CRAIG Starcevich is on the verge of doing what just one other person has achieved at the Brisbane Lions: coach the club to three premierships.

The other is Leigh Matthews, who led Brisbane to a three-peat in the men's competition in the early 2000s. In his own playing career, Starcevich won a premiership under Matthews at Collingwood in 1990 before joining his coach in a move north.

Now, he is on track to join Matthews among the club's coaching legacy, and ensuring his program's status alongside that of the Matthews, Michael Voss and Simon Black era.

This time Voss comes in the form of the line breaking Cathy Svarc. Underrated ruck Clark Keating is the reliable as ever Tahlia Hickie. Alastair Lynch and Jonathon Brown are the bullocking duo of Dakota Davidson and Taylor Smith. Meanwhile Justin Leppitsch and Nigel Lappin take the form of captain Breanna Koenen and vice-captain Natalie Grider down in defence.

And when the Lions run out on Saturday evening, it will be for a sixth AFLW Grand Final appearance, and they will do so with a host of home-grown talent at the ready.

It has been by necessity, as the club withstood multiple rounds of expansion, and other programs raiding Brisbane's playing list in an attempt to tap into its elite standards. Across the history of the AFLW, 41 former Lions have landed at other clubs, with 26 on other lists in the 2024 season.

Names like Tayla Harris, Emily Bates, Jesse Wardlaw, and Greta Bodey all became All-Australians with the Lions before moving to Victorian clubs.

But it has led to the recruitment of a Courtney Hodder, picked up as a rookie ahead of the 2021 season. Davidson was a late draft pick in 2020, plucked out of the QAFLW. Smith was discarded by Gold Coast, and added as a delisted free agent for the 2021 campaign.

All three are now two-time premiership players, while Hodder took home the Mark of the Year gong last year, Davidson was named All-Australian in 2023, and Smith followed suit in 2024, along with an equal-leading goalkicker accolade.

They are just three examples of a broader story as the Lions doubled down on picking diamonds from the rough, and developing them into crucial cogs in a champion team.

Off field, the trio of Starcevich, head of women's football Breeanna Brock, and high performance manager Matt Green have stuck fat with the group since day one, building a culture and setting elite standards across all parts of the program.

It is a willingness to do the fun stuff and enjoy the journey, but also that capacity to flick the switch when it's time to knuckle down. This was never more evident than round six last year, when Jade Ellenger and Poppy Boltz were dropped from the side due to disciplinary reasons.

It doesn't matter who you are, establishing standards and adhering to them is the priority, and those at the helm are prepared to make the hard call.

Hard calls have been needed this year, too, with inaugural player Kate Lutkins held to an emergency on the team list since week two. She was voted best on ground in Brisbane's first ever AFLW premiership win back in 2021, breaking the League's record for intercepts that day with 20.

During the week she announced her retirement, with the club quickly following up with confirmation that Lutkins would present the premiership cup to Starcevich and Koenen should it win.

This is something Brisbane does especially well: ensures it connects to the history that led it to success. Respecting and honouring those who have allowed the Lions to be in this position. Last year it honoured 2021 premiership captain Emma Zielke, who took on the task of handing over the silverware.

Now, should Starcevich and Koenen lead the Lions to a third AFLW premiership, this era of the club must be considered alongside that of the 2001, 2002, and 2003 AFL era.