This time last year, few, if any, could have predicted the three-way contest facing South Australia as it heads into the March state election.
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But a year is a very long time in politics.
While the Labor and Liberal parties had been steadily preparing themselves for months, even years, the introduction of Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST party into the mix has up-ended state politics and changed the focus of the campaign.
Since Mr Xenophon announced he was quitting the Senate to run in March, his party has nominated candidates in more than 30 of the 47 lower house seats in the South Australian parliament - 14 held by Liberals, 14 by Labor and two by independents.
Perhaps even more surprising has been the transformation of Mr Xenophon himself.
In just four months the Senate powerbroker, known for his publicity-attracting antics, has headed a movement some say could claim government.
Though his possible path to the top of state politics has been unconventional, he is surely qualified for the top job.
Mr Xenophon was born and raised in Adelaide, where he studied law and became principal of his own firm before turning to state politics.
In 1997, he became the first independent elected to the South Australian Legislative Council in 60 years on his No Pokies ticket - a policy he backed down on earlier this month.
He became a key player in state parliament and pushed for a ban on poker machines as well as reforms to consumer rights, tax, environmental policy and politicians' entitlements.
Mr Xenophon was re-elected in 2002, and by his 2006 campaign, he had tapped into the power of publicity that would become his hallmark.
He won a seat in the Senate in 2008, and modelled himself as a champion for the state, endearing him to South Australians the way Jacqui Lambie has in Tasmania and Pauline Hanson in Queensland.
So, his re-immersion into the sphere of state politics is logical - and timely.
As voters become more disillusioned with the major parties, the appeal of a character like Xenophon grows ever stronger: what you see is what you get.
And as South Australians notch their 16th consecutive year of Labor government, the Xenophon alternative will be an easy choice for many.
"Between Labor and the Liberals, the choice is between a government that deserves to lose, and an opposition that doesn't deserve to win," he said during a recent debate at the SA Press Club.
Yet, even riding the wave of populism, he'll have to do more than just show up.
The coming weeks will prove crucial for SA-BEST and its leader, who has come under fire for a lack of policies.
The 2018 election is an opportunity for Nick Xenophon to reboot politics in South Australia.
Or perhaps, such a lofty goal will prove too much for the former stunt master.
Australian Associated Press