STRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back in full swing for 2026.
With the 2026 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 ...
Riley Thilthorpe jagged 60 goals last year and has just 19 from 13 matches this season ...
THEN ...
he needs to get going for the Crows to make proper impact. Clearly, he has been banged-up. But also clearly, he has lost a lot of touch.
IF ..
the Lions infamously used a whiteboard the last time they prepared for a match against Essendon ...
THEN ...
no need to bother this time. They could play with 17 men on Sunday and still win by six goals.
IF ...
Josh Fraser has become arguably the biggest story of the 2026 season with, after inheriting a 1-8 team, seven wins from seven matches as interim coach of the Blues ...
THEN ...
things get really interesting now. Hawks this week, Collingwood next. Win at least one of those two, and no matter what he and the club says publicly, he will have earned the right for a seat at the long table of candidates for the permanent gig. Corey Enright and Jaymie Graham are already seated.
IF ...
Nick Daicos could have, make that should have, won at least one Brownlow by now ...
THEN ...
he also could have, and arguably should have, won three. Missed through injury the final three games of his second season, 2023, and lost (to Neale, with Bont second) by three votes. Polled an extraordinary 38 votes in 2024, only to even more extraordinarily fall seven votes short of Cripps. Racked up another 32 in 2025, only to again extraordinarily fall seven short of Rowell last year. Obviously no guarantee that his Brownlow wrongs will be rectified in 2026, and Bont (who also could have, make that should have won at least one and maybe two or three), Jackson, Heeney, Dawson, Smith and Neale will be thereabouts. But Daicos is "owed" one somewhere.
IF ...
Welshy sacked Scotty in late May ...
THEN ...
the can he started kicking down the road back then is still the one he's kicking down the road now. James Hird. It all revolves around what Welshy wants to do with Hirdy. And until he makes up his mind, no other viable coaching candidate is going to - fully - immerse himself into Essendon's "process".
IF ...
Nick Daicos was All-Australian in his second season in the AFL in 2023 ...
THEN ...
Murphy Reid has to be, too, in 2026. We are witnessing something very, very special. Hasn't missed a game in the two years he's been in the AFL, and gets better every single time he plays. Was sublime on Thursday night. At 19 and with just 41 games behind him, I reckon he's in the best 10 players in the comp. Maybe top six.
IF ...
you're the glass half empty type ...
THEN ...
the four losses from the past five matches are borderline crisis. But if you're the glass half full type, it's all OK. Three of those losses by single digits, and even the defeat by Brisbane last round was arguably due to errant shots at goal. This is Geelong. It will be in a semi-final at the very least, and most likely, yet again, in a preliminary final.
IF ...
the Suns miss the finals and they dare attempt to spin it that "success isn't linear" ...
THEN ...
I'll do a Terry Wallace and spew up! Wanted for nothing in 2026, did Dimma. There's seven matches to go. Let's see if he's still got it and if this side wants to properly fight through the problems in front of it.
IF ...
I get reminded seemingly at least a dozen times every Friday morning that this Sliding Doors column isn't reflective of the premise of the movie Sliding Doors ...
THEN ...
hopefully this appeases you boring nitpickers … if the GWS which in 2026 has defeated Brisbane, Fremantle, Hawthorn and Melbourne, and not the one which has lost to the Western Bulldogs, West Coast, St Kilda (twice) and Carlton, turns up for every remaining match, then it will be playing in September.
IF ...
Wizard's absence for a second consecutive week is extremely problematic ...
THEN ...
Amon and Impey returning for round 18 is huge. Tipping the Hawks to get on a roll from here.
IF ...
the Demons are already the biggest surprise of 2026 ...
THEN ...
the hard work for them has incredibly already been done. In their remaining seven matches, just three opponents currently in the top 10.
IF ...
the Roos want us to believe they've genuinely improved, and not just taken advantage of the most favourable AFL-granted fixture in the modern era ...
THEN ...
they simply must win at least three of their last seven matches.
IF ...
I've been advocating for at least six weeks for Aliir Aliir to be All-Australian in 2026 ...
THEN ...
I'm doubling down right now! Has been brilliant all year. Fully deserves a second stitching on the breast pocket of the green jacket he earned in 2021.
IF ...
Tigers players kept dropping with injury and management kept telling us everything was under control ...
THEN ...
it was always just spin. And now on the search for a new high performance manager. Just two wins this year, percentage at 63.3. Adem Yze has won just nine of 62 matches as Tigers coach. I hope for his sake he has a full list ready to go in round one 2027.
IF ...
it's now more than two full seasons that Max King last played an AFL match ...
THEN ...
while his frustrations would obviously be immense, there would be a form of comfort in the fact that up to $3 million would have found its way into his bank account in that time. Would love to see this Saints team get access to him before 2026 ends.
IF ...
the Swans fired their best shot on Thursday night against their main obstacle for the 2026 flag and still fell 38 points short ...
THEN ...
ouch. But there was a fair bit to like against Freo, too. Curnow booted five, and he's just starting to get warm on his Swans potential. Gulden was very good, and he's now three games into his latest comeback. The Chad also was good, and had he not had three inexplicable brain fades when kicking for goal, would've made things even more difficult for the Dockers to overcome a goalless first half. Yep, that was demoralising at Optus Stadium. But there's still hope.
IF ...
Jobe Shanahan, 25 matches into his career, is tracking beautifully ...
THEN ...
he gets the chance on Sunday to jag his first big bag of goals. He's kicked 33 from 25 matches. Career best is four, and there have been four lots of three. Dogs backline woes give him the chance to go bang.
IF ...
Zak Butters is the main recruiting target ...
THEN ...
I get it. And yes, go overboard to get him. But nothing, zero, zilch, nutta will change unless this joint adds at least one quality key back.
AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL
IF ...
umpires are going to start gifting goals for taunting via a head rub, as one did Thursday night when Luke Ryan patted The Chad after a bad miss ...
THEN ...
I have no problem with that. But don't pick and choose. There were four head rubs last weekend that umpires saw and chose to not act on.