THIS was the moment for which a whole town had waited more than 44 years.

As Geelong president Frank Costa raised the 2007 AFL premiership flag at a packed Skilled Stadium before Sunday’s Geelong-Melbourne round three clash, the blue-and-white faithful erupted.

Just 20m away, the VFL premiership flag was also being lifted to the heavens in the middle of the Cats’ home patch. Both flags arrived via a skydiver.

Thousands had filled the ground earlier in the day – the match was sold out days earlier and reserved for Geelong members only such was the demand to get in – and there was a party-like atmosphere for the round three encounter.

Many had travelled for hours to the game just to see the historic event.

Judging by the roar of applause and enthusiastic singing of We Are Geelong upon the raising of the flag, their trip was worth it.

Cats coach Mark Thompson and his players looked on sedately as the flag lightly fluttered in the benign conditions, their mind on the job ahead against the Demons just half an hour later.

Eighteen of the 22 players involved in last September’s drought-breaking triumph were on the field for Sunday’s premiership flag unfurling.

Those absent were Steven King (St Kilda), Nathan Ablett (retired) and injured duo Brad Ottens and Andrew Mackie.

But for Mark Blake, controversially left out of the Grand Final, and the newcomers to this side – Trent West, Tom Hawkins, Harry Taylor – they must have been wondering just what might be in store for them in 2008.

Can the Cats go back to back? Only time will tell.

And round three of a new season is not the time for such ponderings.

Sunday’s unfurling was about reflecting, and about celebrating a job well done