Craig’s legacy lasts at Footy Park
It was fitting that Neil Craig was involved in the last AFL match at AAMI Stadium (formerly Football Park), given his outstanding service to the game in South Australia – and beyond. Craig played 319 SANFL matches for Norwood, Sturt and North Adelaide from 1973-1990. He was a Norwood premiership player in 1975-78, and coached the club from 1991-95. He also became Adelaide’s longest serving coach, guiding the Crows from 2004-11. The fact that he first stepped onto AAMI Stadium in the red and blue with Norwood and ended it in the same colours - this time with Melbourne - provided a touch of romance for one of SA’s finest football names.

AAMI Stadium hoodoo remains to the end
Melbourne’s poor record at AAMI Stadium also came to a grinding halt. Although the Demons hadn’t played a home and away match at the venue since round 21, 2010 – when they went down to Port Adelaide by 29 points – their loss against the Crows on Saturday stretched their losing streak to 16. In fact, the last time the red and blue won there was against Adelaide in round two, 2001. In the end, the Demons played 29 games at AAMI Stadium, winning just five matches.

Garland reaches ton
In some ways, it seemed a surprise that Garland notched up his 100th AFL match this round – you almost would’ve assumed that he was at least a 150-gamer. But the respected Demon achieved the milestone against the Crows. The 25 year-old remains an integral part of Melbourne’s future and, based on his 2013 season – arguably his best yet – he will be right up there in the club’s best and fairest count on September 5.

One more to go …
So, with round 22 over, Melbourne’s disappointing season is almost at the end. But defender James Frawley says the Demons must give it their all in their final round of the season against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium this Sunday. Frawley said a win would give the Demons confidence heading into the pre-season. “There’s nothing to lose. We want to finish on a high note and take that confidence you have for the last game into next season and the pre-season,” he told melbournefc.com.au. “That’s what I want to try and portray to the boys. We’ve got another game to improve and get better. All the boys will be out there giving it a go.”

Can the Dees make it at least three?
The big question now is - can Melbourne finish 2013 with three wins – and its second over the Western Bulldogs? It now enters round 23 with just two victories for the year, with just four seasons worse since it was a foundation VFL/AFL club in 1897. Melbourne’s worst season remains 1919, when it failed to win a match. In 1906, 1951 and 1981, it won just one game. In 1914, Melbourne won two matches, but even that year could be considered better than 2013, given only 18 home and away matches were played that season. If Melbourne does defeat the Bulldogs, 2013 will join 1903, 1905, 1923, 1933, 1953, 1966, 1969, 1974 and 2008 as the only other seasons in which it has won three games.