THE 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season is in full swing, and Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back!
So put your seatbelt on and enjoy the ride as Damo takes off the gloves and takes aim at your team.
So what is he saying about your club? What's he saying about the AFL? You can't say that, Damo, can you? Check it out below.
>> Check out the latest from Damian Barrett
IF ...
the 2024 season has been a waste for the club ...
THEN ...
it may also be viewed as one in which the next big thing actually became one. Izak Rankine is next level as a midfielder.
IF ..
Maxxy and Brodie are still one-two on the starting grid for more All-Australian gongs ...
THEN ...
the Big O, after 16 rounds of qualifying, is jostling for third place, with enough time left to get to the front.
IF ...
the Blues have the luxury of leaving George Hewett out of their round 17 game against GWS ...
THEN ...
how well are they travelling?! And I get it. The recovered-from-injury Matt Cottrell had to come back in.
IF ...
Nick Daicos has already set the highest-ever benchmark of performance for someone just halfway through his third season ...
THEN ...
he somehow keeps getting better. Every. Single. Week. There may be no ceiling to what this 21-year-old is capable of. And remember, he would've already won a Brownlow as a 20-year-old had he not got injured.
IF ...
the Bombers have gone with big Goldy in 13 of their 15 matches ...
THEN ...
they've blinked on this massive Friday night game against Collingwood. He's out, "managed", leaving Sam Draper one out. A big call.
IF ...
big Sean Darcy is in the team ...
THEN ...
the Dockers will stay in the flag conversation. With him on the sidelines, they're a fringe finals possibility only. Starting to get some footy back into his system after another injury-interrupted start to the year, and helped take down Grundy and co last week. The Freo X-factor.
IF ...
the forward line looked so much more dynamic without Tomahawk last weekend ...
THEN ...
it will be even moreso this week, with Ollie Henry back.
IF ...
Dimma in 2021 said, "Mate, I hate coming here" of Marvel Stadium ...
THEN ...
it's clearly become a curse. He hasn't coached a win at the venue since the week he publicly blew up about it when at Richmond. Two losses already as Suns' boss. The Roos are next up. Surely he breaks the hoodoo. Surely??
IF ...
Sam Taylor remains sidelined with injury and Josh Kelly has again been sidelined ...
THEN ...
the Giants don't seem capable of working through their current drastic slump. Taylor and Kelly are among their best three players. And the third member of that trio, Toby, has been nowhere near his best in 2024.
IF ...
Mitch Lewis' return is a huge moment for Hawthorn ...
THEN ...
the loss of brilliant captain James Sicily is equally deflating. The Hawks have a beautiful "get on with it" attitude in 2024, though, and won't be daunted by the trip to the Cattery.
IF ...
Jake Melksham hasn't played since blowing out his knee in the final round last year and will soon turn 33 ...
THEN ...
no point in making him return via the VFL. If something is to be made of this spluttering season, may as well roll the dice on him immediately.
IF ...
Paul Roos' negative North Melbourne comments this week were made in the context of comparing list depth of VFL teams in the 1980s with those in the AFL in the 2020s ...
THEN ...
I get it. And he may not be wrong. "Carlton's seconds team in the early 1980s would beat North Melbourne right now," he said. I've always loved dealing with Roosy, a great guy, all-time great player and all-time great coach, but you know there's a 'but' coming and here it is … Roosy was getting paid very good dollars to fix North as a consultant, all the way from the USA, when it endorsed his recommendations which took it further into an oblivion from which it is yet to emerge.
IF ...
the Western Bulldogs didn't want Jordon Sweet ...
THEN ...
what an opportunity for him to respond, at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. A massive match for Sweet, as well as both clubs and coaches. And it would be nice to see the Port supporters show some class toward their own coach, regardless of the result. Never Tear Us Apart, and all that.
IF ...
Dusty has played everyone off a break for the entirety of his career ...
THEN ...
he's clicked it up a few gears in the past six weeks. He knows exactly what he wants to do next year. He just hasn't told anyone at Richmond.
IF ...
Max King was as big a name as any in the much-lauded 2018 national draft intake ...
THEN ...
the six seasons he's had in the AFL have been tough. Out for the remainder of 2024 with PCL damage. When rehabilitated from that, he needs to embark upon an old-fashioned, all-body weights program so that his obvious talent gets a proper chance to shine.
IF ...
the round 16 loss to the Dockers was unexpected ...
THEN ...
at 13-2 the Swans are still travelling sensationally. Two losses only, by a combined six points. It's difficult to maintain peak energy every weekend.
IF ...
since the start of 2022 the Eagles scoreline is eight wins, 52 losses, with seven of those 52 losses being by 100-plus points ...
THEN ...
it's an unmitigated disaster. In that period, the home ground record has been 6-26, the away record 2-26. They've lost nine of their past 10. This once mighty, once fiercely proud organisation has become the easiest of easybeats. And whatever that was early this season was clearly a false dawn.
IF ...
being on the same page and headspace as Bevo is something I haven't often found myself on ...
THEN ...
weird times this week. I was there this week. Fully agreed with him in his fierce defence of Cody Weightman. And really glad he spoke up when others were ridiculously questioning Cody's character.
AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL
IF ...
I was Andrew Dillon ...
THEN ...
while I understand his need to publicly support his under-siege umpires and football department, I wouldn't have said: "I think it's as good as it's ever been, the umpiring." Simply because it's not.