Much has already been said about the Brisbane Lions’ slow starts this season; however the Lions’ recent trend of allowing teams to score late in each quarter is almost as alarming.
At AAMI Stadium last Sunday, Port Adelaide kicked 4.8 (32) – or 45% of their total score – after the 20-minute mark of each quarter, to run out narrow nine-point winners.
In comparison, the Lions scored just 1.3 (9) during ‘red time’, which equated to only 14% of their total score.
Assistant Coach Mark Harvey said such lapses in concentration at the end of quarters can often prove the difference between winning and losing.
“You can set up defensively for red time, but it basically comes down to concentration,” Harvey told LIONS TV as part of the Vero Coaches’ Wrap.
“The players tend to get tired towards the latter part of quarters.
“We have to make sure our playing group doesn’t fall into that category where they just give the opposition an easy look, which can be a reason why you lose the game.”
The Lions have also conceded similar percentages of scores during ‘time on' in each of their past two matches against Melbourne and North Melbourne.
The Demons booted 5.3 (44% of their total score) in red time when they met the Lions over in Darwin, while the Kangaroos managed 8.1 (42% of their total score) late in quarters when the two sides met in Round 16.
It’s a statistic that will no doubt be highlighted at the Hyundai Centre this week as the Lions approach Saturday night’s home match against St Kilda.
Red alert in red time
The Lions have conceded an alarming amount of scores late in quarters