Dees delight fans

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 elimination final win over Geelong.

Melbourne roared to a semi-final date against Hawthorn off a five-goal-to-nil first term, delighting their very patient supporters.

The dominance 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 as much red and blue.

Among the crowd of 91,767, more than 60,000 must have been barracking for the Demons. started

And the players presented 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 bonecrunching 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 numbers at the break were telling. The score was 5.3 (33) to 0.2 (2).

BEN McKAY/AAP