IN THIS week's Sliding Doors, brought to you by ventraip australia, our chief football correspondent Damian Barrett puts Bevo's bird, Don Pyke, Heath Shaw, Conor McKenna, Chris Scott, Steven May, plus more in the Doors' spotlight.
What's Barrett saying about your club? What's he saying about the AFL? Check it out.
| If | |
| then | THEN he's got ice in his veins. Can't believe he did it. Personally, wouldn't have had the courage to do it. Full respect, Don. |
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| If | GWS in Sydney was a massive win, and Port at Adelaide Oval an even bigger one ... |
| then | the Hawks in Launceston shouldn't pose a problem for a team which rightly feels it belongs where it sits: second place on the ladder. |
| If | the gut feel is right ... |
| then | a very big fish is still considering taking a nibble on the Blues' coaching fly that has been cast into his stream. |
| If | the backline woes aren't sorted out immediately ... |
| then | this season will slip beyond control. |
| If | the Bombers were playing Collingwood in a must-win-to-make-finals match ... |
| then | would Conor McKenna have been given permission to attend a wedding in Ireland? We'll never know, because they're playing the hapless Gold Coast. Initially, had the view it was wrong that McKenna was missing for a wedding, starting to come round to it. Family is all that matters. |
| If | a week goes by where Ross The Boss doesn't say or do something that makes me laugh ... |
| then | it's a rare week. For all his problems this year, still as compelling and defiant as ever when the mics are on. |
| If | I was coaching Geelong ... |
| then | I'd be playing both Rhys Stanley and Zac Smith on Sunday against the Swans, and see who wants the No.1 ruck spot the most. It's still the biggest worry for this club. |
| If | you've already lost 13 in a row ... |
| then | unfortunately it's going to be 18 by season-end. Feel for the people running the club. Andrew Demetriou's decision to place a club here shouldn't be their responsibility. |
| If | Heath Shaw ever throws away his mould ... |
| then | an already-outgoing teenager with footy ability should claim it. Yep, it's caused problems. But it's a premiership, two All-Australian and best-and-fairest mould, inside 299 games. The mould, most importantly, has allowed Heath to stay true to his out-there, refreshing, self. |
| If | being a late withdrawal in round 18 (and an inclusion this week) meant his milestone performance was pushed back a week ... |
| then | Grant Birchall is probably happy. Should he stay fit, his 250th will now be played in Melbourne, not Canberra, saving a lot of people a lot of money in order to attend. |
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| If | Steven May doesn't use this latest soft-tissue setback to realise that his career, where he will be 28 at round one next year, is at a crossroad ... |
| then | he needs to. Solid talent, and always on good money. But we've never properly seen that talent over the course of an entire season. |
| If | Scotty Thompson was prepared to put himself through the pain of a busted nut last week ... |
| then | … that act alone warrants a fresh deal for next season. Ridiculous, tear-inducing courage. More importantly, he's been bloody good as always in 2019, so he deserves a new contract anyway. |
| If | Port is to make the finals ... |
| then | Paddy Ryder's inclusion is a must. Good to see him back for Saturday night's game against GWS. Still has that now-rare commodity: match-winning ability. |
| If | Roach and Cloke formed an iconic pairing in the key forward posts in the 1980 season in which the Tigers belted the Pies in that year's Grand Final ... |
| then | Lynch and Riewoldt is starting to have a similar feel to it. |
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| If | it nearly happened last year ... |
| then | it's going to play out again in 2019. The Cats have long wanted Jack Steven on their books, and are ready to ask the question again in NAB AFL Trade Period. |
| If | you're 15th on the ladder and your opponent this Sunday is a team placed first, four premiership points and a truckload of percentage ahead of the second-placed team ... |
| then | normally I'd think you're no hope. But this is very winnable. And you know you're not the fourth-worst team in the comp. |
| If | last week was a battle against the Demons, and the game prior a loss to the Pies ... |
| then | package up the past 11 matches, and there's nine wins and the premiership defence is very sound. |
| If | the bird in Rhylee West's hands was, actually, dead ... |
| then | hope Rhylee washed those hands, quick smart. And hope that Bevo gives him some clearer guidelines for his AFL debut! |
Birds (dead or alive) & wise ‘old’ man named Dale who fluffed his lines.
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 25, 2019
What a way to find out you're in!#MightyWest
| If | I fully understand why the Saints wanted the expertise of the AFL's head of coaching David Rath on their coach selection sub-committee (he is seriously elite at what he does) ... |
| then | I nevertheless have a major issue with the AFL allowing this appointment. Very bad optics. Obvious conflict of interest. Political minefields everywhere. Need to revisit the approval. |
