Surprise and revelation, shock and disappointment - the emotions that drive every footy fan. They bring people together to either share in their frustrations or revel in their unfiltered joy.
Whether it is through player improvement or through coaching methods, every action has an equal and opposite reaction to what fans have come to expect from the years prior, with a player's form or a lapse in coaching sometimes either making or breaking a season.
Accounting for this, I took a look at each team's surprise player or coach and each team's shocking disappointment.
North Melbourne
Surprise: Cooper Trembath
The high-flying, contest-snatching key forward took the competition by storm when he was brought out of hiding by North early in the season. Scoring 13 goals in the first 6 rounds, Trembath has brought some much-needed excitement to a forward line that has lacked another tall target beside Larkey for many years.
Shock: Nick Larkey
Earning the captaincy seems to have come at a cost for Larkey, and that cost is none other than his accuracy at goal, the very aspect of his game that defined him for years. Larkey is currently kicking a career-worst 53.7 per cent at goal, a drop-off from his usual 66 or above and has even cost his improving club some much-needed wins because of it.
