| IF | THEN | |
| Adelaide | Danger's manager flies to Adelaide and the two don't talk about 2016 ... | yeah, right. |
| Brisbane Lions | this club thought the really ugly days of the early '90s were a thing of the past ... | ... it's starting to think again. |
| Carlton | a Blues player is asked on a live microphone who he thinks and wants to be coach ... | ... he is going to say John Barker. Every single time. But it won't mean a thing, so stop giving it weight. |
| Collingwood | this club wants us to believe it has improved ... | ... as a starting point it either wins against, or pushes to the limit, the Bulldogs this weekend. We said it even when the win-loss tally was 8-3 and we'll say it again - we're far from convinced. |
| Essendon | there's ever a valid reason for a footballer to walk out on his club in-season ... | ... Jon Giles has such reason. |
| Fremantle | we think we know Ross The Boss like we like to think we know Ross The Boss ... | ... the Dockers will do a number on the Tiges. |
| Geelong | there ever was any doubt about Chris Scott's upcoming decisions to move the veterans on ... | ... Mathew Stokes' omission should remove that doubt. |
| Gold Coast | our reading of this is right after spending time with him during the week ... | ... Harley Bennell is deserving of one more chance. |
| Greater Western Sydney | Cam McCarthy can't get a senior game for the Giants ... | ... there's 17 other football clubs which will happily provide him with one. We're sticking with our initial opinion on this guy - will be an out-and-out superstar. |
| Hawthorn | you think everything's rosy with the Hawkers ... | ... remember a young man is dealing with the requirements of a third knee reconstruction. Feel for you, Alex Woodward. Again. |
| Melbourne | there's a match which Paul Roos simply must win ... | ... it is the one this weekend. |
| North Melbourne | you don't think Boomer is the second-best North player ever (and there's absolutely no question that Carey is No.1) ... | ... start the debate. It's fun. We've still got a very soft spot for Keith Greig, and Glendinning, and Blight, and Schimma, and Cable, but Boomer's case is super strong. |
| Port Adelaide | there's a team more capable of six wins to this point of the season ... | ... it's this mob. Forget the spin about failing to meet expectation. They've just failed, full stop. But it's round 17 and there is still time to make finals. |
| Richmond | the Tigers beat the Dockers this weekend ... | ... there will be 92,000 spectators next Friday night at the MCG for the game against Hawthorn. Maybe 93,000. |
| St Kilda | anyone has deserved a contract extension after just nine wins as a coach ... | it is Alan Richardson. But even he knows that from here, the real challenge, and outside scrutiny, begins. |
| Sydney Swans | we're going to make a call which could come back to haunt us ... | ... it is this: the Swans can't win the flag this year. |
| West Coast | this side can restrict Buddy without McGovern, Brown and MacKenzie ... | ... even those few remaining people who are yet to embrace this side's credentials will have to do so. |
| Western Bulldogs | the Bulldogs win this weekend - and they will ... | ... they'll have 10 wins for the year. They haven't reached 10 wins in a year since they last made a prelim final, in 2010. |
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Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian
