Why three-peat Hawks and another super side have Fagan’s Heroes covered

September 28, 2026 — 5:00am

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It is a strange quirk of the 21st century AFL that three teams have achieved what the equalised system is supposed to prevent and taken three premierships consecutively.

When the Brisbane Lions team coached by Leigh Matthews won the 2003 grand final, demolishing a much less talented Collingwood team, they were the first club since the 1950s Melbourne side – who trotted around before colour television in a quasi-amateur sport in a Victorian-only competition – to complete what became known as the three-peat.

Geelong of 2007-2011 had the capacity to equal that record, but stumbled in 2008 (on grand final day) and 2010 (game style overtaken/hunger, didn’t make the grand final). Hawthorn, a beneficiary of the AFL’s expansion, would be the next three-peater under the command of Alastair Clarkson, their super team claiming the 2013, 2014 and 2015 flags against a treble of non-Victorian opponents.

Now Chris Fagan’s Lions have matched the Lethal Lions and Clarkson’s Commandos by snatching the flag from Fremantle in the most extraordinary manner. Fagan’s Heroes almost defied the formula of their first premiership coach, Matthews, who had calculated that a lead was only safe when the number of goals needed exceeded the number of minutes left on the clock.

One curious parallel of the three three-peat teams since 2000 is that each of them played in four grand finals on the trot. The Lions fell to Port Adelaide in 2004 when they were banged up and had to “host” a preliminary final against Geelong, on a Saturday night, at the MCG.

Wharfie Time and Fagan’s heroes chime........

© Brisbane Times