| IF | THEN | |
| Adelaide | Sam Kerridge can single-handedly win a match in round nine, and be axed from the team after just two more matches … | … there’s big expectations and internal pressure on those in the Crows’ key forward posts against Richmond this weekend. |
| Brisbane Lions | the Lions can retain some form of composure after they emerge in round 14 from the toughest set of eight consecutive matches faced by any club in 2013 … | … there are seven winnable matches to come in the final nine rounds. |
| Carlton | Chris Yarran doesn’t, immediately, lose the hang-dog persona … | … he won’t be a Blue in 2014. Malthouse will always give a person one chance, but rarely two. |
| Collingwood | a player can regularly roost a football 60-plus metres over 200 AFL matches ... | … how can that same player, in his 12th season, regularly struggle to get the ball to even spin properly? Q-Stick, what the hell is happening mate? |
| Essendon | Tom Bellchambers keeps getting forced to play VFL … | … rival clubs should make him an offer he couldn’t refuse. |
| Fremantle | as is planned, Pavlich and Sandilands return to this team and immediately reach peak output … | … lock in the Dockers as one of the 2013 Grand Finalists. |
| Geelong | Jimmy Bartel thinks it OK at this time of year to take off to the States to watch LeBron and Parker fight it out in the NBA Championships … | … it is OK. Jimmy's earnt the right to do whatever he dang well pleases. |
| Gold Coast | Gary Ablett gets any better … | … forget the comparisons with his old man. By the end of '13 there may well be only a couple of players in the history of the game who could claim superiority. |
| Greater Western Sydney | Jeremy Cameron played for Carlton ... | ... the Blues would be a guaranteed top four side, maybe top two. |
| Hawthorn | the Hawks complain about free agency compensation for Buddy … | … they should take a look at what happens in the US. |
| Melbourne | the rabble that is the Melbourne board hadn't sacked Dean Bailey in late 2011 … | … would things have been as disastrous since? One word. No. |
| North Melbourne | the Roos don't start playing ruthless, as-though-there's-no-tomorrow footy … | … they will continue to be rightly exposed to accusations of mental fragility. |
| Port Adelaide | the Power don’t beat GWS this week … | … they will have a 5-10 scoreline after Round 16 (Sydney, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn are to come). |
| Richmond | Damien Hardwick doesn't start directing more inside-50 balls to Jack Riewoldt … | … he will risk caging his lion for too long. Lions shouldn't be caged for an entire season. |
| St Kilda | Leigh Montagna had his time over again ... | … he would have handballed to Riewoldt or Milne when he had the chance last week. Don’t hang him, he made a mistake. We all make them. |
| Sydney Swans | Shane Mumford caused a facial fracture to an opponent, as was inflicted upon him last week … | … there would have been, as his manager said, an outcry. |
| West Coast | John Worsfold has, indeed, decided he won't be coaching next year … | … no one could begrudge him. It's one very tough caper, and he's done it for a very long time. |
| Western Bulldogs | there is to be an $8 head-to-head upset in the AFL this season … | … might it be the Bulldogs this week? Hmmm. |
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Follow Damian Barrett on Twitter: @barrettdamian
