Former Hawthorn star Peter Knights was among the club faithful enjoying the grand final win over West Coast Eagles in the rooms after the game. Knights was recruited from Gippsland and played in three premierships for the Hawks. His link to country football is still alive and well as he coaches the Vic Country representative team.

“I don’t know what the exact percentage is in this Hawthorn squad in regards to country and city players but I know we are lead by some beauties from the bush,” Knights said.

“Roughy, Jordan, Hodgey and Co really lead the way.

“It is not just by chance that we can continue to keep playing at this level because our leadership group just doesn’t allow any of the players to get complacent.

“They want to keep on getting better, even more than the coaches it is that player leadership group that drives that along.

“The club has done a great job putting this team together with a mix of boys from the country, metro and interstate.” 

This win provided both Hodge and Lewis with their fourth premiership medals.

This haul for Lewis brought him equal with the club’s other famous number three, Leigh Matthews, who won flags in 1971, 1976, 1978 and 1983. This Hawthorn team has now also matched the feat of the Matthews coached-Brisbane Lions who won a three-peat from 2001-03.

Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling has seen some of the best talent emerge from the Hampden league through the Geelong Falcons, including Hodge and Lewis.

“Those two blokes, Hodge and Lewis, have been part of this Hawthorn team for a long time and gee they're great players,” Ling said.

“There has been some pretty handy players come from the Hampden league.”

Ling was part of a Geelong team that won three premierships from 2007 to 2011 so he is well placed to rate where this Hawthorn team sits in the debate about the best of all.

“The entire system is now set up to not let this happen but they have won three in a row and they are with the absolute greatest teams of all time,” Ling said.

It is not just the volume of wins this Hawthorn team is amassing that has so many willing to shout from the roof tops about its lofty standing, it is also about the way they are going about it.

Their three consecutive grand final wins have been convincing ones.

Against Fremantle in 2013 the margin was 15 points but the win was much more commanding than that result lets on, the Hawks had the Dockers covered a long way from home. In 2014 predictions were of a fiercely contested grand final against Sydney but Hawthorn was ruthless, bringing their best to smash the Swans by 63 points. On Saturday it was a red-hot start from the Hawks blowing the Eagles away.