Melbourne fans, was it worth the wait?
After ending the league’s longest dry run without finals, the Demons put together an opening quarter to remember in their AFL elimination final win over Geelong.
Melbourne roared to a semi-final date against Hawthorn off the back of a five goal to nil first term, delighting their very patient supporters.
The dominance began before the first bounce.
Outside, the MCG lit up in the colours of the grand old flag for the club’s first final in 12 years.
Inside, there was just as much red and blue.
Among the crowd of 91,767, more than 60,000 must have been barracking for the Demons.
And the players represented in a first quarter for the ages.
Sam Weideman flew with poise, kicking two goals and leading all-comers with nine possessions.
Twin towers Tom McDonald and Max Gawn were immense.
Clayton Oliver went to work at the coalface, making his presence felt with a bone-crunching challenge on Joel Selwood.
Aaron vandenBerg’s rundown tackle of Jordan Murdoch showed the club was up for September.
Melbourne’s first-term intensity showed both on the scoreboard and the stats sheet.
The score was 5.3 (33) to 0.2 (2).
Each goal came from a set shot, showing meticulous use by foot.
The Demons managed that most damaging dominance measure – having more of the ball yet still laying more tackles.
Led by Alex Neal-Bullen, Melbourne laid 22 tackles to 11 during their ferocious first term.
It wasn’t just in the contest that the Demons crushed the Cats, but in the air, where they also flew for double Geelong’s marks.
Everyone was involved.
After 10 minutes, every Demon bar Mitch Hannan had used the footy.
At quarter-time they’d all had it twice.
The only Melbourne player not to kick it, returning captain Jack Viney, managed four tackles.
Geelong woke up after quarter time, restricting Melbourne to 1.10 between the first and last break.
But the damage was done, as the Demons iced the contest with four last-term goals to march on in September.