IT’S BEEN labelled one of the best games in the competition’s history, but Melbourne’s Round 3 victory was just a taste of what’s to come.

The Demons lit up Casey Fields with a nine-point win over North Melbourne, in a contest where 17 goals were kicked.

And while the Kangaroos came storming home in the second half, the Saturday night thriller pleased senior coach Mick Stinear.

“It’s been a few years in the making to become a bit more of a consistent team and to be able to compete with the best,” Stinear said on RSN Breakfast Club.

“I think the first quarter, the effort was there, we just couldn’t quite connect forward of centre and made things hard for ourselves.

“But the second quarter, I think the nerves settled a bit, they continued with their effort to win the ball, but just a lot better connection and a lot better skill execution.

“I think the pleasing thing, it was sort of an even battle throughout the night, but the level of effort from our girls from start to finish, we were rapt.”

The Demons piled on six goals in a dominant second term and scored from 70 percent of their inside 50 entries for the evening.

But the slick ball movement is what stood out to those watching at home, as fans saw just how far the girls have come since the league’s inception.

“I guess as coaches it’s our responsibility to up-skill our players,” Stinear said.

“The offensive skills of the game is something we’ve valued for five seasons and hopefully we continue to see that come out in games now.”

While defence is a critical aspect of the sport, Stinear vouched to play a more fearless brand of footy in 2021, and that seems to be paying dividends.

Melbourne is sitting undefeated after three rounds of footy, looking to make it four from four when it meets the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.