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.
Carlton
Surprise: Josh Fraser
The saviour of Carlton's season and now a potential candidate for the head coaching job next season. No one could have seen the Blues bagging seven wins in a row - a run that included taking the scalps of the Cats and the Bulldogs - after their 1-8 start under Michael Voss.
Shock: Harry McKay
After Charlie Curnow's defection to Sydney, it was expected that McKay would step up with more exposure to the ball, but it's really been the opposite. Averaging the least number of goals (1.3) in seven years at only 43.1 per cent at goal, his heart just simply looks out of it.
