Our total first quarters this year have been 157 points for to 253 points against and are a real problem. As much as you will hear that it is “between the ears” and that we were “not switched on”, my theory is that it is to do more with our game style. The way I interpret our game plan is that it is to control the ball at the stoppage going backwards by handball until we can hit up a short kick. This usually costs us a good 50 meters in territory from the initial stoppage and requires a good half a dozen handballs. The other key tenant to our game plan is being bold in going for kicks into the centre corridor trying to pinpoint through the oppositions zone. Both strategies are sound if our skills are good enough but are coming unstuck early in the game when the opposition pressure is high. IMO we should be much more willing to kick to a contest early in the game, particularly out of stoppages, but also down the line from defence. Then once the game has opened up and the opposition pressure on the ball reduces, we can revert to try and play our “Fearless Footy” style.

Could be onto something Fat. 

Certainly needs adjustments before September. We will be smashed in finals with such a slow start

Watching replays it appears to be between the ears. I know all teams have skill errors in the first quarters but ours have been huge. On a positive note the way we have been finishing games has been awesome. 

Our lack of scoring in the first is also  due to a lack of forwards and Gawn. Once we get players back and have Pedo up forward with Hogan  Im sure it wont be such an issue.

Teams usually start games with maximum pressure. We can't handle that at the moment just like in close finishes when pressure heats up. We concede the innitiative far too often and still reactive depending on what the opposition offers up.

I think you're spot on Fat Tony. It's easier for the opposition to apply pressure on the ball handler, or intercept our short corridor kicks, when they are fresh. But I also think that our backline isn't strong in one-on-one contests. We can defend ok when our mids push back, but would need to know the limitations of our backline, and don't underestimate the opposition forwards. 

In the 2nd half against GC, our strategy was to have 10 players behind the ball after a goal was kicked. Two players would rush into the square an our mids would run forward if we won the clearance. It worked well against a team that seemed to give up. 

I most weeks and again on Saturday night, its our defence who seem to be brittle early on then they gain their composure later in the game. Even against North last week Vince completely fumbles an easy ball in the back pocket and North get the goal. This week, Frost takes the ball and tries the slowest baulk I've seen on Tom Lynch, gets tackled and we dish up the goal. Other times Oscar just completely stuffs his disposal by hand or foot and coughs it up. BUT the terrible stuff seems to happen early.

The upside is only playing 2 quarters a week will help us with fatigue, come the business end of the season....(if we get there, playing only 2 quarters a week).

Two matches we started really well were vs. Geelong and Richmond, we had repeated F50 entries and locked it in there but in both games we weren't able to get scoreboard reward.  In both those games we had a proper starting ruck.

  On 29/05/2017 at 03:10, Fifty-5 said:

Two matches we started really well were vs. Geelong and Richmond, we had repeated F50 entries and locked it in there but in both games we weren't able to get scoreboard reward.  In both those games we had a proper starting ruck.

Totally agree... you can't judge our last 8 games where we are missing the most important position. 

Our whole structure is flawed starting pedo/tmac/watts in the ruck. 

  On 29/05/2017 at 00:04, Sir Why You Little said:

Could be onto something Fat. 

Certainly needs adjustments before September. We will be smashed in finals with such a slow start

Hard to occur if you're not there