STRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is in full swing for 2025. 

With the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season underway, Damo's got plenty of thoughts about all 18 clubs - and the AFL.

So what is he saying about your team? What's he saying about the AFL? You can't say that, Damo, can you? Check it out below.

>> ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION FROM DAMIAN BARRETT

IF ...

I'm loving what the Crows are doing this season, particularly Curtin's emergence and Michalanney's multiple layers of high-end talent ...

THEN ...

the reservations remain. Just the one win (Brisbane) and five losses (Gold Coast, Geelong, Fremantle, Collingwood, Hawthorn) against teams in the eight.

IF ..

Harris Andrews is again on an All-Australian track ...

THEN ...

he's got a big challenge on Saturday night. Mitch Georgiades is in cracking form. This will be a fascinating battle.

IF ...

it was overdue for president Rob Priestley to front the cameras and mics to give Vossy and Cripps a chop out ...

THEN ...

he actually nailed his moment when it finally came. Confident, assured, clear messaging. At the very least, he publicly pushed the Blues' many problems through to the completion of the home-and-away season.

IF ...

Tom Mitchell is now 32 and hasn't been seen in an AFL match since Anzac Day last year ...

THEN ...

I'm rapt he's back for Friday night lights against Carlton. So professional. And loves a big stage. Got votes in the 2023 Norm Smith Medal. Don't rule him out having big impact on the Pies' run-in to another crack at a flag.

IF ...

the injury-smashed and hard-to-watch Bombers in their remaining matches will be seen on a Saturday night, a Thursday night, three times on a Friday night, and highly likely on another Thursday or Friday given they need to play twice in round 24 ...

THEN ...

what a mess. I thought the AFL committed to take the learnings out of the two COVID seasons, where it had to be "agile" and often had to "pivot" in scheduling.

IF ...

the days between rounds 16 and 17 have seen massive doubt cast over Nat Fyfe being seen again on an AFL ground and Michael Walters retiring after a spate of injuries ...

THEN ...

what massive pieces of Dockers history those two are. Walters was the leading goalkicker in the 2013 Grand Final season, and was leading goalkicker on four more occasions. An All-Australian who at his best was the most exciting player in the comp.

IF ...

Jez Cameron wants to be selfish on Saturday at the Cattery against the hapless Tigers, and I really hope he is selfish ...

THEN ...

he could kick 10. He's got 48 for the year. And weirdly, he's not without hope on a ton. Got the Tigers again in round 24, as well as North Melbourne and Essendon in the run home. And then most likely at least three finals. Go for it, Jez!

IF ...

I've been critical at times of Dimma and his public comments ...

THEN ...

not this week. He perfectly expressed the at-times hypocrisy in AFL rule-making. I don't have an issue with drastic change to outcomes for players who make regular contact with umpires. But, like Dimma, I do have issue with the potentially match-suspension sanctions being introduced in-season. As Dimma said, if the umpire-contact rule can be changed immediately, so too can the many acknowledged problems with the Match Review Office and Tribunal.

IF ...

Jesse Hogan is out injured ...

THEN ...

what an opportunity for Aaron Cadman. Tracking beautifully in his third season, has booted 24 goals this year. Needs to step up again against West Coast under Friday night lights.

IF ...

Sicily is back and Day is four weeks away and Lewis is getting closer by the week ...

THEN ...

happy days. But unhappy days with the news this week of Weddle badly damaging his back. Among the Hawks' most valuable players, and the more I think about, arguably THE most valuable.

IF ...

the Demons axed Jake Lever for round 16 and bring him straight back for round 17 ...

THEN ...

I do wonder why he was axed in the first place. There are a lot of problems at this club. Lever is not one of them.

IF ...

we're now at round 17 and North has won four matches and is getting blown away by 85 points by Hawthorn last Saturday and by eight goals by the Dogs on Thursday amidst the 100-year V/AFL celebrations ...

THEN ...

maybe Clarko, in his third season, can't fix this club. When it's all said and done, nothing has changed. There are so many holes on this list. And in its highly questionable wisdom, the club's recruiting staff last year traded out the first pick in this year's national draft.

IF ...

the Power have won three of four matches since their bye ...

THEN ...

they've still got zero margin for error on a sneaky play at finals. Saturday night against No.2 seed Brisbane. With Butters in extraordinary form, not without a chance.

IF ...

Tom Lynch is at Richmond next season ...

THEN ...

I'll be surprised. He's been too angry and too out-of-form to go round again with the Tigers. He needs a change, and I have no doubt there will be a club which wants a player who has kicked 481 career goals.

IF ...

there haven't been many highlights for the Saints this year ...

THEN ...

Max Hall's work ethic has been outstanding. Really like the way he plays. Worked super hard just to get an AFL game, working super hard now that he's getting regular games.

IF ...

Venues NSW and the AFL don't pay proper attention to the SCG surface ...

THEN ...

the once-iconic stadium will continue to be a blight on the game.

IF ...

the start-point to the most iconic goal in V/AFL Grand Final history retired two weeks ago and the end-point to it retired this week ...

THEN ...

yet another famous chapter closes on the West Coast storyline. McGovern to Vardy to Ryan to Sheed in the final two minutes of the 2018 Grand Final, the most famous play in a Grand Final. Only Ryan is left.

IF ...

Ed Richards survived a very heavy and nasty hit to his shoulder from Cam Zurhaar on Thursday night ...

THEN ...

he will have to wait until late Friday to see if he's survived Match Review Office sanction for his raised elbow on Luke Davies-Uniacke, who was forced out of the game with concussion. Yes, he was holding the ball. But he chose to raise his elbow to the head of an opponent. Of course, the tough ex-footballers, like Riewoldt and Hodge, say it's fine. But it's highly questionable in my eyes.

AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL

IF ...

the AFL keeps choosing to schedule 23 matches for each team spread over 25 weeks ...

THEN ...

it will forever forfeit the right to introduce a wildcard round. That's more than enough matches over more than enough time. Don't attempt to contrive "excitement". Sort out the marquee slots first. It's a self-inflicted mess in the back half of 2025.