SOMETHING about the goalless quarter grabs my interest.
It is, in some ways, the ultimate expression of the 'everyone defend everywhere' philosophy that sees teams restrict their opposition better than ever before.
Sure, points are kicked and opportunities lost, but when you don't kick a goal for a quarter, you are clearly battling for avenues to score.
At its best, St Kilda made keeping the opposition goalless for a quarter an art form.
Even in a season in which the Saints have struggled, they have achieved the feat on five occasions in the first 14 games.
St Kilda became so good at the process in 2009 (keeping the opposition goalless for a quarter 14 times) and 2010 (nine times), but went one step further this year, keeping itself goalless in the last quarter in round 15 against North Melbourne, and still winning.
While we're on goalless last quarters, it seemed they had disappeared this year. Despite 23 in 2010 and 16 in 2009, we spent much of the first half of the season lamenting [or celebrating] their absence.
We saw only one in the first nine rounds - Richmond against Carlton in round one. The Tigers managed to go back to back in that statistic in 2010-11.
Many attributed their absence to the introduction of the sub rule, which opened up the game to give teams opportunities to score. However, the new dawn has proved false.
Slowly, as the season has moved deeper into winter and players seemed to adjust to the fitness demands of the sub rule, the goalless final quarter returned. In rounds 10, 11, 12 and 14, at least one game ended with a team being held goalless in the final term.
In the past two rounds, four of the 15 games have ended that way. That makes 11 instances this season. On five occasions, a team has been held scoreless in the last quarter - kaput, not troubling the scorers.
Could that be the sub rule having the opposite effect, as fatigue sets in late in the season? The bye might also be playing a part.
It is almost as though the goalless last quarter has taken off from where the goalless first quarter left off.
Only twice has a team not scored a goal in the first term since round 10; it happened 10 times in the first 10 rounds.
In fact, the number of goalless quarters is down this season compared to last. We have had 49 quarters in which one team has failed to kick a goal (496 quarters have been played). That equates to 9.87 per cent, marginally down from last year's figure of 10.9 per cent but still higher than 2009 (8.64 per cent).
SCORING DROUGHTS
Number of goalless quarters
Rds 1-16, 2011 49
2010 81
2009 64
Number of goalless last quarters
Rds 1-16, 2011 11
2010 23
2009 16
2008 12
2007 13
2006 14
After a bye
The last seven teams coming off a bye have been outscored in the last quarter. Two of the seven have been held goalless.
Twelve of 17 teams coming off the bye and playing a team not coming off a bye have 'lost' the last quarter.
