Any Aussie Migration Guru's around? Some questions about subclass 820 and biriding visas

[PNGMK]

The source is here: http://www.border.gov.au/FormsAndDocume ... s/1127.pdf

I am so out of date on the rules.... and trying to prepare for a possible forced return.

What I'm really trying to understand is whether I can just take my American wife back to Oz on "a substantive visa" (can that just be an ETAS?) and then apply while there for a subclass 820 (and a bridging visa while waiting for the 820)? ...(and then of course wait 2 YRS for the 801) The rules seem to have changed - in the 90's it wasn't possible to apply for PR for a foreign spouse INSIDE of Australia but that seems to have changed?