As documented in recent weeks, North Melbourne is an excellent starting team, winning eight of nine first quarters so far in 2013. The 308 points scored by the Kangaroos is the most by any team in the competition.
| 2013 | 1st quarters | Total won |
| North Melbourne | 46.32.308 | 8 |
| Opposition | 25.25.175 | 1 |
| Difference | +133 (points) | +7 |
On paper North would be favoured for another strong start – its eight first quarters won are in stark contrast to St Kilda, who has led at the first break just two times.
| 2013 | 1st quarters | Total won |
| St Kilda | 26.28.184 | 2 |
| Opposition | 28.32.200 | 6 |
| Difference | -16 (points) | -4 |
Going more in-depth into exactly when the scores are conceded reveals it’s the middle part of the first quarter where North would look to expose the Saints.
| 1st quarters | Scores from 10-20 minutes |
| St Kilda | 6.9.45 |
| Opposition | 12.9.81 |
| Difference | -36 (points) |
It would be a slight departure from where North normally hurts teams in first quarters. It has kicked 20 goals in time-on so far this season.
If the Kangaroos’ first quarter exploits are well publicised, their final term efforts are common knowledge by this point. However opposition teams overrunning North only happens in time-on; if you split the first 20 minutes away from the time-on period, the numbers are intriguing.
| 4th quarters | Scores from 0-20 minutes | Time-on |
| North Melbourne | 26.14.170 | 9.11.65 |
| Opposition | 19.24.138 | 16.6.102 |
| Difference | +32 (points) | -37 (points) |
North’s two comfortable wins against Brisbane in Round 4 and the Western Bulldogs in Round 7 don’t artificially inflate the numbers, meaning for all the talk around last quarters as a whole, it’s only in the time-on period where the problems occur.
During the week St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna stated the Roos’ struggles late in games won’t be a motivation. In fact, the Saints have had issues of their own in last quarters.
| 2013 | 4th quarters |
| St Kilda | 26.26.182 |
| Opposition | 36.25.241 |
| Difference | -59 (points) |
Sitting at two wins and seven losses, St Kilda’s main scoring issue is in the middle portion of the quarter.
| 4th quarters | Scores from 10-15 minutes |
| St Kilda | 1.3.9 |
| Opposition | 8.4.52 |
| Difference | -43 (points) |
While stats can tell an interesting story, trends are made to be broken. Both sides will come into the game aware of the opposition’s deficiencies, but will look to exploit them where it matters most, in their own performance.
