Jack Riewoldt kicked his fifth goal. The ball went back to the centre one last time but barely had the bouncedown hit the turf when the siren heralded Richmond's 12th premiership.
That was 28 September 2019, the Tigers 89-point Grand Final victors over Greater Western Sydney, and until Friday night, the last time Melbourne (the city) had tasted AFL finals football for just on three years. Now, finally, here we were again.
It had been a 1070-day wait for more, and as Melbourne (the team) prepared to face off against Sydney in a 2022 qualifying final, there was a distinct buzz around this city's sporting precinct.
Not unusual for September, of course, but the eagerness of those striding through Yarra Park to get into the ground, and the excited chatter of those nearing the turnstiles betrayed the unmistakeable sense that absence had indeed made the heart grow fonder.
That was clearly the case for the Demon faithful. Their much-loved team had managed to break a 57-year premiership drought during that absence. But now, finally, they got to see their heroes strut their finals stuff in the flesh.
The Swans, similarly, were renewing September acquaintance with their old South Melbourne fan base, having not played a final here since 15 September 2017, just on five years.
The football they were served up was appropriate, too. Tough, grinding, every bit of territory, let alone scores, hard won or conceded only grudgingly.
Every little mini-break looked likely to be decisive, Melbourne, for example, sneaking out to a 16-point lead early in the second term after a goal to Kysaiah Pickett.
Instead, though, that was merely the cue for Sydney to back even harder with the last four goals of the first half, the Swans taking a six-point lead to the long break.
The entertaining duel between champion Melbourne defender Steven May and legendary Sydney forward Lance Franklin was perhaps the game itself summarised.
May reigned supreme early with three first-term intercept marks on his star opponent, "Buddy" looking increasingly frustrated. Franklin, though, imposed himself on proceedings with sheer will, drawing a relayed free kick then a goal to teammate Will Hayward as May barrelled him to the ground behind play.
Tom Papley capitalised on a Max Gawn turnover, Callum Mills cleverly sharked some ruckwork to snap other goal, and when Dylan Stephens threaded another goal from the boundary, the Swans were in full flight.
Even that opening up, however, was a mere prelude to one of the best quarters of football the AFL has seen in 2022.
The third term was two sides of top quality throwing the respective kitchen sink at each other. It produced 11 goals in total and some magnificent field kicking, marks and goals.
Melbourne struck first with three goals within six minutes, Bayley Fritsch booting his third with a superb left foot snap, Tom Sparrow exploding out of the centre square for another, the Demons momentarily recreating their explosive Grand Final best.
The Swans, though, would kick five of the next six to themselves grab a 13-point lead in a procession of individual highlights.
There were amazing snaps from Papley and Jake Lloyd, a brilliantly crafted passage of precision passing capped off by Luke Parker, outstanding yet again, then a brace of goals to Sam Reid within three minutes of each other
The May-Franklin show would be reprised in another instructive cameo between opposing ruckmen Gawn and Tom Hickey, too.
Hickey had conceded a poorly-timed free kick for a hold on Gawn, the resultant goal bringing Melbourne back within seven points. Hickey's anger at his ill-discipline was obvious.
But he'd make up for it quick smart, creeping forward into space to mark just 25 metres out and restore his team's two-goals-plus advantage right on three-quarter time.
Sydney had turned a 16-point deficit into a two-goal lead, and it would deliver the hammer blow to Melbourne's hopes, ironically thanks to a hammer blow from Demon James Harmes on Lloyd, for which the Melbourne player was reported on the spot.
Lloyd, like his team, bounced immediately back to his feet to goal. And if that wasn't the symbolic end for Melbourne, another passage would provide it, Charlie Spargo's ill-conceived handball and Jake Melksham's slip butchering what had looked a certain Demon goal.
Moments later, Isaac Heeney somehow found himself alone just 10 metres from Sydney's goal, and that was that.
This was a win which said everything about Sydney's evenness across the board. Many of its leading lights were at best, subdued.
Key forwards Franklin and Logan McDonald were both held goalless. Heeney had only eight disposals and Chad Warner 13. But there were more than enough Swans to pick up the slack.
Parker, of course. Lloyd. While the pressure applied by Mills and the always-underrated James Rowbottom had the more-feted Melbourne midfield constantly feeling the heat.
The reward is a home preliminary final at the SCG, the first to be played there since Tony Lockett famously sent Sydney through to a Grand Final with a point after the siren in 1996.
That's another final Melbourne (the city) won't see. But no less than Sydney's efforts in this tremendous win deserved. And for those Victorian-based Swans fans, more than worth the three-year wait for finals action.