All season, the Brisbane Lions have been trying to turn around their horror starts to AFL games.
Yet Lions defender Matt Maguire admitted he had no clue what Brisbane were doing wrong ahead of arguably their most important match since their 2009 finals campaign.
The Lions (12th; 7-9 record) must win Sunday's away clash with Port Adelaide (8th; 9-7) to keep alive their finals hopes.
They have won three straight in a 4-1 run to turn around a horror 3-8 season start despite being the league's worst first-quarter team.
Brisbane have led just three of their 16 matches at the first change.
And they have kicked the fewest opening-term goals in the competition (37) - even less than cellar dwellers Melbourne (38) and Greater Western Sydney (39).
Yet somehow the Lions will be within one game and percentage of eighth-placed Port with a weekend victory.
Lions coach Michael Voss admitted he had been hammering home the first-quarter message to players.
But asked on Thursday why the Lions started so badly, Maguire said: "I don't know.
"I don't think it is an effort thing. We are just behind on the scoreboard."
Voss was more forthcoming.
"We've been trying to address it. It's not something that has just come up on our radar and we're not aware of it - we're fully aware," he said.
"Some of it's concentration, some of it's execution and just being purely ready for the contest.
"I feel like the guys are working hard enough but we need to straighten up a couple of things in that area."
Starts might be a headache but running down sides is no problem for the Lions as indicated in stirring recent come-from-behind wins over Geelong and North Melbourne.
"We know if we are in the game at three-quarter time, we have the endurance and will to win and are able to come over the top of sides," Maguire said.
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