From a distance, everything looks a little different.

The AFL’s foray into double-headers seemed, from a distance, to be heavily accompanied by caveats. The first game was scheduled to start at 4.35pm on a Sunday – hardly the most inspiring time slot.

Attendance at both the women’s and men’s games would bring a duration of something like six hours – a stretch for even the most devoted of footy fans, and downright impossible for young kids.

But on Sunday, the AFLW played a regular season game at Marvel Stadium for the first time. On Sunday, the AFLW was called in from the cold.

And in true ‘W fashion, the AFLW brought its beloved community along with it.

Anyone who has ventured down to a game in the past decade knows this feeling all too well. The league comes by its “country footy” comparison honestly. Game day brings the promise of familiar faces, from close acquaintances to AFLW regulars, and if you don’t bump into anyone you know, you get the distinct feeling that this could change at any moment. The players linger, chat, sign, selfie and shmooze long after the siren has sounded and the song has been sung. The gap between playing group and fanbase is virtually nonexistent, and shrinking by the day.

Perhaps the suburban grounds they call home didn’t cause this. After all, women’s sports crowds have always operated a little differently, attracting folks who feel excluded from traditional men’s sports spaces. This distinct character may well have emerged regardless. But for all their faults and quirks, these grounds provided space for this community to find each other, and flourish into what we see today.

Transplanting that community feel to a stadium setting was always going to be the biggest challenge of these double-headers. And if you only caught the start of the broadcast, it could easily seem like they missed the mark. The lower levels sat mostly empty, with pockets of fans scattered around the stadium. The AFL’s concerns over how the crowd would look appeared well founded.

But from a distance, everything looks a little different.

Up close, if you sat in among the fans, a different picture emerged. That good old AFLW familiarity was alive and well. It was the same eclectic crew you’d encounter at the local grounds, just in a different setting – like bumping into your English teacher at the supermarket. The vocal coaching from the sidelines was just as passionate, and the crowd made enough noise for double their number. And there seemed to be just as many young families as at regular AFLW games, even without the beloved extra space to run around.

At the same time, there was a clear influx of newcomers. While the crowd at early doors was predominantly clustered on the top level in the general admission seats, the lower-level reserved seats began to fill up as fans trickled in throughout the women’s game. By the final quarter, the crowd was pushing 18,000. Whether on purpose or by consequence, these fans were exposed to the AFLW experience: both the community and the footy alike. The AFL’s gamble felt vindicated.

Ultimately, the empty spaces didn’t matter.

They certainly made the most of the space out on the ground, too. From the very first ball-up, it became clear that the game would be fought and won based on who could adapt more quickly to the extra room; a feat made all the more apparent by how little wriggle room was enjoyed just last week, up at North Sydney Oval for the Australia v Ireland game. For all the discourse, it was a timely reminder that at the end of the day, it’s about the footy.

And the footy certainly had its moments.

There was Carlton’s early dominance, picking up where they left off last year and looking for all the world like a team with something to prove.

Darcy Vescio stepping up in a big game, one of the more familiar sights in the ‘W at this point.

Amber Clarke’s brilliant soccer goal, reminiscent of Matildas games past on this very same turf.

St Kilda’s dogged last quarter comeback attempt, putting on a show for their faithful in the stands and maybe, just maybe, earning a few more fans in the process.

For how one-sided the contest felt at times, both teams brought marquee moments to a marquee match, in which the Blues held off the Saints to win 9.12 (66) to 6.4 (40).

It was footy forged in the suburbs, but completely at home on the big stage. And this was with just one game to adjust. Consider what they could do with regular appearances at the ground, and the possibilities feel endless.

The decision, moving forward, seems obvious from any distance.

At the changeover between games, AFL and AFLW players from both teams stood arm-in-arm at the centre circle. How fitting, that the occasion to break new ground for the AFLW was Spud’s Game. From the smallest grounds in the country to the biggest stage, it is the people around footy that matter most. This match served as the perfect reminder.