| If | Scott Thompson doesn't get a game before season's end ... | then | ... we'll be very surprised. Deserves a chance. |
| If | we've been critical of Rocky ... | then | ... we need to be fair here. He's been very, very good this year. |
| If | it was Liam Jones last week ... | then | ... no reason it can't be Blaine Boekhorst this week. Wishing him luck, as he's copped a lot of unfair heat. |
Liam Jones played the game of his life last week. Picture: AFL Photos
| If | you don't get Elliott back soon ... | then | ... there's no finals. Every bit as important, arguably more so, than Pendlebury, Grundy, Sidebottom, Treloar, Adams. |
| If | big Belcho maintains his form from round 12 through to the end of the season ... | then | ... this is going to be one serious footy side. |
Tom Bellchambers has been in hot form. Picture: AFL Photos
| If | you wanted to undo every bit of positivity rightly earnt in rounds three to nine ... | then | ... congratulations, you did it with a truly pathetic past three matches. We've stuck fat with the Ross The Boss stuff, but we're just about done. |
| If | you keep teasing us and then letting us down in a crunch game ... | then | ... we're unconvinced. You'll be thereabouts as always, but you're not winning it. |
| If | you've just secured two consecutive wins for a total of five after 11 games, with Carlton, St Kilda, North, Sydney and Collingwood up next ... | then | ... you're still a finals chance. This club, though, since its inception, has never produced consistency. |
| If | there was an award for faux outrage this week ... | then | ... it would go to this mob. Nick Maxwell knew exactly what he was doing. Spare us the cry-foul rants of those around him trying to defend his boundary-crossing gamesmanship. |
| If | you're smart about this from here ... | then | ... you cotton-wool O'Meara. No point putting pressure on him to play again this year. Get him right for 2018. |
Will Jaeger O'Meara play again this year? Picture: AFL Photos
| If | you don't stand up against the Bulldogs, and that doesn't even mean you have to win ... | then | ... forget having an impact on 2017. We really like what we are seeing, but we need to see it this Sunday to be convinced. |
| If | the club was bigger than the individual with the decision to end his career ... | then | ... we don't see the reason, a year later, to retire the No.29 guernsey. And we still associate that jumper with Phil 'Long Bombs To Snake' Baker more than Boomer anyway! |
| If | there was one Power player we didn't expect to be axed this year ... | then | ... it was Pittard. |
Jasper Pittard was surprisingly dropped by the Power. Picture: AFL Photos
| If | Nankervis wants to really rub it into the Swans that they traded out the better ruckman ... | then | ... he'll do a number on Naismith in this game. But will he? Very big moment for him. |
| If | someone writes some nasty words about you, Joey, ... | then | ... we'd reckon your body of work over 16 seasons would be sufficient enough to not give two hoots. Derm – every right to express a strong opinion. Joey – every right to not care. |
| If | you start 0-6 ... | then | ... you don't deserve to still be in the premiership hunt. But you are. And you know it. |
| If | you've been beaten to three-quarter time against the comp's best player but stand up in a difficult last quarter ... | then | ... a big well done. Don't know what happened in 2016 to Yeo. But he's the standout best-and-fairest to this point of this year. |
Elliot Yeo was again among the Eagles' best on Thursday night. Picture: AFL Photos
| If | in the history of the VFL/AFL there's been a more ruthless coach with team selection than Bevo ... | then | ... forget it. There hasn't been. |
And by popular request ...
| If | it was up to us ... | then | ... Clarko would've copped a financial sanction four, maybe five, times greater than the $5000 he was given. And been told his next umpire abuse transgression would be a three-game suspension. |
Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian
