As Melbourne gets ready to take part in their first grand final since 2000, I've found myself asking how exactly they got here.
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It would be simplistic to suggest that Melbourne has built to this stage largely on the back of one draft in 2019, a succession plan from 2013 or any one particular moment.
After all, for the privilege of watching Luke Jackson's dynamism this season, Melbourne fans had to endure two seasons of Mark Neeld's press conferences.
When every team in the competition was walking over the Gold Coast Suns and the GWS Giants in the early 2010s, Melbourne fans could never tip the Dees with confidence.
Early in the tenure of Paul Roos, there was a decision to rarely reference the past performance of the Demons to enable the players to have a clean slate.
The reference here is not to puncture the club's enthusiasm for their first grand final in two decades but to serve as a reminder of how far the club has come to be here.
A decade ago, it was not fun to support Melbourne. It was soulless, draining and borderline insanity.
When you'd sit amongst the cheer squad and holler out a chant of "Mel-bourne-eee" into the vast emptiness of the MCG on Sunday at 3.20pm, you'd wonder whether watching AFL still classed as pleasure.
There were turning points which indicated that Melbourne could be on the way to better times. As a supporter of a sub-par club, you would often look for the niche moments.
Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones, with his tattoo-laden body and surfer vibe, was not the usual private school kid Melbourne had called upon but he was the one who seemingly cared about showing a semblance of competitiveness during 2012-14.
Jones' willingness to commit to Melbourne on a four-year deal in 2014 when more players were going than arriving seemed to be a line-in-the-sand moment.
Nathan Jones said on his retirement Instagram post to he was inspired "to ensure that no young player coming into Melbourne would have the experience I did for many years, I wanted to leave the club in a better place."
While Jones won't be part of the grand final, his involvement in the cultural shift should be remembered.
Max Gawn
It had been a while since Melbourne had a true superstar until Max Gawn turned Geelong into his playground in Round 12, 2015.
Gawn's game was one of the most dominant displays produced by a Demon with 19 disposals, 44 hit-outs, eight marks, five clearances, and a goal in the 24-point win.
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"In my short time here, I haven't seen him play better, and he continues to get better week in, week out," Roos said at the time.
It felt like the first time Melbourne appeared to have genuine, unquestionable talent to build around going forward.
This season
Melbourne's biggest win this year is arguably the preliminary final against Geelong but the Richmond victory spoke of something different.
Melbourne beating the Tigers on Anzac Eve was not new but in past seasons it had always had a different aura. Something akin to a grand final despite it being played in April.
The Demons were ferocious against a team which has defined 'manic pressure' for four years. In the aftermath, the celebrations were noticeably subdued and focused on the next opponent.
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No longer was Richmond a grand final but another opponent to be vanquished, Melbourne finally had their eyes on something grander.
"I certainly wouldn't have thought we'd be sitting here like this but I think it's great for our members. The excitement levels I see there is brilliant. But we're six rounds into a 22-round season and hopefully there's a lot more to come," Goodwin said after the game.
Only the grand final remains but at least the grand old flag is restored.
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