The Brisbane Lions will once again commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the Club’s 3-Peat success by wearing a replica of the 2001-2003 premiership guernsey against Collingwood this Friday night at the Gabba. 

It will be the same design as the one which helped inspire the Lions to a stunning 10-point win over Essendon only two weeks ago at Etihad Stadium.  

That particular win helped support lions.com.au's earlier suggestion that some of the Lions’ most memorable regular season wins over the past decade have come in matches when they’ve worn a celebration guernsey.

Who could forget the AFL’s inaugural Heritage Round in 2003 when the Lions faced Collingwood at the MCG?

The third-placed Magpies were on a roll and had a point to prove against their 2002 Grand Final opponents who, at that stage, were struggling to stay in touch with the top four.

It was the first time since the merger that the Lions had worn a vintage Fitzroy guernsey in a match, and they certainly did it proud in front of their Melbourne-based fans.

The Lions produced a monster first quarter, blasting eight goals straight in difficult windy conditions to open a 42-point lead at the first break, before cruising to a seven-goal victory.

In Round 16 of 2006, the Lions wore a 1987-inspired Bears guernsey for the first time at the Gabba and grinded out a 10-point win over Hawthorn in a low-scoring affair.

On that occasion Luke Power proved the difference with a game-high 38 disposals, while Daniel Bradshaw booted four of the team’s 11 goals.

The following year marked the return of the red FFC guernsey design worn by Fitzroy from the mid-70s until 1996, for the Lions’ Round 14 match against West Coast in Subiaco.

The Eagles were flying high after winning the previous year’s flag, while the injury-riddled Lions had won just four of their first 13 matches and were at ridiculously long odds to cause an upset.

But against all odds, the Lions prevailed by 27 points courtesy of four-goal hauls from both Jonathan Brown and Jared Brennan, and a dominant midfield performance by Nigel Lappin.

The match also proved a memorable senior AFL debut for a young West Australian ruckman by the name of Matthew Leuenberger.

Only last year, the Lions unveiled a Fitzroy-inspired guernsey in Melbourne as part of the Club’s inaugural Hall of Fame celebrations.

The Lions rode a wave of emotion to Etihad Stadium on that day, and proceeded to blitz the Western Bulldogs from the outset.

Ash McGrath booted five goals, full-back Daniel Merrett bagged four, and Tom Rockliff collected an equal Club record 40 disposals as team demolished the Dogs by 10 goals.

It gave an extra cause for celebration later that night at the Hall of Fame dinner at Crown.

While there have been some obvious triumphs by the Lions in special event guernseys recently, things haven’t always gone to plan.

Unfortunately the 2004 and 2005 AFL Heritage Rounds (wearing a Bears and Fitzroy guernsey respectively) both resulted in losses against the Swans in Sydney, while the one-off 2007 Kings of the Pride jumper also tasted defeated at the hands of Hawthorn at the MCG.

More recently, the Club released a limited edition Queensland Spirit guernsey during the opening round of the 2011 NAB Cup to acknowledged those people affected by the devastating floods.

Although the jumper helped raise awareness and significant funds for the Flood Appeal, it couldn’t save the team from losses to both Essendon and St Kilda in the newly introduced triangular series of pre-season matches played at Etihad Stadium.

The Lions will be hoping history can repeat itself when they host Collingwood in a rare Friday night blockbuster at the Gabba. 

A limited number of 3-Peat 'Hero' guernseys are still available to purchase through the Lions Shop. Simply call 07 3335 1712 or visit our ONLINE SHOP to place your order.