IF
 
THEN
 
Adelaide
 
there's a player who deserves a bit of luck from here...
…it's Tom Lynch. He's back this week, eight weeks after the Viney "brace" which broke his jaw.
Brisbane Lions
 
Shane Crawford was well equipped to walk into a media gig when his career ended......Jono Brown might be even better placed. The offers are already pouring in.
Carlton
 
you've just secured the signatures of Gibbs and Yarran......make sure you add Menzel's too. Might happen this week.
Collingwood
 
Brodie Grundy keeps playing twos......maybe this column might have to re-evaluate its "all-time" tag on the bloke. Long way from conceding, though!
Essendon
 
we are reading this accurately...…big, big drama will engulf Paul Chapman tonight.
Fremantle
 
you want an example of a player prepared to back himself......install Nat Fyfe as Exhibit A. And don't forget we installed him as the second-best player in the comp before the season started. He might be No.1 come late September.
Geelong
 
we are reading this accurately......Joel Selwood will attempt to put Chappy's lights out at some stage tonight. Fairly, of course.
Gold Coast
 
Harley Bennell played his cards right...
...he wouldn't have signed his new deal until a week after his six-goal, career-best performance. Not the week before it.
Greater Western Sydney

 
you're Tom Boyd...
...you're going to be mightily rankled today at being axed. You'd also be entitled to start pondering the multiple big offers to play elsewhere that are already in front of you.
Hawthorn
 
a person told you in April that in June that Jon Ceglar would be playing AFL and Ben McEvoy VFL……you would have organised help for that person.
Melbourne
 
Melbourne is to consolidate the ground it has made this year......it simply beats the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
North Melbourneyou want a reminder why this game is still worth loving, and let's face it we all do after the events of the past two years......get the video of the moments after Ben Brown kicked his first goal last week. That's what it is meant to be about.
Port Adelaide
 
we're right about this club......it will not just win on Sunday but do an old-fashioned number on its cross-town rival.
Richmond
 
Dusty Martin had exited last year...
 
...this disastrous season would have been disastrously worse. Dusty is the only good thing about this mob right now.
St Kilda
 
Lenny Hayes and Nick Riewoldt weren't putting their bodies on the line each week......would anyone, even the most diehard of Saints supporters, have much reason to watch? Let us answer for you: nup.
Sydney Swans
 
Buddy hadn't been part of this club this year......you could mount a strong argument that it wouldn't even be in the eight right now. He's single-handedly won four, maybe five games.
West Coast
 
you hadn't heard of Jeremy McGovern three weeks ago, and need to admit here that we hadn't......it's fair to say you have now. Raw, young, looming as a gun. Just loving his work.
Western Bulldogsthere's a game of footy that a club simply has to win in 2014......it is this club this Sunday.

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Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian