IF you pause to ponder what Craig McRae has done in almost five seasons … THEN

STRAP yourselves in, footy fans - Damian Barrett's Sliding Doors is back in full swing for 2026.

With the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season approaching a dramatic conclusion, 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 started the year with massive doubts on the Crows ...

THEN ...

I've got even more now. Seemingly every single time the real pressure rises to 10, they go AWOL. Were 27 up against the Pies on Thursday night, at home, and lost by 34. The nightmares of last year's finals series, where they failed to win one quarter of the eight they played on their home deck, won't be leaving the sleep patterns of anyone connected to this club any time soon.

IF ..

game No.6 for Ty Gallop was as a key forward in a Grand Final win ...

THEN ...

in his second season he is brilliantly establishing himself as a crucial key back in a team which is positioning itself for a threepeat.

IF ...

Jagga Smith wants to lock away the 2026 Rising Star award ...

THEN ...

taking on and beating the reigning Brownlow Medallist Matty Rowell would just about achieve that. Has been brilliant, Jagga. A clear Rising Star leader, ahead of teammate Harry Dean and Eagle Willem Duursma, with five matches remaining.

IF ...

you properly pause to ponder what Craig McRae has done in four completed seasons and 19 matches of his fifth year ...

THEN ...

you realise he is a coaching genius. This year, he's lost his captain, Moore - who is also his key back. Has lost his main goalkicking forward, Elliott. Schultz is injured, so too his emerging ruck, Steene, and Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill has been unavailable all season. There are a lot of 'no names' in this team, as well as a lot of old legs, but Fly makes them all believe they are superstars inside the confines of his always-team mantra. Regardless of what happens from here, this has been a super coaching performance. Thursday night's win against the Crows at Adelaide Oval, after trailing by 27 points and looking dead, one of his finest moments which already includes a flag and two other prelim finals in just four seasons as Pies’ coach.

IF ...

there was a beautiful sense of relief upon the final siren last Sunday at Marvel Stadium ...

THEN ...

there will be a foreboding sense of reality upon the match-starting siren on Saturday at the MCG. This could again get very ugly. Sam Mitchell's Hawthorn have always hated the Bombers.

IF ...

the Dockers humiliated North Melbourne by 124 points in round 13 ...

THEN ...

there's a chance the Derby result will be in a similar zone. Tipping Freo to keep the pedal to the floor on its 6.2 litre V8 motor under the Friday night lights.

IF ...

there's no Jez and no Max for Friday night lights against a red-hot Melbourne ...

THEN ...

there's still the Chris Scott factor. The best coach in the comp will have something in his repertoire that will seriously challenge the Dees.

IF ...

I swore off tipping the Suns immediately after their eighth consecutive loss last weekend against the Bulldogs ...

THEN ...

here I go again. Tipping the Suns to beat the Blues at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

IF ...

you look up 'enigma' in the footy dictionary ...

THEN ...

there is a picture of the 2026 GWS team and coach. It has beaten the reigning premier Brisbane, the premiership favourite Freo, and Hawthorn and Geelong. And has lost to Essendon, that's right, Essendon. And West Coast, Carlton and St Kilda (twice). Some of the losses this year have been simply unacceptable.

IF ...

the true sign of a person's class comes in times of adversity ...

THEN ...

Mitch Lewis has truckloads of class. Never once adopted a woe-is-me attitude despite all his very serious injuries in his 10 seasons as a Hawk. Was delighted to see him very happily agree this week to a four-year contract extension.

IF ...

the first 19 chapters of Steven King's first book as coach of the Demons has been building into a beautiful climax, with chapter 20 to cover the topic of him coaching against the club at which he made his debut at 17 years old, at which he captained for four seasons, and at which he played in a premiership in his last game for it ...

THEN ...

his novel is building beautifully into a fairytale ending. Just hope it doesn't take a Stephen King twist from here!

IF ...

the Roos in the past 10 years seemingly have allowed the best player in each opposition team to dominate proceedings in a match ...

THEN ...

I'm really keen to see what Clarko has in store for Nas on Sunday. The Cats proved in round 19 that Nas can be stopped - when tagged properly. On a one-off tagging basis only, I'd assign Harry Sheezel to this massive task.

IF ...

Georgiades and Horne-Francis are very big ins for round 20 ...

THEN ...

unfortunately it will probably only mean a 10-goal loss, not a 16-goal loss. A menacing-looking Lions at the Gabba, on Sunday. Ouch.

IF ...

those running the Tigers at some stage choose to extract their heads from the sand ...

THEN ...

they'll realise their problems run way deeper than an unfortunate injury list. The CEO says the coach is doing an "outstanding" job. Please. No one at this club could lay claim to such an adjective right now.

IF ...

Max King hasn't played for 25 months ...

THEN ...

he will be drawing on the hope that comes in the form of Charlie Curnow. Like King, Curnow went 25 months between matches in 2019 to 2021. Curnow has won two Coleman Medals since, could win a third in 2026, and has been very resilient since his return.

IF ...

at the start of the season you offered Coxy second place on the ladder after round 19 ...

THEN ...

he would've accepted it in a heartbeat. So, that's the positive. The negative is three losses from the past four matches, against premiership hopes Brisbane, Fremantle and Adelaide. Need to make a statement on Saturday against the cross-town rival.

IF ...

Harley produces a Ross Glendinning Medal-winning performance on Friday night ...

THEN ...

that's the Eagles' only chance of an upset win.

IF ...

the Bont could have, actually make that should have, won at least one Brownlow by now ...

THEN ...

he also could have, arguably should have, won two. Twice runner-up, 2021 and 2023, and a further four top-10 finishes. He's also top 10 all-time on most career Brownlow votes. I fear he's going to come second yet again this year, albeit to someone who deserves one of those things just as much, Nick Daicos.

AND THIS ONE'S FOR THE AFL

IF ...

my view has always been that granting a final to a team which finishes 10th, in an 18-team competition, after 23 matches of home-and-away season combat is simply a reward for mediocrity ...

THEN ...

there is absolutely no reason for me to change that view. Take a look at the ladder, with five of those 23 matches remaining. There are eight premiership points and massive percentage between the ninth team, and those beneath. And last weekend, the teams placed 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th all lost.