A new year and a new football season always provides penty of intrigue.
Whether it be individuals under pressure, a player returning from injury or a master coach attempting to resurrect things, there is always fascination.
Ahead of the 2020 season, Kane Cornes has identified who he believes are the most intriguing figures in the AFL.
See Cornes' top 5 below:
1. Ken Hinkley
Hinkley is the AFL coach under the most pressure.
Partly because his side hasn’t won a final since 2014 and partly because of these comments he said on SEN SA Breakfast halfway through last season.
“From my point of view, I’m more than comfortable and accept the responsibility of performance. At the time when I signed the contract, if I don’t perform and as a club, we don’t perform that well, it’s probably that time.
“I’m quite happy to say that if we don’t make finals, I won’t be the coach of the football club in the near future but that’s what it should be, that’s what we set out to be.
“I’m very comfortable that I will fulfil the entire part of my contract and possibly more if that’s what we can do as a football club.”
Port CEO Keith Thomas has entered his last year at the helm of the club and will spend his remaining months deciding if the club needs a change of head coach as well as his successor as chief.
Hinkley will most likely have to win a final to guarantee his future at Alberton beyond 2020.
2. Joe Daniher
The 25-year-old will return to Ireland to visit a groin guru in a last-ditch attempt to solve his chronic groin problem that has restricted him to only 11 games in the last two seasons and threatens his career.
How he is accepted and gels back into a team that he doesn’t want to play for will be fascinating viewing.
Now that he is out of contract, is it a given that he joins Sydney at the end of this year? Can he finally get his body, right?
There are so many unanswered questions and potential headlines surrounding him this year.
3. Simon Goodwin
If Hinkley is the coach under the most pressure this year then Goodwin isn’t far behind.
The Demons have completely overhauled Goodwin’s football department after a disastrous 2019 season.
Changes made include: Former St Kilda coach Alan Richardson as coaching director, Darren Burgess as fitness coach, a new Head of Sports Science in David Regan, Greg Stafford as goal kicking coach, a new midfield coach in Justin Plapp and two new sports scientists to analyse data and game trends.
At times last year Goodwin seemed confused and at a loss to explain his side's excruciating form.
There will be no excuses giving him an out this year and how he survives the intense scrutiny coming his way this season will be intriguing.
4. Lance Franklin
Franklin turns 33 on January 30 and he is starting to look his age.
The game's biggest modern-day superstar was restricted to just 10 games in 2019 and could only train for a maximum of 20 minutes per week as he dealt with multiple ailments.
Franklin was rewarded with his first official leadership position in his glittering 300-game career (2018 All-Australian captaincy aside) when last month he was named in the Swans leadership group, however that optimism faded when it was announced he had broken down again and has undergone surgery which will delay his start to the season.
How the Swans and Franklin handle the scrutiny and focus on the remaining three years of his contract will be fascinating to see considering it is clear that there aren’t many great games left in the body of this superstar.
5. Alastair Clarkson
Hawthorn’s longest serving and most successful coach is entering his 16th season in charge.
Clarko’s Hawks will start this season as the third oldest list in the competition and after a ninth-placed finish last year, many thought the Hawks needed to rebuild.
But rebuilding isn’t something that interests a masterful and highly competitive coach such as Clarkson.
Hence his decision to raid the GWS Giants for the second successive season by added former number 1 draft pick Jonathon Patton during the trade period.
Hawthorn haven’t won a final since 2016 and how Clarkson designs a game plan to suit a list that is ageing and lacks talent compared to the best sides in the competition is certainly fascinating.
Clarkson was the number one target for all four clubs who made a change at head coach in 2019 yet he remained loyal to Hawthorn and clearly believes his side is capable of returning to September success.
