IF Brisbane was a racehorse in a Group One handicap ... THEN
Sliding Doors is in full swing for 2025 .. and Damo's got plenty on his mindIF Brisbane was a racehorse lining up in a Group 1 handicap ... THENSTRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is in full swing for 2025.With the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season heading towards a dramatic conclusion, Damo's got plenty of thoughts about all 18 clubs - and the AFL.So what is he saying about your team? What's he saying about the AFL? You can't say that, Damo, can you? Check it out below.>> ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION FROM DAMIAN BARRETTIF ...the Adelaide Oval grandstands literally swayed from supporter jubilation on the night the Crows beat Geelong in the 2017 preliminary final ...THEN ...there's every chance they will be swaying again on Saturday night should they beat the Pies and all but secure the minor premiership.IF ..Brisbane was a racehorse lining up in a Group One handicap, say the Melbourne Cup or Doncaster Handicap ...THEN ...the handicapper has assigned it a topweight 62.5 kilograms, three kilos more than all other runners. Their six double-up matches are against the top 10 teams – Cats, Bulldogs, Suns, Pies, Swans, Hawks. That very heavy weight, combined with a troubling injury toll, has left it needing a Glen Boss-style of brilliantly timed sprint from here.IF ...not enough football matches have been won by the Blues in 2025 ...THEN ...a little win has come late in the form of 2024 mid-season draftee Cooper Lord. Has performed nicely in the past fortnight against two of the very best midfielders in the game, Noah Anderson and Caleb Serong.IF ...four of the past five Pies matches have been messy ...THEN ...14 of the previous 16 were close to perfection. Not tipping a win, but confident they will return to something at least resembling their very best on Saturday night against the ladder-leading Crows.IF ...it is three years to the week since David Barham, having already been on the Bombers' board for seven years, publicly declared himself an "agent for some sort of change" as he rolled Paul Brasher as president, Ben Rutten as coach and Xavier Campbell as CEO and publicly committed to making the Bombers relevant again ...THEN ...I only see a club more irrelevant than ever. "We will be a bold and courageous football club again, we need to return to being a successful football club," Barham said at the time.IF ...Jye Amiss' fourth season hasn't been as goal-productive as his second and third seasons (28 this year, 41 in 2023, 36 in 2024) ...THEN ...he's still contributed at key times. With the addition of the 'Prancing Pony' Pat Voss, who has booted 31 goals from 14 matches this season, Amiss hasn't been required to hit the scoreboard as much. The Treacy-Amiss-Voss combo looms very large.Learn More 01:27IF ...the NFL has Travis Kelce ...THEN ...the AFL has got Bailey Smith. Two rockstar footballers brilliant at their respective professional crafts, and arguably even more clever with how they – and those around them - create non-football headlines. Wish there were more of them.IF ...Ben King booted six in his first match this season and again in his most recent, as well as a bag of five and three other returns of four, leading to 57 for the year ...THEN ...it's a very good season. Only Jez Cameron has more, albeit 22 more.Learn More 03:33IF ...there were always going to be (ham)strings attached to Jake's recruitment ...THEN ...unfortunately those hamstrings have now pinged on three occasions. Stringer now out for at least the remainder of the home and away season. Already without Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan, gun back Jack Buckley and brilliant mids Josh Kelly and Brent Daniels, the Giants are going to need to be courageous to get through both the Suns and Saints in order to qualify for the finals.IF ...there have been many bigger names and profiles at Hawthorn than Luke Breust ...THEN ...there haven't been too many with more impact. 552 goals from 306 matches. Retiring at the end of 2025. Reckon he's a chance for the Australian Football Hall Of Fame.IF ...Steven May is back after three weeks of suspension ...THEN ...that's a positive. But there are four tall gun forwards on the Hawks team. No idea how the Demons will stop the goals on Saturday at the MCG.IF ...Clarko doesn't like the "hysteria of expectation" placed on him this year, his third in charge of the Roos ...THEN ...I wonder how he's approaching Sunday's match against Richmond. Surely, even in his world of spin and diversion and irrelevant Hawthorn reflections from 20 years ago, there is nothing hysterical about expecting the Roos to win this one.IF ...Kenny has two gigs left in his farewell tour as Port Adelaide coach ...THEN ...surely he's going to go out with Motley Crue-style blazing pyrotechnics and deafening noise. Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval next Friday.IF ...Josh Gibcus has been named among the extended squad for Sunday's match against North Melbourne ...THEN ...I really hope he makes the starting 23. The No.9 pick in the 2021 national draft, played 18 matches including a final in his first year. Knee and hamstring injuries have cruelled him since. Missed all of 2023 and not seen at senior level since round one last year. The footy gods owe him one. Or two.IF ...Ross chose to take some folding to appear on TV on a Tuesday night ...THEN ...he should be big enough to answer all questions thrown his way at a media conference on Wednesday. It's not that hard, particularly for someone as experienced as this guy. The pressure is clearly mounting.IF ...the late start to the 2025 season for Errol Gulden finally helped the Swans find good form ...THEN ...it is still a wasted year. Even without the brilliant Gulden, there was enough talent on this list for it to be way more competitive in the early rounds. Should be vying for a place in the eight.Learn More 00:32IF ...the Eagles keep the margin against the Bulldogs on Sunday to less than 85 points ...THEN ...they will be doing well. And that is how far this once mighty club has slumped.IF ...the Bulldogs hadn't fallen out with Bailey Smith and had been able to get Jamarra Ugle-Hagan onto the park ...THEN ...they'd be top four, maybe top two, right now.AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFLIF ...the Match Review Office did what it should have done in the pre-season and suspended Reuben Ginbey for his ultimately jaw-breaking push of Sam Lalor ...THEN ...I highly doubt Dylan Shiel would have felt it OK to push Mark O'Connor last weekend, a move which ultimately concussed Shiel's teammate. And yet again, we had a week where a Tribunal panel took nearly two hours to deliberate amongst itself before arriving at a verdict. Really keen to see how Swanny will fix this mess before the 2026 season.
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