As the first month of fixtures drew to a close last Sunday evening, a belief morphed into empirical truth - 2021 is already rivalling last year in terms of unpredictability.
If you don't believe me, just take a look at the current ladder.
With the second month of the marathon season set to commence tonight, another set of questions remain ahead of both the men in the hot seat and their disciples in studded boots.
Whether flying high or having to continually dig deep for no reward, here are the latest set of quandaries facing each of the AFL's 18 teams.
Port Adelaide
How much are their Round 4 injuries likely to hurt them?
Despite claiming the four points after a two-point win against the Tigers, Port Adelaide enters Round 5 weaker, following injuries to Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma.
Just how much this pair of setbacks is likely to set the Power back remains unanswerable at this stage, but what can be solved are the averages that Ken Hinkley will no longer have at his disposal.
Since the pair debuted on the same day against Melbourne in Round 1 2019, they have played a combined 79 AFL games. Across this span, the duo of 20-year-olds have collectively averaged 0.6 goals, 16.1 disposals, 2.2 inside 50s and 1.3 clearances per game.
Xavier Duursma and Zak Butters will go under the knife, while a number of sore bodies will be assessed before our clash with Carlton ๐ค#weareportadelaide https://t.co/YJ123pgBdx
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) April 12, 2021
These numbers may seem tame in comparison with those of the contemporary champions, but since the beginning of 2019, Port Adelaide has won 64.58% of the games that both Butters and Duursma have started in.
Obviously, it is a stretch to say that they are linchpins in Hinkley's star-studded side, but for a pair of players that are yet to individually reach their 50-game milestone, they are not just making up the numbers either.
With Duursma's knee likely to keep him sidelined for around three months and Butters' syndesmosis injury also proving bad enough to warrant surgery, Port's straight-shooting pedagogue has the unenviable task of trying to find replacements capable of replicating these means.
As the Power have no โeasy games' across the next two-months, the pressure to find the right fit is well and truly on.
