THREE of the four winning teams in week one of the finals conceded more inside 50s than their opposition. 

Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond supporters are all entitled to ask: how does that happen?

For Collingwood, it came down to the quality of its entries inside 50, rather than just the quantity. 

Magpie players kicked directly to the opposition 12 times when going inside 50 on Saturday night, allowing Port Adelaide to take 27 marks inside its defensive 50. 

That is a huge number, more the AFL average of 18.8 per game and well above Port's own average of 15.5 per game. 

The Power's 21-year-old defender Cameron O'Shea took eight marks inside the defensive 50, including three intercept marks. 

By comparison, Geelong star Harry Taylor has taken an average of 3.1 marks per game inside defensive 50 this season, to lead the competition with a total of 70. 

No wonder the Magpies cursed their ball use post-game. They presented Port Adelaide with the ball time after time. 

It was part of the reason Collingwood had just 18 scoring shots from 58 inside-50s and also suggests the Magpies were allowing the Power to clear the ball from defensive 50 with ease. 

This is not new to this group of Magpies. They picked out St Kilda's Sam Fisher time after time in the 2010 Grand Final draw and it nearly cost them the game. 

In contrast, Port Adelaide had 27 scoring shots from just 43 entries on Saturday night. 

If 27 marks inside defensive 50 seems a high number, then consider Fremantle's effort down at Geelong earlier on Saturday. 

It took 33 marks inside defensive 50 with Luke McPharlin taking six and Lee Spurr and Cameron Sutcliffe five apiece. 

Geelong kicked to the opposition 10 times when going inside 50 compared to Fremantle doing so four times. 

This is unusual for the Cats. 

Of the regulars, James Kelly is the worst offender but he hits the opposition with a kick inside 50 once every two games. It's hardly a bad habit. 

Of players in this year's finals who have played more than 10 games in 2013, Bryce Gibbs, Brett Deledio, Travis Boak and Dane Swan hit the opposition with a kick inside 50 at a rate of more than seven times every 10 games. 

So for the Cats to have eight players hit the opposition with kicks inside 50 on the same day shows they were having a collective off day. 

It gives an indication as to why Geelong were kept below 10 goals for the first time since round 9, 2008 and highlights the extreme pressure Fremantle applied to both the ball carrier and receiver. 

It also shows why the Dockers were able to start a forward move from deep in their defensive 50 and kick a goal three times. They also twice gained enough territory from defence to force two boundary throw-ins that led to stoppage goals. 

Despite popular perception, Fremantle did not just score on the counter-attack, pushing numbers back and then charging forward into space more quickly than the opposition. 

It spread at all angles when it took intercept marks and outworked Geelong on the rebound, working the ball inside 50 in a conventional manner to targets that included Aaron Sandilands and Matthew Pavlich. 

Even coach Ross Lyon said his side's ball movement has "gone through the roof" in recent times. 

If you still consider the Dockers to be dour, you're living in the past. 

Whenever a Fremantle player marked inside 50, his teammates were prepared to spread far and wide to give the kicker options to move the ball. 

In the first quarter Zac Clarke's intercept mark on the defensive 50 line led to the team's first goal. 

In the second quarter it managed to kick a coast-to-coast goal while in the third quarter a diving mark from Lee Spurr led to a quick handball to a runner, giving the Cats little time to set up. 

To do that the Dockers needed to be fit, brave and clean. On Saturday they were all three. 

Carlton got the upper hand on Richmond with accurate kicking and better positioning in defence. 

The Blues took 16 marks in the defensive 50 on Sunday, above their season average of 13.4. 

Few were more memorable than Lachie Henderson's mark with the flight in the dying minutes. 

Most, however, were not that heroic. 

They were a result of reading opposition cues, closing down space or players positioning themselves in a way that played the percentages. 

Carlton also had Marc Murphy pushing back as an outlet when transferring the ball from its defensive 50. He got on the 45-degree angle repeatedly to take the ball away. 

The Blues were able to absorb early pressure and then ran harder in the second half when the Tigers' pressure dropped away. 

In the finals, the midfield battle will often be split between two good sides.

How the ball is used going forward will be critical in the next three weeks. 

Everyone will give effort. Whoever can use the footy best will win.