A BRUTAL half-time talk helped St Kilda's midfield wrest back control of the game against Fremantle after an unacceptable second quarter.

It inspired midfielder David Armitage to deliver a match-winning last quarter with 13 disposals and four clearances, ably supported by skipper Nick Riewoldt, with 10 disposals and four marks, and sidekick Jack Steven who had eight touches and three clearances.

"There were some things that were structural but they [the Dockers] were harder and more committed and that is a choice so that was frustrating," Saints coach Alan Richardson said.

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"But the great thing about us having the conversation at half-time as opposed to the end of the game is that we can do something about it."

The Saints edged back into the contest in the third quarter and then stormed home with eight unanswered goals in the last quarter.

Richardson said the players deserved the credit.

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"The players did it. They responded," Richardson said.

Richardson said the most pleasing aspect of the result from a coaching perspective was that the team turned the situation around in a manner he described as "the right way".

"We were able to lock it down and then from a position where we got control, again for our effort and our energy and our physicality, then we went forward really aggressively," Richardson said.

"[It was] underpinned by really, really high pressure footy."

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After two narrow losses to premiership contenders Hawthorn and North Melbourne, Richardson said he was rapt that the team had some reward for effort.

"It's as pleased as I have been," Richardson said.

"Instead of reviewing a performance that got away from us and identifying… 'righto, what are we going to do next time this happens?', we did it."

WATCH Alan Richardson's full post-match press conference

Richardson said the backline kept the Saints in the game in the middle part of the match and the forwards became more productive, once the midfield began to match the opposition and therefore put the ball inside 50 more quickly.

"Once we were getting the ball going forward from clearance as opposed to rebound, because they were winning clearance Paddy [McCartin] was able to get one-on-one, [Tim] Membrey was able to get one-on-one, Riewoldt was able to go forward and get a good look at it," Richardson said.