WITH the lead narrow and just under three minutes left of their first game of the season against Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs decided it was time to shut up shop. A mark was taken and the ball held aloft to give the signal that it was time to wind down the clock.

Up in the coach's box, Rodney Eade wasn't impressed. "This is where tempo football shits me because you just get yourself into trouble," he said. He was duly proved correct.

As the Bulldogs tried to chip the ball around the wing, the Crows tightened up on their men.

One less-than-perfect pass and a turnover later, the Crows had a goal, and very nearly, the game.

It's becoming a recurring theme. On Saturday, North Melbourne had withstood a second-quarter burst by Hawthorn and still had some momentum up when it started to play keepings off. Result? Stagnant football, Hawks get a sniff, and two goals to Jarryd Roughead deep into time-on reduce North's lead to two points.

It happened again at the MCG that evening. This time, it was Carlton surging after a nine-goal third quarter. With the Blues up by seven points and 33 seconds left on the clock, Eddie Betts marked on the wing.

The Blues had time for one more assault on goal. Instead, Betts gave the sign, stopped, propped and chipped the ball barely 15 metres to Nick Stevens, whose marking attempt was spoiled. Essendon won the resultant stoppage, Andrew Lovett centred the ball beautifully, and Adam McPhee goaled after the siren. Result? Bombers go to huddle full of fight, Blues' spirit is sapped.

Even last night, Adelaide, supposed master of the art of taking the sting out of the game, almost came unstuck when Ben Rutten was wrapped up in a boundary line tackle in the final minute, allowing Port Adelaide one last chance to tie the game.

Tempo football is on the nose, and thank God for that. Even its one champion, a coaching fraternity more interested in results than aesthetics, is questioning the wisdom of messing with a game's natural flow, for obvious reasons, the most compelling being that the application of defensive pressure has improved to the point where anything other than the most pinpoint of passes results in the team with the ball losing possession.

Geelong's skills are good enough to hang on to the ball all day, but the Cats don't need to. Why protect a lead when you can increase it simply by continuing to attack?

Had North Melbourne continued to keep its foot on the accelerator before half-time, Hawthorn might not have been able to maintain the sense of self-belief it took to the long break. Had Carlton continued to press forward, a 10-goal third term and a 13-point lead would surely have implanted fear in the Bombers' psyche.

For a method of play supposed to remove the risk factor, tempo football sure seems to be a dicey proposition. More power to the teams that eschew it in favour of instinct and attack, which would cheer virtually an entire football public. To those who come a cropper trying to "kill" a game, serves you right.