There was Carlton in 1906-07-08, Collingwood in 1927-28-29-30 and Melbourne in 1939-40-51 and 1955-56-57. And before Hawthorn in 2013-14-15 there was Brisbane in 2001-02-03.

The Bears turned Lions, new to the national competition in 1987, stamped an indelible mark on the country’s #1 sporting code when they went back-to-back-to-back in 2001-02-03.

It was an extraordinary achievement under coach Leigh Matthews and captain Michael Voss made more so because of the travel factor.

They flew interstate to play 35 times in three years, and in each year of the hat-trick they beat a ‘home’ side at the MCG on grand final day … Essendon in 2001 and Collingwood in 2002-03.

They won by 26 points as rank outsiders against the Bombers in a stinking hot day in ’01, by nine points against Collingwood in the wet in ’02, and by 50 points against Collingwood in an ’03 cakewalk that could have been anything.

“How good is Mad Monday going to be?” said Craig McRae as he led the early final quarter celebrations when the margin blew out to 69 points six minutes from the final siren.

It could have been more but it didn’t matter. The Lions were the Kings of the AFL.

Shaun Hart and Simon Black won the Norm Smith Medal in 2001 and 2003, and Voss should have won it in ’02 had the voting not been done ahead of time. He was the match-winner.

Sixteen players shared in each leg of a hat-trick that ranks with the very best of Queensland sporting achievements … Voss, Jason Akermanis, Black, Marcus Ashcroft, Jonathan Brown, Hart, Chris Johnson, Clark Keating, Nigel Lappin, Justin Leppitsch, Alastair Lynch, Craig McRae, Mal Michael, Martin Pike, Luke Power and Darryl White.

Daniel Bradshaw, Robert Copeland, Beau McDonald, Tim Notting and twins Brad and Chris Scott played in two of the three flags, and Blake Caracella, Jamie Charman, Richard Hadley, Des Headland, Ash McGrath and Aaron Shattock one.

‘Lethal Leigh’ Matthews, the greatest player of the 20^th century, was the coaching mastermind behind football’s greatest achievement, which included an astonishing 16 wins in a row to the first flag.

It all started with the “if it bleeds we can kill it” game against Essendon in Round 10 2001, when Matthews, with his side sitting 9^th at 4-5, likened the challenge to de-throne the 2000 premiers to the great Arnold Schwarzenegger movie ‘The Predator’.

The Lions needed to be super-human. And they were.

Akermanis won the Brownlow in 2001 and Black did likewise in 2002 as Voss, the club’s first Brownlow winner at 21 in 1996, finished top 10 four years in a row from 2000-03.

Voss was All-Australian captain in 2002-03 as Nigel Lappin won an All-Australian blazer in each year of the hat-trick as Akermanis, Black and Justin Leppitsch earned two blazers, and Chris Johnson one. Matthews was All-Australian coach three years in a row. Of course.

Voss and Black shared the Merrett/Murray Medal in 2001 before Black prevailed in 2002 and Voss did likewise in 2003.

Alastair Lynch, the one-time favourite son of Fitzroy turned Bears and Lions powerhouse, kicked 210 goals in three years to play a crucial role in the three-peat in a three-pronged strike force with Daniel Bradshaw and an emerging Jonathan Brown that ruled the competition.

Veteran Ashcroft, the club’s first 300-gamer, timed things to perfection... he retired after the premiership hat-trick. He was another star with Hart, Luke Power, Mal Michael, Darryl White, the Scott twins, Clark Keating, Martin Pike, Craig McRae and Tim Notting.

It was the very best of the best doing what no other group of players had done ... conquering the AFL world from the mighty Gabba and the Sunshine State of Queensland.

It could have been four in a row in 2004 … but it matters not. Three in a row under the masterful Matthews and the inspirational Voss was something extra, extra special.