The penultimate round. Invariably by now, as it is this year, the Lions’ finals fate is already known. Only five times in 35 years has the question “will they make it?” hung in the balance going into the second-last game of the home-and-away season.

In the 22-round campaigns of 1997 and 2000, they went into round 21 sitting 8^th on the ladder and hung on to play finals. In 2005 they were 7^th going into round 21 and missed out. And in 2007-08 they were 9^th, with a chance of sneaking in, only to miss.

But more often than not there has been a lot riding on the penultimate game of the year in terms of final ladder positions and the best launching pad for a crack at a flag.

In 2003 the penultimate round, often forgotten in the wake of what followed, was pivotal to the third leg of the club’s extraordinary premiership hat-trick.

After Round 20 the Lions were a shaky 6^th on the ladder after a loss to Sydney. They had 50 premiership points and trailed Port Adelaide, clear on 64 points and assured of the minor premiership, and four teams locked together on 52 points - Adelaide, Collingwood, Sydney and Fremantle.

West Coast and Essendon (48) were guaranteed a finals berth but seven teams were separated by one win. Port aside, everyone was playing for something in the penultimate round.

Brisbane was drawn to finish the home-and-away campaign playing Geelong (13^th) and Western Bulldogs (18^th). They were two ‘should win’ games but there was no margin for error.

In Round 21 coach Leigh Matthews welcomed the return of center halfback, Justin Leppitsch, after a month out with a back problem and half-forward, Craig McRae, who had been a late out in Round 20 with a hamstring.

Leppitsch’s return was a double win. Not only did he reinforce the back half but he allowed Daniel Bradshaw to return to his favored role up forward after he had been used as a pinch-hitting defender during Leppitsch’s absence.

It was critical. Bradshaw kicked six goals as the Lions accounted for the Cats by 37 points. It was their 10^th win in a row against Geelong, with Jason Akermanis, Simon Black and Bradshaw taking the Brownlow Medal votes.

More critical was the fact that three teams ahead of Brisbane on the ladder were beaten in Round 21. Adelaide fell to 11^th-placed North Melbourne, Fremantle fell to Essendon and Sydney fell to Collingwood.

So Brisbane jumped from 6^th to 3^rd which is where they finished the home and away season.

And as it turned out, it was just as well. They needed the double chance after losing the first final against Collingwood and seeing captain Michael Voss hobbling on crutches with a bad knee.

It was unchartered territory. After an unbeaten 2001-02 finals run they were on the edge.

There were more hiccups despite Voss’ remarkable effort to take his place in the side. Brad Scott broke his leg in the first final, Chris Scott would miss the second and third finals with a groin problem and Marcus Ashcroft would miss the third final with a minor knee problem.

Notting sat out the second final due to suspension before ultimately being overlooked for the grand final, watching it with a semi-fit Chris Scott after Scott was eventually left out when his great mate Nigel Lappin, in doubt right up to the start with broken ribs, took his place.

White and McGrath, walking a finals selection tightrope, held their place as a fairytale unfolded. Richard Hadley, an emergency for the first final, played just his second AFL game in the second final and held his spot as the Lions beat Adelaide, Sydney and then Collingwood to complete the premiership hat-trick.

It was a glorious September, but it all may not have happened had the penultimate round of the home-and-away season not played out as it did.