| If |
you want Exhibit A on how to blow up a season before it even starts ... |
| then |
we present to you the Crows' Gold Coast camp of late January. And we're saying that even when we're tipping an Adelaide win over West Coast. |
| If |
you keep telling us you're going OK ... |
| then |
we're happy to hear you, and respect that. But we still don't see it. All we can see is a one-win season after 13 games and a few players who don't hurt enough in losses. |
| If |
we were excited about Charlie Curnow before last Sunday ... |
| then |
we are beside ourselves now. Off the charts excited. Round 14 was the type of breakout performance that all the game's greats have had. |
| If |
there was one player the Pies couldn't lose as they hunt the most unlikely of premierships ... |
| then |
it was the one who crashed at the 'G late last Sunday. Treloar was putting together the best and certainly most impactful of his seven seasons in the AFL. |
| If |
you're nearly 29 and have been in the AFL system for 11 seasons for 105 games ... |
| then |
it's a record that doesn't indicate the best is still to come. But in big Bellcho's case, we reckon it is. For a number of reasons, he might have only scratched the surface to this point. |
| If |
we're to be honest ... |
| then |
the Dockers-Lions Sunday twilight fixture doesn't excite us. Hoping Fyfe and Walters give us reason to reconsider. |
| If |
you gave eight players a debut AFL game last year and have now provided the same opportunity for another six this season ... |
| then |
we love the fact you still push for a flag when others would hide behind it being a rebuild. Great to see the Narkle name back in the big time. |
| If |
he's injured ... |
| then |
fine, it's only right he sits out the season. But time now for Lynch to tell his club where he will be next year. Come on, Tom. We all know what's going on. So too does your management, which plays these situations off a break. |
| If |
Jeremy went way too far on the field, and Leon went way too far in his ultra-defensive path in defending him ... |
| then |
it wasn't a great week for the Giants' Camerons. Cop it. It was the right decision, as was the varied commentary around it. Move on. |
| If |
it was any other week ... |
| then |
the only hamstrings we would have fussed over would have belonged to Burgoyne. Hope he's not out too long. |
| If |
the Dees have won only two of six at the 'G this year, and Hogan has averaged only 1.3 goals in those six games ... |
| then |
it's a record that player and club needs to fix instantly. Hogan is averaging 3.3 in matches away from the 'G, and the Dees are six from seven in those games. |
| If |
you're happy to have headlines about De Goey ... |
| then |
we reckon the actual main target is Gaff. |
| If |
someone told you in September last year that by late June, 2018, the Power were legitimate premiership fancies and have within their team both Lindsay Thomas and Jack Trengove ... |
| then |
you would have had that person locked up. |
| If |
you've won two Coleman Medals, a best-and-fairest, been an All Australian times two, the leading Tigers goalkicker for the past eight years, and if you're still influencing games as you did on Thursday night ... |
| then |
you're in the all-time AFL great category, Jack Riewoldt. |
| If |
this team doesn't return from its weekend off with renewed purpose and intensity ... |
| then |
there will be post-season trouble for a number of players and coaches, and quite probably the main coach. |
| If |
you've been successful in recent years but also fallen short on the big day (2014, 2016), and if you've also produced form in 2018 which is elite, at times, but ordinary at other times ... |
| then |
we're suggesting this: somehow conjure a game plan which allows Buddy to be the 2008 Buddy, which Clarko conspired at the Hawks. Swannies - your only point of difference is Bud. You'll fall short, again, if you try to make him just one of the 22. |
| If |
already there was no Kennedy and no Darling, and now no LeCras ... |
| then |
there is no hope until at least one of them returns. |
| If |
we've learnt one thing about the Dogs in recent weeks ... |
| then |
it is that they are a significantly better outfit when Marcus Adams is part of it. |
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| If |
you keep trying to be everything to everyone in the way you schedule the marquee slots ... |
| then |
you will kill off the edgy anticipation we always once had. Please be dictatorial ruthless with the 2019 fixture. |
