IMAGINE if they get their starts right.

Sydney's runaway 2024 campaign has put the competition on notice ahead of the business end of the season.

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The scary part for the other 17 clubs is the Swans are three games plus percentage clear at the top of the ladder despite being the 11th best first-quarter side in the competition, winning six and losing seven of their first terms so far this season.

And they're losing some first quarters by significant margins, too. In their past four games, the Swans have conceded the first four goals against Carlton, the first two against the Western Bulldogs, the first six against Geelong and four of the first five against Adelaide. But they've stormed home to win each by an average margin of 35 points.

Unsurprisingly given their sluggish starts, the Swans are the competition benchmark after the first break. They are behind only Gold Coast in second quarters and the clear leaders in third and fourth terms this year, winning 22 of 26 quarters after half-time.

Looking at the quarter-by-quarter splits this season, the Suns are a fascinating study. Boasting a League-leading 11-2 record in second quarters, they are also the second worst starters in the competition with a 4-9 record in first terms, ahead of only North Melbourne (2-11).

The fluctuations continue after half-time, with the Suns ranked fourth in third quarters but 11th in final terms.

Similarly, Hawthorn starts and finishes poorly (ranked 12th in first quarters and 14th in fourth) but is the third and fifth best in the competition in the middle two terms.

Meanwhile, Brisbane, Greater Western Sydney and Port Adelaide – the three top ranked first-quarter teams – have shown themselves to be vulnerable late in games. All three clubs are ranked outside the top eight in quarters three and four, with the Giants ahead of only West Coast, North Melbourne and Richmond in final terms.

Fans of the Lions (against Carlton in Opening Round), the Giants (against St Kilda in round five) and the Power (against Geelong in round nine and Hawthorn in round 10) need no reminding of their teams' tendency to fade late.

On the other hand, both Adelaide and St Kilda are ranked outside the top eight in each of the first three quarters, but have played out games well to sit second and fourth respectively in final terms.

But the focus for the remainder of this season will be on the team in red and white. If rival clubs are going to get the better of them, they'll have to do it for longer than just the first 30 minutes of the game.