THEY were back.

Back in black, as the AC/DC song made loud and clear through the ground PA system as the players made for their positions shortly before the 2pm start.

It had been more than 18 months since Frankston Dolphins’ last appearance in the VFL and the newly named SkyBus Stadium had a buzz to it as a crowd of about 3000 turned up to watch the comeback club take on Essendon on Saturday.

And when the Dolphins got the first goal of the match, through a Nathan Gardiner snap, a feel-good story of Victorian football got a little better.

One former Frankston player and VFL senior coach later said he felt “a little tingle down the back’’.

Frankston gained the second goal of the match too. And its enthusiasm was apparent when three players tackled one Bomber in the Essendon forward line.

Pretty soon the bongos were banging on the Frankston hill, makeshift music to the ears on a gloriously sunny day.

media_camera Frankston players make their way on to the ground for the club’s comeback match.

But just as quickly Essendon’s advantage in height and class was telling on the scoreboard. After the Dolphins’ opening salvos, the Bombers kicked seven goals on the reel. They led by 21 points at half-time and by the final siren had a 102-point victory.

Jackson Merrett and Danny Younan both kicked five goals and Shaun Mckernan three.

Merrett could have had his sixth but gifted his captain, Heath Hocking, a goal in the last quarter.

The Dolphins could manage only one score in the second half, a point kicked by Lachie Williams at the 14-minute mark of the final quarter. They fell away rather badly.

But the result was no great surprise. Frankston has returned to the state league with a young list and it’s going to take time for Adam Skrobalak’s team to find its bearings. Experience cannot be bought at the corner shop.

media_camera Coach Adam Skrobalak at the quarter-time huddle.

But the Dolphins had some good moments — they won the second quarter as their small forward line pressured the Bombers into mistakes — and had some very good contributors.

Kyle Gray was outstanding as a key defender, ruckman Lewis Pierce, going it alone against formidable opposition, never flagged, onballer Alex Harnett showed power and poise in the first half, and Jack McHale lived up to Skrobalak’s assessment of him as a rising player.

Seb Williams and Alfie Jarnestrom, both straight out of the Under 18s and both light enough to get a ride at Flemington, showed some flash and ex-Kangaroo Will Fordham always looked to get something started, even if not everything came off.

He’s probably still kicking himself for his miss in the second quarter when the Dolphins were enjoying most of the play.

But with a string of 190cm-plus players Essendon’s marking strength took it a level beyond the home team.

You fancy Skrobalak would have tap danced on hot coals to have talls Todd Elton and Mitch McCarthy in the line-up.

media_camera Gotcha: Dons captain Heath Hocking claims Dolphin Aloysio Ferreira.

But set aside the scoreboard. The greater story was Frankston’s return, of how it went into administration before the end of the 2016, rallied through the leadership of its former JJ Liston Trophy champion Peter Geddes and his band of helpers as it sat out the 2017 season, and regained a VFL licence.

On Saturday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews attended the sold-out lunch and announced funding of $650,000 to upgrade the lights and another $50,00 for new interchange boxes.

And about 50 memberships and a lot of club apparel were sold.

Frankston rounded up 1200 members last year — great going considering there was no team to support — and expects to top that this year. Headed by president Geddes and general manager Gary Buckenara, and with the aim of making the club the hub of Mornington Peninsula football, the administration is strong.

The same can’t be said of the team. That will come. The Dolphins are set up for the long haul. On Saturday football was just happy to have them back.

Frankston 3.1, 6.4, 6.4, 6.5 (41)

Essendon 7.5, 9.7, 13.10, 21.17 (143)

Frankston goals: N. Gardiner, A. Harnett, S. Fowler, L. Pierce, S. Williams, C. Rich. Best: J. McHale, S. Masterson, L. Pierce, M. La Fontaine, W. Fordham, A. Harnett

Essendon goals: J. Merrett 5, D. Younan 5, S. McKernan 3, A. Boyse 3, M. Darby, K. Langford, H. Hocking, S. Draper, N. Hind. Best: J. Merrett, D. Younan, K. Langford, M. Redman, D. Clarke, M. Leuenberger