NOW I know where they get that saying "a week is a long time in football". Don't worry about seven days. Thirty-six hours was all it took to turn life upside down and inside out this week.

It began with a text message from Brisbane Lions chairman Tony Kelly on Sunday night, advising me of Leigh Matthews' resignation, and ended Tuesday morning with a three-year deal as coach of the club that has been a huge part of my life.

It's been an extraordinary few days.

But before I go further, I want to put on record my enormous appreciation of West Coast for allowing me to consider, and ultimately accept, the Brisbane coaching job after I'd signed a two-year contract as an Eagles assistant coach.

I had to make two of the toughest phone calls of my life to West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett and coach John Worsfold.

On Monday, I had to get permission from the Eagles to speak with the Lions. On Tuesday I had to tell them I was taking the job.

If it wasn't Brisbane I would not have asked, but the prospect of going back to the club where I played for 15 years and had so many wonderful times was too appealing to pass over without some consideration.

Still, I felt crook even calling the Eagles because I was breaking a commitment. I didn't think it was possible to feel so excited and so bad at the same time.

If they'd told me not to explore the Brisbane option, I don't think I could have taken it further. After all, I'd given a commitment. Thankfully it didn't come to that and I didn't have to make that decision.

The manner in which the Eagles handled the situation enforced for me why I was keen to join the club in the first place, and why I've got no doubt they'll quickly turn around the disappointments of this year — because they are a class organisation.

Emotionally, I was in Perth. The kids, wearing the West Coast jumpers the club had sent, were booked into school. We'd identified where we'd live and we'd booked removalists.

For it all to change so drastically in 36 hours is still hard to comprehend and, oddly enough, Worsfold made one comment that helped confirm for me that I was doing the right thing.

He said; "You have to be sure you're ready to coach an AFL club — if you are, then go for it."

I knew in my own heart I was ready and when the Lions agreed everything else fell into place.

There had been much speculation linking me to the Brisbane job but I didn't ever think it would come to fruition. Or at least not until Kelly's text, which asked if I was (a) interested and (b) available. My answers were (a) yes and (b) not sure.

I was as shocked as anyone when I heard Leigh was standing aside. He was contracted for another year and I hadn't given it any thought.

To follow in his footsteps is going to be a massive job because what he's done for Queensland footy and for all of us who have been fortunate enough to be part of it is hard to comprehend unless you were part of it.

It's a challenge I'm looking forward to like none before. It is the dream job for someone who joined the Brisbane Football Club as a 16-year-old.

I'm extremely humbled that at 33 the Lions board has shown the faith in me to give me a crack at it.

There are only 16 senior AFL coaching positions and I understand the privilege of having one of them.

But that's where the romanticism finishes. It's now a job. Or at least it will be when I've finished my commitments with Channel Ten at the end of the season.

It comes with enormous pressures and responsibilities, and I feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.

I don't see any issue with the fact that I played with a lot of the players I will be coaching. It gives us an easy starting point because we know each other so well, but it's now all about the future.

The two years I've had working with Channel Ten and as a part-time coach with the Australian Institute of Sport/AFL Academy have helped prepare me for what lies ahead.

If there's one over-riding principle I'll try to apply it is that every important decision will be about the team. We'll take into account personal circumstances but the overall good of the team will always come first.

There is plenty of growth in the Lions group. That they were able to beat five of the top eight sides this year shows there is talent. That they lost to five of the bottom eight confirms there are consistency issues.

I don't think I've got all the answers. I'll learn on the job and I'll make mistakes. I'll lean on a lot of experienced people with a clear mission of getting the Lions back into the finals next year.