Our starts this year

[Saint_in_SA]

One trend that has emerged in the latter part of this year with the Saints is that we are a slow starting but fairly fast finishing team.

This was not the case at the start of the year where we shot out of the blocks against the Doggies and Cats only to be over run after quarter time.

Is this the influence throughout the season of Dave Misson? Not sure on that one, but it appears that we are physically hitting our straps at the right time of the year.

We need another cracker of a start against the Pussies - if we go in at quarter time five goals down, this mob won't let us back in the game as other sides have.

We require our first four quarter pressure filled performance against a quality side (half of Essendon doesn't count IMO) to get over the line. Anything less, and we will be exposed by the Pussies superior foot skills as we were earlier in the year.

Collingwood showed how this can be done, it is not misson impossible...

[Otiman]

I think the trend is that good starts = poor finishes, and slow starts = great finishes.

I've no idea why this is the case, but take a look at the Bulldogs games, West Coast, and Geelong. Then compare to Hawks, Adelaide, North Melbourne.

I think that a defensive 1st quarter is what we need to settle, then see what the opposition are doing and exploit it.