WITH the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership season heading into finals, Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is really heating up.

So what's Damo saying about your club? What's he saying about the AFL? You can't say that, Damo, can you?

Oh, and be sure you tune in to AFL Daily as Nat and Damo put the spotlight on all the big issues. Check it out

IF ...

the Crows can find a couple more bargain basement Ben Keays-types in the next Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period ...

THEN ...

their rebuild will start to take nice shape.

IF ..

Joe Daniher drives Brisbane to a flag ...

THEN ...

he will sit very comfortably at the Daniher reunions. And that takes some extraordinary doing.

IF ...

the "new" president, who happens to have been on the board for nine years already, was pitching the coaching job to Ross Lyon after he had personally called for an "independent", and very expensive, review of football operations, which obviously and perhaps calculatedly left his club's coach, David Teague, hanging out to dry ...

THEN ...

that review is the true definition of smokescreen. What was Luke Sayers actually doing as a Blues director for the previous nine years? Then Clarko said 'no' to him. And it's now very clear that not everyone on his own board is in sync with him on the Plan B Lyon project. Interesting times for him, his club and Lyon.

IF ...

Pendles copped some higher-than-thou backlash from certain commentators about daring to speculate publicly about a non-Collingwood future ...

THEN ...

that was unfortunate and unfair. Remember, loyalty is a two-way street, and Collingwood showed none of that particular quality last year when it brutally off-loaded Stephenson, Treloar and Phillips. Wish Pendles had stayed the course on the talk at least, and not bailed out when things got a bit hot.

IF ...

I'm a strong and long-time advocate on the need to fully celebrate those who make the Therabody AFL All-Australian team and not publicly lament those who miss out ...

THEN ...

I'm nevertheless reserving a touch of heartache for Jakey Stringer. Can't believe he wasn't a 2021 All-Australian. Could not have done one thing more to warrant a berth. Hope he has another blinder on Sunday against the team which turfed him out when he was at a personal and professional low. Absolutely love his comeback story.

IF ...

Adam Cerra is worth $750,000 a season on the open market ...

THEN ...

Sean Darcy is entering Tom Lynch territory.

IF ...

Mitch Duncan is anywhere near fit ...

THEN ...

the premiership push is back on track, after last week's reality check in coughing up a 44-point lead against the Dees. So, so important to the Cats, even at 30, after a long stint on the injury sidelines and after 12 seasons.

IF ...

Ben King in his third season can boot 47 goals – just 11 short of the Coleman Medal winning figure, and only one shy of Bud - for this regularly dysfunctional football team ...

THEN ...

we're witnessing a very, very special talent.

IF ...

Cogs seemed poised for greatness during 2019 ...

THEN ...

serious injury has stifled that possibility. Back for a Giants final against the Swans on Saturday, but talk of being back to hometown Perth by 2022 just doesn't go away.

IF ...

the past two months have been surreal for Hawks supporters ...

THEN ...

it's real now. One of the greatest coaches of all time ain't coming back. Turfed out by Jeff. And the Hawks will be paying him $1 million next year … to do whatever he pleases. And that $1 million will be removed from the Hawks' coaching soft cap. Just think, slowly, about what has happened here. And Jeff still feels the need to call out the accountability of everyone else in society.

IF ...

Melbourne was to win the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership and Nathan Jones doesn't play ...

THEN ...

more proof that footy fairytales are rare. This one would be a hard luck story for the ages.

IF ...

post round eight the 2021 season had some OK performances ...

THEN ...

it was nevertheless a fail. Just the four wins, and a first wooden spoon since 1972. After three wins (from a 17-match season) and second last position in 2020. Surely no one at this club is in any way satisfied with this.

IF ...

after Friday night's qualifying final against the Cats there is the guarantee of a second Adelaide Oval final for the Power ...

THEN ...

may as well make it the prelim and not the semi. While every team would be forced to play finals at non-preferred venues, that would be the saloon passage through to the big one.

IF ...

the really nice guys often don’t get the big plaudits ...

THEN ...

occasionally they do. Dylan Grimes, the 2021 Tigers' best and fairest. Love it.

IF ...

the 2020 season was very good ...

THEN ...

2021 was very bad. Not convinced 2022 will be any different.

IF ...

the Swans don't get the Luke Parker deal done ...

THEN ...

that would be very un-Sydney like.

IF ...

Josh Kennedy plays on ...

THEN ...

Oscar Allen needs a newly defined role in 2022. Somehow went from being the next very big thing to a mere bit player.

IF ...

Bont kicks four, dishes off another three and racks up 35 touches against the Bombers ...

THEN ...

I won't be surprised. Sure, he's been quiet the past fortnight, but he's still the best in the comp.

AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL

IF ...

it was seriously talked about 10 days ago ...

THEN ...

while that talk is nowhere near as loud right now, it hasn’t totally disappeared. Probably highly unlikely, but there are some still bouncing around the possibility of a September 18 Grand Final, a week earlier than 'fixtured'.