How the four AFL dynasties of 21st century dominated the competition

Richmond is now mentioned in the same breath as the Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn dynasty teams, but can it reach a level of greatness all its own? VOTE

Dynasty clubs of the 2000s: Geelong, Brisbane, Hawthorn and Richmond.

The first 20 years of the 21st century has witnessed four clubs build a dynasty in the AFL.

Richmond’s recent dominance was this year rewarded with its third premiership in four years.

Before the Tigers, Hawthorn won three straight flags from 2013 to 2015 after playing in the 2012 Grand Final.

Brisbane also achieved the three-peat between 2001 to 2003 before falling short in the 2004 decider, while Geelong won its three premierships across five years (2007-09-11) and lost another Grand Final in 2008.

LAUREN WOOD and REBECCA WILLIAMS spoke to a great from each of the four clubs to discover how they became a powerhouse.

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Geelong: From ‘handbaggers’ to hunters

At Geelong, it was all about the build.

For forward Cam Mooney, it was the club’s ability – much like a cat itself – to land on its feet despite years of tough times and produce a period of dominance that was the envy of the competition that set it apart.

“It really was built from the ground up,” Mooney told the Herald Sun.

“It wasn’t just the premiership, but at the start of the 2000s, the club was heavily in debt, the stadium was falling apart, the list was ordinary … Bomber (Thompson) got the coaching job and along with some great people, they started building a team.

“I got traded in, but then there was Joel Corey, Corey Enright, Cameron Ling and Paul Chapman (in one draft). Then two years later it was the Ablett, Bartel, Kelly and Johnson draft.

“In the space of three years, half of the premiership team got drafted or traded in.”

Cameron Mooney (right) holds the 2009 premiership cup with Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett.

He said to go from “the handbaggers” to the hunted was testament to the club, helping to lift Geelong from “being the town down the road”.

“To turn all that around and become one of the most dominant teams over 100 or 150 game period and to walk away with three premierships in five years, that story is just remarkable,” Mooney said.

“Not just the premierships, but how the club turned around to be one of the most powerful and most respected clubs in the land.”

And they didn’t just turn the club’s fortunes, in Mooney’s eyes.

“We turned the game, really,” he said.

“We just turned it into the most exciting brand of football than Geelong through those ‘07 to ’09 and ‘10.

“Arguably we were the most exciting team ever to watch. It didn’t mean we were the best, but I thought we were the most exciting.”

Hawthorn: Setbacks drove players to top again

Resilience born from setbacks in the lead-up to Hawthorn’s premiership three-peat shaped the team’s success, according to four-time premiership star Luke Hodge.

The former captain and dual Norm Smith medallist said lessons learned from the team’s slide after its 2008 flag win coupled with preliminary and Grand Final losses in 2011 and 2012 had moulded the Hawks for their triple-premiership run.

“I reckon we built up a lot of resilience through the setbacks that we had through 2011 and 2012,” Hodge told the Herald Sun.

“You saw what we did in 2008 and then fell away quite quickly. And then you look at the team and I guess we learned a bit from 2008, going into 2009 and we put that into how we came back post-Grand Finals.

“The main one was losing the 2011 prelim to Collingwood when we were in front at three-quarter time and then losing the granny to Sydney (in 2012) when we were tipped to be favourites.

“I guess that opened our eyes and we were a lot more honest with our assessment of our own games and our game as a collective. I guess that built up to some pretty honest discussions on the field and off the field over the next three or four years which held us in good stead.”

Luke Hodge shows off the club’s silverware to the Hawks faithful at Glenferrie Oval. Picture: Michael Klein

The Hawks claimed a premiership trifecta from 2013 to 2014 under coach Alastair Clarkson and Hodge at the helm as captain.

Hodge, a Norm Smith medallist in 2008 and 2014, said the culture and standards within the team was “player driven” during their dynasty of success, which was as important as their experienced and cohesive line-up.

“I know that after 2012 we got on Leading Teams and Clarko was a big push with Fages (former Hawks’ football boss Chris Fagan) and a few others that it had to be player driven,” Hodge said.

