| If | it started as mild questioning last Friday night during the loss to Collingwood ... |
| then | by the following Thursday the criticism of Texan had become an industry wide pile-on and a race to peak outrage. Cut him some slack. Didn't do a proper pre-season and his foot is not good. |
| If | Hodgey wants the talk to dissipate ... |
| then | a best-on-ground performance in a QClash would ensure that. |
| If | you were any chance of beating a team containing Nic Naitanui ... |
| then | you needed Matty Kreuzer. |
| If | we were in charge of selection at the Pies ... |
| then | we'd be making Daniel Wells play three more times in the VFL before considering promoting him. |
| If | the Bombers forward line options actually jell ... |
| then | look out. Smith, Daniher, Stringer, Fantasia, Stewart, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Green. Potentially the most dynamic attacking set-up in the comp. |
| If | you're in his camp ... |
| then | you could mount a serious argument that Mundy has been the best player taken in the 2003 draft. Competition to that argument would focus on Cooney, Fisher, Shaw, Walker, Stanton. |
| If | the usually good judges we talk to are on the money ... |
| then | it's 'sky is the limit' for Parfitt. |
| If | the past two matches, both in Perth, have been bad for the Suns ... |
| then | the fact remains that a 2-2 scoreline after the first four matches is still a good outcome. |
| If | there's one thing we love in footy ... |
| then | it's an older player defying his body and the odds. Would be happy for Deledio and Griffen to experience the premiership success their former teammates have in the past two years. |
| If | Rioli is irreplaceable and Puopolo extremely important ... |
| then | extended time on the sidelines is not ideal. But there's something about this new Hawks set-up this year. They just get on with things, and strongly believe they can win the 2018 flag. |
| If | Demons officials could have time over again ... |
| then | they'd go back to late last season and take the macro view on Viney's foot problems, and not rush him back in an attempt to make finals. |
| If | Jacobs stops Mitchell on Sunday ... |
| then | his comeback is complete. |
| If | there's one guy set for a big night at Adelaide Oval this weekend ... |
| then | it is big Charlie. No Henderson, no Taylor. We've got him down for six. |
| If | there's one thing left that Dusty hasn't yet done ... |
| then | it's kick a bag. As in a double-figure bag. Come on Dimma, give him licence to do so at the 'G on Tuesday night. |
| If | Richo can somehow conjure a competitive performance against the Giants ... |
| then | some of the doom will evaporate. But that is a really big "if". |
| If | you're into stats ... |
| then | you'll be excited that in his 14 years in the AFL, Buddy has only once before kicked more goals after a season's opening four rounds. 17 goals in 2018, 21 in 2008 - when he ended up with 113. |
| If | Adam Simpson was prepared to publicly say he was a "little bit concerned" about the hardness of Optus Stadium ... |
| then | that is code for "almightily worried and angered". Normally not one to create headlines, Simpson. |
| If | Luke Beveridge, in his own words, "had one or two criminals in my family" ... |
| then | "there'd be a few flat tyres" on cars belonging to journalists. Interesting stuff from Luke. |
| If | a goal umpire is missing a white flag this weekend ... |
| then | the AFL legal department has a spare one. Waved it vigorously as it needlessly caved in on Wednesday on the Katie Brennan issue. |
