No sides sum up the fluctuating nature of the season better than the Lions and the Blues, who’ll clash at the Gabba on Saturday.
In a preliminary final at the Gabba last season, the visitors kicked the game’s first five goals but lost only to flip the script and overcome a 46-point deficit at the same ground in round one this season.
Brisbane won a league-best 20 of 23 first quarters this season, almost doubling the points of their opponents.
But they have lost more final quarters than they have won.
It’s a trend that ultimately cost them a finals double chance, run down by Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood in successive weeks to drop out of the top-four race.
Club great and triple-premiership player Simon Black has questioned the team’s ruthlessness, telling AAP he fears it may cost the ultra-talented group a premiership.
But veteran defender Lester said they hadn’t given their quarter-by-quarter scoring much thought, before pointing out the irony of the statistic.
“In first quarters we’ve missed shots which would have allowed us to go further ahead,” Lester, who inked a new, one-year deal on Friday, said.
“The thing for us is there’s going to be momentum swings in the game and we have to make the most of ours.
“First quarters are not something we overly emphasise.
“But it’s a week-to-week thing and we’re confident tomorrow night we can put it all together in four quarters.”
He said in the modern game every team was capable of scoring quickly against anyone.
The Blues will feel that too, welcoming back key forward Harry McKay (quad) from injury among six changes that don’t include his strike partner Charlie Curnow (ankle).
Hulking defender Jack Payne is back for the Lions and will likely spend time on McKay in a key Gabba duel.
“The comp’s so even and every team has real strengths and weapons and when you get on a roll it’s hard to stop,” Lester said.
“We feel that when we do.
“As experienced players there’s things we think we can do when other teams have momentum, but it’s sometimes easier said than done and it’s going to be a large part of the battle.”
The Lions were well out of finals contention before stringing together nine-straight wins in the second half the season, while the Blues won just two of their last eight to sneak in.
“Probably halfway through the year it maybe looked unlikely we’d be playing this time of year so we’re pumped,” Lester said of last year’s grand finalists.
“With the injuries we’ve had to the backline, for me to be a bit of a consistent performer and person down there, play a few different roles, it has been satisfying.
“But with no double chance we’ve got to perform tomorrow night.”
