WITH the AFL season in full swing, Sliding Doors is hitting its straps. 

>> See more Sliding Doors here

So what's Damo saying about your club? What's he saying about the AFL? Check it out.

IF ...

the ugly five weeks of Gold Coast hub are behind them ...

THEN ...

there's no reason the Crows can’t get their first win of 2020 on Monday night. At home, against the brittle Saints. Let's see if they have some fight.

IF ...

they were viewed by some as Grand Final certainties before the last round ...

THEN ...

the Lions look vulnerable going into round seven. It is that sort of season. And an "old-fashioned" away game against the Giants on Saturday will be very challenging.

IF ...

the 2020 Blues were a stock ... 

THEN ...

I'd be buying it before Sunday's match against ladder leader Port Adelaide. It's still a speculative proposition, but getting in early, buying low.

 

IF ...

you have ever doubted the footy talent of De Goey ...

THEN ...

don’t do it again. Anyone who can kick two, three, four and three goals respectively in qualifying, semi, preliminary and Grand Finals has elite talent. Yes, he doesn’t produce it every week, and yes, he’s been involved in a lot of highly questionable off-field situations, one which is serious and will play out in the courts in October. Among the best half-dozen players in the game when at his best, and his five goals (of the Pies’ eight) in a big win on Thursday night was more proof of that.

IF ...

you combine Hurley, Hooker, Ridley, Saad, McKenna and Redman ...

THEN ...

you have one of the game's very best backlines. Up to those six to prove if they're the actual best. They seem capable of doing that.

IF ...

this time last week I wrote this: "IF Nat Fyfe has had some problems with soft tissue issues in the past THEN no idea why he's playing this weekend, just one match after he felt hamstring soreness" ... 

THEN ...

with Fyfe choosing to play last weekend and aggravating that same problem and now missing several weeks, the Dockers medicos and Fyfe himself need to properly debrief on what the heck happened in him being cleared for round six.

IF ...

his stats look sort-of OK ...

THEN ...

his impact has been something far less. After 11 seasons at one club – where he won four best-and-fairests in teams which never made finals - it was never going to be easy coming into a new, well-established team. Jack Steven yet to have any impact for the Cats.

 

IF ...

after round one, following the Suns' belting by the Power, which came on the back of nine seasons of results no better than 12th, there were people calling for the end of AFL involvement on the Gold Coast ...

THEN ...

three months later the region has become the sport's heartbeat. And maybe forever a key plank of big picture plans, with - or even without - the 2020 Brownlow and Grand Final being held there.

IF ...

Taranto is back ...

THEN ...

the Giants are back. Best-and-fairest in a Grand Final finish in 2019. And I'm backing Coniglio to be best afield against the Lions on Saturday.

IF ...

anyone thinks Clarko will give up on the 2020 premiership before it becomes mathematically impossible to win ... 

THEN ...

they don't know Clarko.

IF ...

the Demons beat the Hawks on Sunday, which for what it's worth I'm tipping them to do ... 

THEN ...

that mathematical challenge for Clarko becomes more problematic.

IF ...

I'm to analyse it brutally ... 

THEN ...

absolutely nothing has changed since Glenn Archer and Ben Buckley sacked Brad Scott. That is an assessment of Glenn and Ben, not new coach Rhyce Shaw. Hope Glenn and Ben have several detailed layers to their plan to properly rejuvenate the joint.

IF ...

Port was ultra impressive last weekend against GWS ...

THEN ...

it needs to frank the performance on Sunday against the Blues. And doing so won't be as easy as some think. Big game.

IF ...

Dimma had a crack at Horse, and Horse had a crack back ... 

THEN ...

so be it, I absolutely loved it. Two strong individuals who won’t back down. Should be more of it. Both contributed to that ugly game. And there was no need to publicly smooth things over, either. It's OK, and natural, to have a verbal stoush when you're legitimately fired up. Actually wish everyone would stop wanting to present as choir boys to the public.

IF ...

the Saints are 3-3 ...

THEN ...

that's nice. But they've thrown away two matches – round one v North and last week against the Dockers, both when they were five goals up. Which leaves them no margin for error against the 18th-placed Crows on Monday night.

IF ...

everyone is writing this mob off ...

THEN ...

I'm clearly in the minority. Will concede they won't make finals now, with Heeney and Kennedy joining Bud and Reid on the long-term sidelines, but there's still high-end talent. With Aliir, Sinclair and McCartin returning this week, Saturday's game against Gold Coast won’t necessarily be the Suns' for the taking.

IF ...

the season was slipping away ... 

THEN ...

the Swans (17th on ladder) and Crows (18th) presented themselves at beautifully opportune time. Dockers (14th) are next.

IF ...

the Dogs players wanted to form an '80s cover band ... 

THEN ...

they've got Bailey Smith and this weekend's debutant Cody Weightman as lead singer and lead guitar. Hair everywhere. Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison, Van Halen, Motley Crue covers at Star Bar. Smith, the Dogs' first pick in the 2018 draft, is already a (rock) star. Weightman, taken with the corresponding selection in 2019, is going to be. Bont can be the third string and play drums, because as Poison reminded us, Every Rose Has Its Thorn.

AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL

IF ...

it's 10 years too late ...

THEN ...

it's still better than never. Finally, the Match Review Officer has it right with head-high incidents. Forever more, stop prioritising the "evidence" relating to the damage caused by the act, and adjudicate on the act itself, particularly the intent.