| IF | THEN | |
| Adelaide | Brenton Sanderson doesn't use this week's break to take stock and demand of his players a change to their non-tackling ways ... | ... there won’t be a consecutive appearance in September. |
| Brisbane Lions | Lions youngsters Karnezis, Zorko, Bewick, Docherty, Longer, Green, Beams, Lester and co. can fire in 2013 ... | ... the recruiting nightmares of 2009 will be partially forgotten, maybe even partially forgiven. |
| Carlton | the Blues don't secure a big key forward for Mick Malthouse in the next trade period ... | ... the logic behind securing him as coach won't ever be able to reach its optimum. |
| Collingwood | Collingwood wants its new development at Westpac Centre to be real schmick ... | ... it needs one more car park. |
| Essendon | teams don't put a hard tag on Jobe Watson in season 2013 ... | ... here we come, back-to-back Brownlows. |
| Fremantle | Ross Lyon is serious – and he IS - when he says the Dockers are not chasing Buddy Franklin ... | ... he should change his mind. |
| Geelong | Mark Blicavs, as expected, makes a serious impact in this and subsequent seasons ... | ... all recruiters should ditch their old methods. |
| Gold Coast | the Suns can convince Gary Ablett to re-sign with the club and reject the strong pull of finishing his career in Victoria ... | ... it will be football's greatest list management miracle. |
| Greater Western Sydney | GWS is serious about gaining media attention in the Sydney media ... | ... it should encourage Kevin Sheedy to come out of his shell at least three times a week and say a few odd things. Oh, hang on. |
| Hawthorn | Brad Sewell doesn't change the courageous way he plays the game ... | ... he will concede more sliding free kicks than any other player in the competition. |
| Melbourne | the Dees don't defeat Port Adelaide this weekend ... | ... well, for Mark Neeld that is one seriously ugly thought. |
| North Melbourne | you're into premature predictions based more on gut feel than established logic ... | ... Shaun Atley will be All-Australian in 2013. |
| Port Adelaide | the Power can cash in on a favourable opening four rounds of the season ... | ... there will be rival club boards asking themselves how they overlooked Ken Hinkley. |
| Richmond | the Tigers are to make the final eight this season ... | ... Jack Riewoldt needs to make it more about him. Be selfish, Jack. Don't pass to teammates. |
| St Kilda | the Saints lose to, or struggle against, the Suns on the weekend ... | ... Justin Koschitzke will need to be moved to the backline for the rest of the year. |
| Sydney Swans | the Swans continue to get a fully paid-for 9.8 per cent cost-of-living allowance, and win a second consecutive premiership in 2013 against, say, Collingwood ... | ... Eddie McGuire's already-smoldering head will burst into flame and then explode. |
| West Coast | the Eagles continue to play Mitch Brown as an emergency ... | ... he's outta there. Actually, he probably is anyway. |
| Western Bulldogs | the Bulldogs can win five games this season ... | ... it will be three more than expected. |
Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian
