SATURDAY was an important day for Melbourne.

Regardless of any ‘f’ talk (in other words an extended season into September), a win in Darwin against Fremantle was one of the club’s biggest ticks, so far, of 2016.

In terms of ladder position, Melbourne should’ve beaten Fremantle.

The reality was it was never going to be as easy as that.

Remember, it was less than a year ago that Fremantle finished the home-and-away season on top of the ladder with 17 wins. It’s remarkable to think it’s only claimed three victories this year. But given the injuries to some critical players – think Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe and Michael Johnson – it only highlights how integral a healthy list plays in any team’s season.

Still, Fremantle possessed a far more experienced team than Melbourne. It fielded a side with 2389 games experience to Melbourne’s 1445. Freo was also almost two years older than the red and blue at 25 years old, 277 days to 23 years old, 249 days.

And given the fact Melbourne defeated Freo and won in the Northern Territory for the first time since 2011, it was a significant victory. It snapped a seven-game losing streak against Freo and in the NT.

Although wins haven’t been forthcoming in the Territory, as coach Paul Roos pointed out, in the lead-up to the clash against Freo, the club has hardly won at Etihad Stadium for the past 10 years and that’s “15 minutes down the road”.

With Melbourne’s improvement this year, which has been building since Roos took over in 2014, so too has the club’s ability to end hoodoos against clubs and at certain venues.

More need to end, but it is a vast improvement from recent years and as the team continues to improve, it should win against teams and at places it hasn’t in recent years – the NT included.

A 3-4 win/loss record in Darwin now doesn’t appear as bad as many would make out, although the club is yet to break its drought in Alice Springs after three attempts.

But Melbourne will have another crack at winning in Central Australia next year after it was revealed at half-time, during its clash against Fremantle that the club had signed on to play another four games across 2017-18.

Melbourne will play one game at TIO Traeger Park Oval (Alice Springs) and TIO Stadium (Darwin) next year. It will repeat the process in 2018.

And that’s a great thing for the club. 

Make no mistake these games are critical to the club for a host of reasons, which chief executive Peter Jackson spoke about in detail on melbournefc.com.au. 

“It’s commercially very important for the football club, because the amount we get for the games are the equivalent of 60,000 at the MCG and we’re not going to get two extra games like that with the current fixture – we can’t see that happening in the foreseeable future,” he said.

“If we play those teams back at the MCG that we play in the Northern Territory, we’d be playing in front of crowds of about 20,000.

“Commercially, we’ve got to take that into account.”

Members also don’t miss out on Melbourne’s Territory deal, as replacement MCG games are given. This year they were allotted to round two (Essendon) and round 22 (Carlton).

Not only is it commercially good for the club – Melbourne has forged a strong relationship with the NT Government and has built some ties with several communities – but the AFL has given the club Alice Springs as one of its areas in the new talent academy system.

Given there is no full-time AFL club in the Northern Territory, it means Melbourne has a great opportunity to make an imprint in the NT over time. And the fact it has the ability to tap into some prodigious talent via the academies can only be a great thing for the club – and ultimately the game.

Academies are already starting to make an impact among the northern state AFL clubs, and for Melbourne, having access to Alice Springs has the potential to provide some exciting recruiting possibilities. 

It’s also a great opportunity for the club to give back to the community, particularly among the Indigenous communities, something Jackson stressed. He said “developing Indigenous football and improving Indigenous communities is really important”.

“I think the community actions of AFL clubs are really important. The community supports our game and the community, in the end, pays us for what we do and allows us to do what we do. It’s a privilege for us – the players and administration.

“The club needs to give things back to the community, in my view.”

Jackson spoke about the Alice Springs match having the potential to be built up as one of the most unique sporting events in the country – and he’s right.  

Watching an AFL match in Central Australia is a wonderful football experience.

It’s nothing like being at the MCG, Etihad Stadium or Adelaide Oval – and that’s part of the charm. The backdrop is stunning and it’s a wonderful opportunity for the people of Alice Springs and surrounding communities to experience elite level sport.

“Rather than looking at the Alice Springs game as being a small game and [people asking] ‘why do you do it?’ I just think it’s so unique that I’d like to encourage the AFL and the Northern Territory Government, and all stakeholders involved to really get behind it,” Jackson said.

“There might only be 5,500 people [at the game], but with the background of the MacDonnell Ranges and you’re there for the Indigenous community – where else in elite sport are you putting on a game like that?

“I just think it’s so unique that we ought to build it up into something that’s great, rather than just another small game in another country area.”

Again, Jackson is spot on.

The Northern Territory is a special place – and has such a passionate football community – that it needs AFL game there, and at the very least one match in Darwin and Alice Springs each year.   

As a lover of the red and blue, I am proud that the club has created a link with the NT. And I’d encourage any Melbourne or football fan to watch a game in the Territory, if the opportunity presents.

After all, allowing the Northern Territory to stage two of the 198 AFL home and away played in a season isn’t that much of an ask, remembering that Melbourne receives two replacement games at the MCG.

It’s not only important for the exposure and growth of the game to play in places like Alice Springs, and other regions around the country such as Cairns, but the AFL must be represented in every major state/territory of Australia. This means games must be played in the capital cities of the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory, which don’t have full-time AFL teams.

The competition owes it to its supporters – and football fans – who reside in these parts of the country to stage matches there. It hasn’t hurt a certain three-time premiership team – aiming for its fourth flag this year – that plays home matches in another state, specifically in the Apple Isle.

After all, it is the Australian Football League.