DARREN SIME HAS DEPARTED LIONS FC AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2025 SEASON
Following a decade on the touchline with our Lions Men, Darren Sime has officially departed his role as Head Coach at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The end of a golden era at Luxury Paints Stadium.
Darren Sime’s journey with Lions FC began as a junior at U6s level. He eventually rose to the first team before joining the Australian Institute of Sport in the 1990s.
In 2015, Darren joined Warren Moon as the Assistant Coach of our Senior Men’s team, and the rest is history.
Competing in the Brisbane Premier League in 2015, our Lions Men were crowned Premiers after a dominant 50-point campaign. The following year, they completed the double, lifting both the Premiership and Championship titles.
2017 saw our Lions Men defend our BPL Championship crown and were welcomed into the National Premier League ahead of the 2018 season. We asserted ourselves immediately, lifting both the NPL Premiership and the NPL Championship in our maiden season.
We followed up by winning the Premiership again in 2019, and at the conclusion of the season, Warren Moon departed to join Brisbane Roar. Darren Sime naturally stepped in as the rightful successor.
In his first season at the helm, Darren hit the ground running. He marked the beginning of his dynasty with a victory in the Football Foundation Cup and led our Lions Men to a second NPL Championship to end the year with silverware. We claimed a powerful 1-0 victory over a strong Olympic FC side at Perry Park, with club legend Nathan Reardon finding the decisive strike!
The 2021 season saw our Lions Men once again carve their name onto the NPL Championship trophy – another famous night at Perry Park, and another Grand Final victory over Olympic FC. Alex Fiechtner’s brilliant brace gave us control, and James Baty put the icing on the cake with a glorious 98th-minute goal from midfield to seal the silverware!
We also embarked on an epic Australia Cup run that saw us progress to the National Round with a last-minute winner over Brisbane City! Maxi Mikkola buried his penalty to secure a 2-1 win against our oldest rivals, and our Lions Men advanced to the Round of 32. A savage 6-0 victory over Casuarina saw us return to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2018. Ultimately, our Australia Cup run ended there, as we were defeated by Brisbane Roar at Luxury Paints Stadium.
When we entered the 2022 season, our objective was simple: win the NPL Premiership. To say that we delivered would be an understatement.
With an incredible 74 goals scored across 22 league games, our Lions Men stormed the league, swatting off every challenge with conviction. We amassed 16 wins, achieved 51 points, and demonstrated some beautiful football along the way.
From Champions to Premiers 🦁
The 2021 #NPLQLD Champions have claimed the 2022 Premiership, for the third in five years🏆
Congratulations to @lionsfc1 on a fantastic season 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZFOVjRrZaI
— Football Queensland (@FootballQLD) August 7, 2022
The 2023 season was an incredible test. We started by winning the Football Foundation Cup and were denied any further silverware. An intense league campaign saw us draw a remarkable 10 games as we clinched a place in the NPL Finals Series. A semi-final defeat against Brisbane City closed our season in frustration. It was a year of learning and building character, and those lessons would pay off the following season.
Despite being classed as semi-professional footballers, you wouldn’t believe it if you saw our 2024 calendar. A gruelling 40 games played across the NPL, Kappa Pro Series, Kappa Queensland Cup, and Australia Cup saw our Lions Men tested on all fronts.
8️⃣ – Lions complete the treble 🦁
Lions FC Men celebrated an incredible season, securing the Kappa Pro Series, the Kappa Queensland Cup, and the Grand Final title in an impressive treble-winning campaign. pic.twitter.com/HEnCHYhJrV
— Football Queensland (@FootballQLD) December 24, 2024
We faced each hurdle with resolution, and completed a historic treble with the NPL Championship, inaugural Kappa Queensland Cup title, and our first Kappa Pro Series title. Darren also guided our Lions Men back to the National Stage, where we matched our best-ever finish by hosting Western Sydney Wanderers in the Round of 16 at Luxury Paints Stadium.
It was a 3-0 victory against Moreton City Excelsior in the Kappa Queensland Cup that saw us lift the title in its maiden season, and a thrilling late 3-2 win over Gold Coast United that saw us raise our first Kappa Pro Series title.
When we faced Moreton City Excelsior at Suncorp Stadium in our 40th match of the season, Jackson Hart-Phillips finished a sweeping team move to deliver a 1-0 victory in the Grand Final. A beautiful goal that summarised Darren Sime’s football perfectly, and a triumph that established us as the NPL Championship record-holders with four titles.
Early in the 2025 season, Darren announced that he would be departing his role at the conclusion of the season. He made sure to sign off in style, winning a second consecutive Kappa Pro Series title with a 1-0 stoppage-time victory over Moreton City Excelsior. This established our Lions Men as the record holders with two titles.
While the NPL Premiership eluded us on the final day of the season, our Lions Men surged into the Grand Final once again, signing off a wonderful era with a 2-1 victory at Perry Park. Joe Duckworth struck the opener, and Jack Skinner scored the winner as we defeated Moreton City Excelsior to lift our record-extending fifth NPL Championship title.
Lions FC would like to thank Darren Sime for his remarkable, unwavering, and incredible dedication to the club over the past decade and beyond. He has cemented himself among the greatest coaches in Lions FC history and guided us through some of the most iconic moments in club history. Ten trophies in six seasons, and many more as an Assistant Coach and player, and a fitting end to his reign as he signs off with one final title. Thank you again, and all the best in your next chapter.
