That was some stirring stuff we saw from the Melbourne Football Club on Friday night.

A brilliant third quarter, and some fortitude towards the end, as the Demons resisted, then put Essendon to the sword. The final margin was 33 points.

Tom Scully and Jack Trengove weren't just back, they were very good. Six clearances to Scully just shows what a gifted footballer he is. Thanks for the reminder, Tom, now just put pen to paper on a new contract with the Demons and end the anxious times for the Melbourne supporters.

Spring-heeled forward Jeremy Howe made an impressive debut. He looked good in the NAB Cup, but the half a season of waiting in the VFL has been worth it. He is one to be persevered with.

And the backline held up remarkably well. Jared Rivers, one a NAB AFL Rising Star winner, James Frawley and Joel McDonald provided rebound all night for Melbourne. Jack Grimes wasn't missed, nor was Mark Jamar.

The scenes after the game, with Dean Bailey joyously thumping the interchange dugout, embracing each of his players and then leading the raucous made for great TV. It must have been even better to be there.

But here's the thing with Melbourne. Why does it take a week of screaming headlines, angry talkback callers and aggrieved past players to make the Demons play like that? The same scenario played out after the pitiful loss to West Coast earlier in the season. Back at the MCG the following week, they beat Adelaide by 16 goals, following which the Demons celebrated like they'd won a Grand Final. A bit like last night.

The followed the losses to North Melbourne, St Kilda and Carlton, each more deflating than the last.

Leigh Matthews had it right during the match broadcast last night as the Demons cavorted around the MCG (we've seen Grand Final winners get off the ground more quickly) in the minutes after the win over the Bombers. Those sorts of performances have to be the norm for Melbourne. It has to become the standard and we have seen Melbourne fold to many times in recent years, and fail to back up the week after a fine win, for us to yet believe that the Demons are the genuine article.

Next week's it is Collingwood on the Queen's Birthday Monday. Big game, big crowd in the one fixture gifted to the club by the AFL each season. Last year Melbourne lost by a point to the Pies in one encounter and drew the next.

Now the Pies are the yardstick of the competition, to be sure, and it might be a bit much to expect Melbourne to beat them. But if it gets to three quarter-time and we still have a genuine contest then maybe, just maybe, we'll start to believe.