THE 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season is heading towards a dramatic conclusion, and Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back for another week!

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 ...

I reckon Max Michalanney is going to be a very big thing down the track ...

THEN ...

I also reckon he shouldn't be playing this week, nor maybe even the two following that, after what he did to Nick Watson last Sunday. It's still a lottery what you can and can't inflict on an opponent's head and neck region.

IF ..

there's a 36-year-old at another club getting a heap of deserved love this week as he nears game No.400 ...

THEN ...

there's a 35-year-old at this club who deserves a lot, too. Dayne Zorko. He may be 130 games short of the other guy, but what a player. Has been as crucial as anyone associated with the Lions in their powerful resurgence in the back half of the season.

IF ...

the 2024 season has been more than OK without being outstanding ...

THEN ...

what an opportunity on Saturday night to gatecrash Collingwood's gala party for its favourite son, Pendles, and kickstart a powerful charge to September. 

IF ...

Pendles has long staked a claim at being Collingwood's best ever player ...

THEN ...

he's also long staked one as being the guy every supporter of every other club would love to claim as their own. That he is better in 2024 than he was in 2006 is extraordinary. Gun talent. Gun guy. He'll get to 450.

IF ...

the world seemed to cave in for the Bombers in the past fortnight, with terrible losses to Adelaide and St Kilda ...

THEN ...

here's another way the club can approach its current plight. Beginning with Fremantle on Sunday, four matches remain. Win all four and you make finals. 

IF ...

Nat Fyfe and the Dockers weren't happy with a one-match ban for his hit on Jai Culley ...

THEN ...

not sure why. Sure, it was out of character, but it was deserving of a game ban. And there is a beautiful silver lining – a week off at this late stage of season No.15 will be great for his banged-up body.

IF ...

you were in an ambulance being taken to hospital last Sunday morning, in, according to Ambulance Victoria, a "serious condition" after a night out at a bar ...

THEN ...

it's a near miracle that you've been named to play the following Saturday. Good recovery sessions for Tyson Stengle.

IF ...

in the pre-season Dimma said of his new club: "We're not developing any more, we've got a group capable of doing great things. I'm not going to put a ceiling on it, but I'm certainly going to put a floor for us – it's finals" ...

THEN ...

as always for the Suns, nothing has actually changed. Eight premiership points and a heap of percentage outside the top eight with four matches remaining. They couldn't possibly lose to the Eagles on Friday night, could they?

IF ...

Callan Ward already has 309 matches behind him ...

THEN ...

he's still having high-end impact in his 17th season. Old-fashioned footy smarts and old-school hardness still have a prominent place in the modern game.

IF ...

there have been many heroes in the Hawks' stunning recovery from a 0-5 start ...

THEN ...

few have been bigger than Connor Macdonald. There's a vibrancy in everything he does.

IF ...

Demons fans couldn't be bothered attending a match at the MCG last week, with just 16,246 at the Saturday night game against GWS ...

THEN ...

little chance they would bother with a Friday night excursion to Marvel Stadium.

IF ...

North Melbourne's form has improved in the past two months ...

THEN ...

surely no one is getting ahead of themselves internally. Last time I checked, there were still just two wins to this point of the 2024 season, three from 2023, two from 2022, four from 2021, and three from 2020. Which is why the Roos MUST beat Richmond on Saturday. This is a wins and losses business, not a "nice losses" one.

IF ...

knee recos can be career-jeopardising ...

THEN ...

not for Mitch Georgiades. He's returned a better player after his, and increases by the week his importance in the Power's hopes of surviving late into September.

IF ...

Dusty and Nank are back ...

THEN ...

this may be the Tigers' long overdue third win for the season, on Saturday against the Roos. 

IF ...

you'd never seen a game of footy until last weekend ...

THEN ...

you'd be entitled to believe Cooper Sharman was one of the game's elite. He destroyed Essendon. Hope it's the official launch pad for a big career.

IF ...

the Swans are going to win this year's flag ...

THEN ...

the key forward combo must start to click. The midfield can't keep covering for it. McDonald, Amartey, McLean. They're all nicely talented. Time to step up consistently.

IF ...

once upon a time a contract was a contract ...

THEN ...

in 2024 a contract doesn't mean much. Tom Barrass and the Eagles - contracted to be together until the end of 2027. Barrass met with Sam Mitchell this week. This contract is meaningless.

IF ...

Sam Darcy can't win the 2024 Rising Star award due to match suspension ineligibility ...

THEN ...

it won't matter when in two, maybe three, seasons, he will be challenging for the title of the AFL's most damaging player.

AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL

IF ...

it's August 2 and the round 24 fixture, with an August 22 or 23 start, is yet to be signed-off on ...

THEN ...

here's proof the competition can cope with season-long floating scheduling. Too many games are being played in the wrong slots.