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.
GWS Giants
Surprise: Harvey Thomas
One of the newest rising stars of the competition, Thomas has skyrocketed his stat averages and been one of the more prolific players on the Giants. He's quick and damaging with the ball, even managing to up his pressure to 4.1 tackles per game from 2.8 last season.
Shock: Jesse Hogan
While mostly injured this season, having only played in nine games, it doesn't save Hogan from scrutiny after kicking the worst he has from goal in his career at 44.4 per cent accuracy. This is unusual as the former Coleman medallist is coming off one of his best seasons last year.
