In the first of NMFC.com.au’s review series, we looked at how the side scored and defended from turnovers. Today we analyse the Kangaroos’ quarter-by-quarter record.

No other side won more second half quarters than North Melbourne in the home and away season. It was perhaps the most marked measure of the Kangaroos’ improvement in 2014, a year after a string of late fadeouts cost them a finals berth.

North won 31 of 44 quarters after the main break, edging out Port Adelaide and Hawthorn with 30 each. Even more impressively, it was the best defensive side in the competition in both the third and fourth terms.
 

Looking back through some of the victories, the Kangaroos’ defensive capabilities jump out in certain games.

Holding Port Adelaide, a side which was comfortably the best attacking team in final terms this year to just two last quarter goals in Round 3 helped North to a seven-point victory.

Three rounds later Brad Scott’s team held Fremantle goalless in the last quarter, at Patersons Stadium no less, to come from behind and win by 13 points. It was the Kangaroos’ first win at the venue for more than three seasons.

It wasn’t all a tale of excellent defensive outings though. In the first half of the year, North’s ability to start well had all but disappeared. It was a bizarre change from 2013, when it won a staggering 18 first quarters and outscored opponents by a total of almost 50 goals.

After the Kangaroos travelled to Adelaide and trailed by 20 points at quarter-time, the pendulum shifted and the quality starts returned for the last half of the season.
 

The best offensive first quarter of the season came in the semi-final against Geelong. North kicked seven goals to jump out to an early lead and was never headed, despite some heart-stopping moments late in the final term.

With the first, third and four quarters all successes for North, it left just the second as an issue. Confusing even to the coaching staff, there was no regular statistical pattern to how the side lulled in the period.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was both the Kangaroos’ lowest scoring and highest conceded quarter over the course of a game. It’s an area looms as one of the most important fixes over the pre-season.