Two hours before the first bounce of the 2022 AFL season opener, the MCG is already buzzing.
It's a grand final rematch – Melbourne vs the Western Bulldogs.
Outside the ground a musician sings covers of Aussie classics on stage, kids kick footballs at targets and signs proclaim a "festival of footy".
Just over 58,000 people have travelled from far and wide to be here.
After two years of lockdowns, and week after week of being locked out of games, the fans are ready to celebrate.
There was no way the warm, humid evening was going to stop them from dusting off their team scarves or bringing out their beanies.
Melbourne supporters Amber and Travis Bull and their three kids Lukas, Charlotte and Josh left the regional Victorian city of Ballarat at 2.30pm to be here, taking half a day off work and school.
"We weren't going to miss this," Ms Bull said.
Before COVID the family tried to attend all Melbourne's home games — it was a chance to support their team and catch up with extended family from other parts of the state.
Being unable to attend matches during the pandemic left a big hole in their lives.
"You get a different feeling watching from the TV," Mr Bull said.
Last year they came to games when crowd capacity was at 25-30 per cent, but Mr Bull said it was "just weird".
Now, with the MCG once again allowed to host 100 per cent capacity crowds the Bulls feel like the state they know and love is back – Melbourne is once again the home of footy.
"It's exciting," Charlotte said.
"It feels good to be doing something different."
'Welcome back to footy'
As spectators scan their tickets and make their way through turnstiles, a security guard says: "Welcome back to footy."
The smell of warm pies wafts across the stands as people make their way to their seats.
Before the game, the Demons get the chance to unfurl the 2021 flag and show off the premiership cup – the cheers are so loud they drown out the announcements being made from the ground.
Die-hard Bulldogs supporter Vanessa Boyd has travelled from Perth to meet up with her twin sister, Valerie Kacarik, so they can attend the game.
After the Doggies grand final loss in Western Australia last year both women hope "it's revenge tonight".
The last time the twins were at the MCG was the 2016 grand final when the Bulldogs triumphed over the Sydney Swans.
"To be back is absolutely electrifying," Ms Kacarik says.
In the ABC radio commentary box some of the team has forgotten where they usually sit, but even before they sort out their seats the excitement is palpable.
For much of the 2020 season the team was calling games from a boardroom in the ABC.
When the stands were empty the game lost some of its magic, for everyone to be back now feels special.
With all 10 Victorian teams playing in their home state this round, the AFL hopes this year's season opener will get close to breaking round one crowd records.
"Footy can hopefully help bring the heartbeat of the city back to Melbourne and back to the state of Victoria," AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said last month.
In his opening comments, ABC Sport commentator Corbin Middlemas echoed this sentiment.
"We have certainly missed it, we've missed having people in the stands and boy it is good to be back."
