Strong Final Quarters

[StPeter]

We may not be the most talented sides going around at the moment but we certainly seem to be one of the fittest.

Including our three pre-season matches we have significantly out-played and out-scored our opponents in the final quarter in alll four matches this year.

From memory we even outscored the Hawks.

[SAAD]

Now we just need to outscore opposition in the other three quarters! Hehe. One quarter at a time.

[saint-stu]

Saints to run all day
http://www.saints.com.au/news/2015-04-0 ... un-all-day

ST KILDA is a significantly fitter team than it was in 2014, according to Josh Bruce and Adam Schneider.

The Saints trailed at every change in their loss to the Giants on Sunday, but a last quarter comeback comprising of three unanswered goals helped them register 11 scoring shots to six for the term, leaving them just nine points short of victory.

Adam Basil, the club’s high-performance manager, deliberately orchestrated the pre-season program to focus on repeat sprints and endurance.

“The group is feeling pretty fit and the work that Adam Basil has put into us over the pre-season has been really beneficial,” Bruce said on Tuesday morning.

“Hopefully we can keep doing that and run over the top of a few teams.”

Schneider agreed, suggesting that the Saints will be far more adept at running out games in 2015 than what they were last season.

“We had a fair dinkum crack [in the last quarter],” Schneider told The Age.

“I think our pre-season really showed in that last quarter. We’re really fit at the moment and we really just went at the game. We gave ourselves every chance, I think we had 21 entries and kicked 4.7.

“Our aim was to make sure we can be a powerful running team and I think we showed that. It definitely makes football easier when you can run out games like that.”

Schneider and Bruce were two of the Saints’ better players on Saturday, booting two goals apiece for the match.

Schneider collected 22 disposals and had five clearances following his rookie elevation mid-week, while Bruce’s 15 touches, three inside 50s and four tackles was a solid return against his former side.

[Goose is king]

First quarters stunk last year.
Often the winning side will take the foot off the pedal in the last so unfortunately that will help us a lot this year too

[The Redeemer]

well if can run out games, there is no stopping us beginning games full of running too. good move from the coaching or the sports scientists or whatever the folks are called these days.

[Bluthy]

This supports my theory that the reason we got so many leg injuries was because we pushed really hard with preseason training to give ourselves an advantage early and catch teams off guard who may be pacing themselves a bit more. We've got some of our most winnable games in the first third of the draw, which is also when our young players are fresh. I think they were very aware of how tough wins will be and if we can win one or two early it takes the pressure off and took a calculated risk with training loads.

[Junction Oval]

While we may have a fitness edge over some teams at the start of the season, after 4 matches, all AFL players will be around the same level. As the season goes along and our smaller bodies take a battering each week, then body fatigue tends to set in.

Clearly, we don't have a "top pace" team, so our current "edge" will seem to diminish quite quickly. It's all about "effort." which we have plenty of at the moment, so early in the season is the time for us to look and play at our best - just like last Sunday.

[Moods]

While we may have a fitness edge over some teams at the start of the season, after 4 matches, all AFL players will be around the same level. As the season goes along and our smaller bodies take a battering each week, then body fatigue tends to set in.

Clearly, we don't have a "top pace" team, so our current "edge" will seem to diminish quite quickly. It's all about "effort." which we have plenty of at the moment, so early in the season is the time for us to look and play at our best - just like last Sunday.

How do you explain PA in the last couple of years then? Fitness levels don't diminish that much. Once a base is established it holds you in good stead. I'l lwatch with interest, but I reckon if true, being fitter than other teams will give us an advantage all year round. Hopefully this equates to some wins we weren't counting on, particularly against teams who may take us a bit easy.

[spert]

Terrible first quarters killed us last season, and I don't want to see that trend again. If the team is more fit than 2014, then we should be a chance to win more first quarters and regardless of that, should be at full intensity from the first bounce. Playing catch up footy is not a recipe for success.

[Life Long Saint]

We may not be the most talented sides going around at the moment but we certainly seem to be one of the fittest.

Including our three pre-season matches we have significantly out-played and out-scored our opponents in the final quarter in alll four matches this year.

From memory we even outscored the Hawks.

For the record, the Hawks beat us by 1.1 in the last quarter...But it would be a fair assumption to say that when you're 100+ points up in the last NAB challenge match you'd take your foot off the accelerator with the view being solely on round 1.

[FQF]

Last year we generally could compete with most teams for at least 2 quarters and got blown away in the other 2 (or even 1 very bad quarter). If we bring 4 quarter consistency we'll be much more competitive than expected.