If you could line up Hawthorn's modern triple-premiership winning heroes with the most recent side to achieve the monumental feat, the Brisbane Lions of 2001-2003, who would emerge on the premiership dais?

It's an argument Leigh Matthews, the coach of the legendary Lions side of that era, doesn't want a bar of, knowing that football always evolves.

"Clearly, each decade, they're better than they were the decade before, so if you put them in a time machine, the current Hawthorn team would win easily," he says.

All things being equal, though, and he'd still back his boys in, citing the Lions' spine of Alastair Lynch, Jonathan Brown, Michael Voss, Justin Leppitsch and Mal Michael as one area where his side might have an advantage.

But, he says, "you've got to win the ball. Hawthorn are fantastic if they get the ball, so a lot of it's about winning the contest in the first place.

"But if you put them [both] in the era they played, the way footy was played, I still fancy the Lions team of that era would prevail."

It's an impossible question, of course — as such things invariably are — but an irresistible hypothetical challenge nonetheless.

Let's see how such a contest might play out in football fantasy heaven.

The captains: Michael Voss (Brisbane Lions) v Luke Hodge (Hawthorn)

This battle royale alone is a footy tragic's wet dream.

Two great leaders, both of them as tough as nails, big-game players capable of carrying their teams with them.

Hodge's two Norm Smith medals in 2008 and 2014 speak for themselves.

Voss was himself perhaps unlucky not to win a Norm Smith medal ahead of losing Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley in 2002, with a final quarter that dragged his team over the line.

Of course, they might not play on each other: Voss played in the centre; Hodge plays pretty much anywhere he's required, but usually starts off a back flank.

Still, it's hard to imagine a better or more romantic individual battle. What player would better qualified to stymie the influence of the other? The winner would go a long way to dictating the outcome of the game.

The midfield

Is this where the game is won or lost?

The Lions "fab four" — Voss, Simon Black, Nigel Lappin and Jason Akermanis, plus 2001 Norm Smith medallist Shaun Hart and Luke Power — against Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis, Shaun Burgoyne, Isaac Smith and Brad Hill.

You could throw in Liam Shiels and Brad Sewell (2013), too, while the Lions also had Des Headland (2002) and winger Tim Notting to call on.

There are endless variations.

Akermanis, of course, was a genius around goal, but he won a Brownlow from the back pocket in 2001.

Burgoyne often slots across the half-back line but can win clearances at will.

Neither midfield is especially quick, but both sides have grunt and aggression to spare.

I'd favour the Lions for the overall edge in class provided by the sublime Black and Lappin.

The keys

Alastair Lynch (Brisbane Lions, FF) v Brian Lake (Hawthorn, FB):

Lynch kicked 10 goals in three flag-winning grand finals for the Lions, before an ignominious exit against Port Adelaide in 2004.

Lake has the size, strength and, most importantly, the aerial judgment to go with him, but Lynch was a competitive animal.

Tough call: Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions, CHF) v Ben Stratton (Hawthorn, CHB 2013, 2014) or James Frawley (2015):

Brown was far from his prime during the Lions' three-peat, but he was already terrorising opposition defences. He would be too good for Stratton.

Frawley's exceptional effort against West Coast's Josh Kennedy gives pause for thought, and he has the necessary aerobic capacity, but still, Brown gets the nod.

Lance Franklin (Hawthorn, FF 2013) or Jack Gunston (2014, 2015) v Darryl White (Brisbane Lions, BP) and Mal Michael (FB):

The Lions are in trouble here.

White has the athleticism to go with Buddy further upfield, but gives away both height and weight.

He'd be a natural choice for the clever Gunston, though.

Who does stopper Mal Michael take, other than resting ruckman David Hale?

Give this to the Hawks for greater flexibility.

Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn, CHF) v Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane Lions, CHB):

Leppitsch is a good match for Roughead, and he could swing forward, too, if required.

An interesting riddle is the Lions' Daniel Bradshaw, who played in the 2001 and 2003 deciders and could also play at either end of the field with aplomb.

Flankers and pockets

Up forward, the Lions had Craig "Fly" Macrae, Martin Pike and Akermanis, while the Hawks, of course, have Cyril Rioli, a dead-eye in Luke Breust and defensive forward Paul Puopolo, who probably would try to negate Chris Johnson.

The most fascinating prospect is Cyril: the only Lions player with the necessary speed and brilliance to counter him is Akermanis.

This would give the Lions great delivery off half-back. However, it also deprives them of one of their best goalkicking options.

Pike is a threat (he could try headbutting the Hawks' Grant Birchall, to start with, and possibly the Lions' CEO if he got in the way at half-time).

If the wily Marcus Ashcroft couldn't keep Breust quiet, Brad and Chris Scott get the job of standing on his toes until he can't kick straight any more.

Of course, Josh Gibson doesn't have an opponent, he's just there to spoil anything he can't mop up himself for the Hawks, who look the more multifaceted team.

The rucks Clark Keating, Beau McDonald (Brisbane Lions, 2002) and Jamie Charman (2003) v Max Bailey (Hawthorn, 2013), Ben McEvoy and David Hale (2014, 2015)

You'd have to say the ruckmen aren't the primary strengths of either of these sides.

Leigh Matthews never especially rated their influence.

But luckily for Lethal, he had Mr September, Clark Keating, who didn't do much more than run around the ground, but who broke Collingwood's poor Josh Fraser in half every time he got off it in the 2002 and 2003 deciders.

Advantage Lions.

The coaches: Leigh Matthews v Alastair Clarkson

The battle in the box between two four-time premiership coaches, new school versus old, shapes as potentially the most intriguing match-up of all.

It's also the hardest to gauge.

Clarkson has been a revolutionary coach, able to stay ahead of the curve in an era that has belonged to coaches far more than it did in Matthews' time.

Matthews always said that coaches were made by players, prompting Justin Leppitsch to ask him where he'd be without his Lions, after they completed their hat-trick of flags against Collingwood in 2003.

(Matthews' response: "Oh, probably just the greatest player of the 20th century" - an accolade that had been recently bestowed on him by the Herald Sun.)

Clarkson, of course, wouldn't be as successful without a phenomenal list, built by superior recruiting strategies and a mostly blessed run with injuries.

But he is a more innovative coach than Matthews, and you'd have to think the Hawks would start with a tactical edge.

Still, if it bleeds …

Verdict: With Voss, Brown, the Scott brothers and Pike, the Lions have an advantage in brute force.

But the Hawks have the edge in flexibility — especially up forward — and, led by Hodge, they wouldn't be intimidated by anyone.

I'm backing the modern-day three-peaters. Just.