The historic milestone against the Western Bulldogs is the start of a monumental challenge for the current playing group to replicate the great 2001-02-03 Brisbane side.

While senior players have moved to distance the 2024-25 premiers from the pursuit of another hat-trick, and coach Chris Fagan has insisted it will be ‘business as usual’, it will be a massive talking point and focus for Lions supporters.

History says the more conservative approach of ‘insiders’ is the preferred option because of the enormity of the task confronting the club.

Since the inception of the VFL in 1897 there have been 23 instances in which a club has won back-to-back flags. But only six times has two been turned into three – Carlton (1906-07-08), Collingwood (1927-28-29-30), Melbourne (1939-40-41), Melbourne (1955-56-57), Brisbane (2001-02-3) and Hawthorn (2013-14-15).

Five times the side chasing a hat-trick has finished second, four times they’ve finished third, once fourth and three times fifth. And four times the back-to-back premier has missed the finals in pursuit of flag #3.

Since the Melbourne hat-trick of 1955-56-57 only twice has a dual premier made it three in a row – Brisbane in 2001-02-03 and Hawthorn in 2013-14-15.

Since Brisbane joined an expanding national competition in 1987, three teams have fallen short - Hawthorn were the first team eliminated in the finals in 1990 after winning it in 1988-89, Adelaide finished 11^th in 2019 after winning in 2017-18, and Richmond, chasing a hat-trick in 2021, finished 12^th.

Brisbane have a 4-4 record in games that have completed a 100-game block but have won three of the last four and are 2-0 under coach Fagan.

Game #100 fell in Round 13, 1991 and delivered an 87-point loss to Hawthorn at Princes Park in Robert Walls’ first season at the helm. Brad Hardie had played 93 of 100 as John Gastev posted his 50^th game in Bears colors and Robert Dickson, the team runner in the 2001 flag, played his second and last game for the club.

Ironically, Walls was the opposition coach in Game #200 in Round 3 1996. It was his third game at the Richmond helm as the Bears, in their third game under John Northey, lost by 18 points at the Gabba. In the home side were Marcus Ashcroft and Adrian Fletcher.

Game #300 saw a young Jonathan Brown play his fourth AFL game in Round 8 2000 against Essendon at the Gabba. The Lions, in their second year under Leigh Matthews, suffered a 64-point loss in a Monday night game as Ashcroft, who had debuted in 1989, played his 230^th game.

The club broke through for a milestone win in game #400 when they beat Carlton by 38 points at the Gabba in Round 8 2004. Jason Akermanis and Daniel Bradshaw kicked five goals as Simon Black, Nigel Lappin and Luke Power took the Brownlow Medal votes.

Game #500 was Round 17 2008 against Richmond at the Gabba. It was the 50^th game for Anthony Corrie, who has stepped up into the role of player development manager this year following Andrew Crowell’s resignation. It should have been a win after the Lions, in their fourth year under coach Michael Voss, led by 25 points late in the third quarter. But a late Joel Bowden major saw the Tigers home by three points.

Game #600 was Round 5 2013 and saw a 28-point Gabba win over Melbourne in a bitter/sweet moment for the club. Making his debut for the Lions was Justin Clarke, who was going to be a long-time player until a heart condition ended his career at 56 games. He was badly concussed in a pre-season training accident in 2016 and never played again. Brent Moloney had a day out against for his former side with 36 possessions and one Brownlow Medal vote as Dayne Zorko picked up two votes in his 21^st game. It was Max Gawn’s sixth game for the Dees.

Game #700 against Carlton at the Gabba in Round 18 2017 in coach Fagan’s first year in charge, was special for Zorko and brother-in-law Ryan Lester. In a 30-point win Zorko polled three medal votes while Lester, in his 97^th game, polled the only medal vote of a career that has reached 233 games. Harry McKay debuted for the Blues.

Game #800 was Round 6 2022 and Q-Clash #22 against Gold Coast at Carrara. It was Kai Lohmann’s 2^nd game and Linc McCarthy’s 100^th game. Zac Bailey kicked a career-best six goals in a 52-point win but had to be content with two medal votes as Jarryd Lyons bagged three against his former side.

Interestingly, key stats at each of the 100-game marks underline the club’s ever-changing fortunes, and highlight the periods of greatest success and solidarity.

After using 87 different players in the first 100 games the club has introduced significant less players since then, with 53 from games #101-200 and 31-18-36-41-40-31 since then. They’ve blooded 21 players in the last 99 games.

After 26 wins in the first 100 games the record books show 31-51-73-47-38-26-57, and 68 wins in the last 99 games – five less than the 2001-02-03 team.

In what is also a pointer to the reducing score levels in the game these days, after kicking 1225 goals in the first 100 games the club has followed with 1308-1418-1635-1391-1226-1129-1249. And 1338 in the last 99 games.

Remarkably, as the club prepares for its 900^th game Simon Black (322), Marcus Ashcroft (318) and Dayne Zorko (305 this week) share the extraordinary distinction of having played in more than a third of them.

Daniel Rich (15) has played most Round 1 (or equivalent) games for the club, followed by Black (14), Ashcroft, Shaun Hart, Nigel Lappin, Michael Voss and Darryl White (13), Justin Leppitsch (12), Jonathan Brown, Luke Power and Zorko (11).

Zorko who surpassed Roger Merrett last September to become the club’s oldest player all-time, will play his 12^th season-opener this week, and Harris Andrews and Ryan Lester their 11^th.

Chris Fagan will coach his 10^th season-opener to equal the club record of Leigh Matthews.