If

you're a glass half empty person, you're very worried by the manner of the losses to the Roos, Dees and Cats. But if you're a glass half full ...

 then ... you're embracing sitting second on the ladder and boasting about the second-best percentage.

If

there's going to be an upset in round 12 ...

 then ... here it is. The Lions can defeat the Dockers.

If

Billie Smedts makes the cut at final team selection ...

 then ... this Blues-Giants game could be a Cats reunion of sorts. Stevie J, Dawson Simpson and Mummy all potentially playing for the other mob.

If

you did proper due diligence on Daniel Wells ...

 then ... you wouldn't have committed to three years on big money at his age. And we said that last October. 



If

the Bombers' biggest image issue this week was a plate of pretzels which had been swiped onto the floor by BJ ...

 then ... Xavier Campbell and co. will take that any day, given another image issue which was ever apparent for the previous four years.

If there's no Sandilands for this match against the Lions ... then ... we sense danger. Round 10 was horrific, last week was poor, and yet they'll be thinking the Lions are easybeats.



If rounds 6-7-8 were scarily bad ... then ... rounds 9-10-11 were fantastically good. Poised beautifully for the second half of the season.

If anyone in the AFL deserves a second chance ... then ... it is Jarrod Harbrow. A terrible indiscretion at the backend of a distinguished off-field career. And a classy apology.

If Deledio's comeback stays on track ... then ... look out. Imagine him becoming part of this 22 entering September.

If you recruit Ty Vickery ... then ... you should just play him. It's not as if he's doing anything differently this season to what he had in the previous eight at another club. We feel sorry for him.



If

the light-hearted, clever and amusing Taylor Adams-Bernie Vince sledging during the week was a tennis match ...

 then ... it's 40-30 Bernie's way. A win on Monday would give him the game.

If Todd Goldstein is in the Roos' team to play the Saints in round 13 ... then ... he's going to need to play well to hold his spot for round 14. It actually is an 'if' that he'll be named.

If

the big man recruiting drive at the end of 2014 and 2015 didn't look too good by the end of 2016 ...

 then ... halfway through 2017 it's looking like the best recruiting ever. Ryder the All Australian ruck. Dixon flying.



If Rance, Dusty and Cotch rightly draw the main media attention ... then ... that's just how footy works. But we reckon Dimma would be just as impressed with Houli, Astbury, Lambert and McIntosh. 

If

the Saints are to retrieve this season which is clearly slipping away ...

 then ... Josh Bruce must be part of what lies ahead. Good to see him back.



If you can play like that in round 12 ... then ... we wonder what happened beforehand. The 2017 flame not yet doused.



If

you don't have any mongrel ...

 then ... you don't stand a chance. And mongrel isn't something you can manufacture.

If Libba isn't back next week ... then ... well, he will be after what happened at the SCG.

And by popular request ...

If

there's something off-Broadway which continues to nag away in our mind ...

 then

... it is that game rules, as they stand, could see a player robbed of mark of the year if a teammate is infringed upon in the same play and deemed worthy of a free kick. We'd urge for umpire discretion to allow the mark to trump the free.

Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian