of love and 10 years is long enough in modern football relationship terms.

He should be commended for his strength of character in walking away from a career most are sacked from. Significantly, Kelly announced on Monday the former coach would be made a life member of the club, something Collingwood still hasn't done.

And Brisbane should be congratulated for having the courage of its convictions and the smarts to execute its decision speedily. The board unofficially decided earlier this season that Michael Voss was to be its next coach. It just happened a year earlier than expected.