NINE years after Victoria beat South Australia on a wet and soggy MCG, state football entered a new footballing age, the Big V beating the Dream Team by 17 points in a speedy, skilful and freewheeling — but reasonably close — match that celebrated Australian football's 150th birthday.

The 69,294 people who spent their club-free weekend at the MCG saw some of the country's best players on show in a match that featured Lance Franklin party tricks, some of Brendan Fevola's best goalkicking, Nathan Foley's continued emergence and some old-school Chris Judd form. Despite this, the game did not spark many memories of the tough, intense state clashes of seasons long past.

Fevola finished with six goals and won the Allen Aylett medal for best onfield and Franklin kicked four for the Dream Team. Having delayed his 21st birthday celebrations in 1999 to play for his state and win the EJ Whitten Medal, North Melbourne's Brent Harvey kicked goals at the end of the first quarter and start of the second to get his team on the move. With 27 minutes gone in the final term, the Kangaroo also scooted into goal to score the sealer.

The crowd saw Fevola fly for marks, Judd tear through the middle of the ground and Adam Goodes motor through all parts of the ground. They saw Peter Burgoyne rack up a plethora of first half-possessions running free on the Dream Team half-back line, and Trent Croad gain a fresh, appreciation of how big a handful his Hawthorn teammate Franklin is for opposition teams.

Foley also learned a little more about how much he belongs among the league's best midfielders, with a 21-possession game and a third-term goal.

The heart-in-mouth moments came when Craig Bolton's head crashed into Robert Murphy's shoulder early in the match, when Daniel Kerr hobbled off about the same time and when Josh Fraser bumped Ryan Griffen down after half-time.

Up and about again quickly, Griffen was then sent to play on his Bulldogs teammate Murphy. At the end of the game, with no further damage done, they swapped jumpers.

The Dream Team dominated the first part of the match and looked ominous, but missed some early shots, opening the door for Victoria to edge its way back to finish the first half eight points in front.

Victoria scored twice in a hurry at the start of the second half but the Dream Team then kicked six goals in two three-goal spurts, moving five points clear after a Brett Kirk snap late in the third quarter.

A long, early goal to Shaun Burgoyne in the final term pushed the Dream Teamers further ahead, before Fevola and Jonathan Brown scored within a few minutes of each other to creep back. A long Campbell Brown kick skimmed past Simon Goodwin's fist — vision of which would be replayed continuously had this been a roster game — and Fevola kicked his sixth goal soon after to ensure it was the Vics' night.