“So a lot of the standards and expectations were driven by the players because out on the field, you guys are the ones that are controlling it and you guys are the ones that have to do the right things then and there so it makes sense for you to lead the culture and the standards the whole time.

“As a group, we had a pretty experienced group that stuck together for a long time and I guess we just knew each other’s games and knew how to get the best out of each other.”

It can get even better for Trent Cotchin and the Tigers. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Richmond: Flag era not over yet

Former Brisbane Lions champion Justin Leppitsch has been “pretty lucky” to be a part of two AFL dynasties.

Leppitsch was a key defensive cog in the Lions’ premiership three-peat from 2001-2003 and, most recently, as an assistant coach alongside Damien Hardwick for Richmond’s three flags in the past four years.

His flag experience has given him a unique perspective on what that sort of success takes and said the key ingredient in Richmond’s flag era, which he doesn’t think has ended, was the same knowledge as what he experienced at the Lions.

“I’ve been pretty lucky to be in two good dynasties and Richmond’s is still going really and I’m sure they’re hopeful to nab that three in a row,” Leppitsch said.

“The similarities of the groups when you get to this sort of level is probably the knowing, just the knowing that you’re good enough.

“It provides calmness. Some people go into footy seasons hoping and others go in knowing and I think when you hit the area where Richmond is at now, you just know that your best is good enough to win it.

“That can provide a real calm over the group and a real calm over yourself in games and in big games.

“What it also means is you need a lot of evidence to prove that you’re not very good whereas sometimes when you are in the middle-to-the-bottom of the ladder, you’re looking for evidence to prove that you are good whereas where Richmond is right now, it takes a lot to think that maybe this is the end because you know that you’ve overcome so many obstacles.

“So that’s probably the similarities of the two groups is that mindset.”

Justin Leppitsch celebrates with Liam Baker after the Tigers won this year’s Grand Final against Geelong at the Gabba. Picture: Sarah Reed

Leppitsch said the understanding of every player at Richmond to “play their role” had also been a key in the club’s flag success.

“(Former Lions coach) Leigh Matthews used to use the term ‘Know your role, accept your role and perform your role’,” said Leppitsch, who departed the Tigers at the end of the 2020 season.

“We didn’t use that exact phrase at Richmond, but they did that as good as what the Brisbane team did 20 years ago.

“Accept what they need to do, accept the coaches are there for a reason, accept that the administration is there for a reason and everyone just plays their role.

“Everyone knows their role, accepts it and performs it.”

While acknowledging it helped having a player the quality of three-time Norm Smith medallist Dustin Martin to build around, the said the Tigers’ team didn’t have as much individual “star quality” the Lions boasted, but had more players better at fulfilling their job in the team.

“Both teams obviously have wonderful players,” Leppitsch said.

“I think the Brisbane team had better individuals as in star quality that I played with, but Richmond have more better role players.”

Brisbane: Three-peat result of winning trifecta

Physicality, trust and star power.

Even 20 years on, a trifecta of attributes added to become what set Brisbane apart in its dynasty era, according to triple-premiership former Lion Alastair Lynch.

“It was almost what they do at Richmond and are so good at … knowing their role,” Lynch said.

“It’s clichéd, but it’s just having the system in place.

“Our system wasn’t probably as complex as theirs or what they do in modern football, but we 100 per cent knew what each other were going to do all the time, and trusted each other.”

The depth of talent, particularly through the midfield, was a true X-factor, Lynch said.

“Physically, we were a fairly big and strong side, through the midfield especially, and had game breakers on pretty much every line,” he said.

Alastair Lynch holds the 2003 premiership cup aloft.

“We had guys like Marcus Ashcroft and Chris Scott that had been club champions in the midfield who were then playing back flank or back pocket — that was the depth of talent that could be rotated through the midfield but weren’t required.

“They could be redeveloped into elite defenders.

“We were extremely confident once we got up and going of our game plan and the people around us.

“I think that’s what made us so hard to beat.”

Lynch, who became a Bear and then a Lion after beginning his career in 1988 at Fitzroy, said for the majority of his playing days had considered premierships to be “things that happened to other people” before the eventual three-peat.

“They were incredible times,” he said.

Originally published as How the four AFL dynasties of 21st century dominated the competition