Just two goals were kicked in a lacklustre final term as the young Saints, led by captain Nick Riewoldt, did enough to snap their recent form and win by eight points – 10.5 (65) to 8.9 (57).
In one of the lowest scoring affairs seen at the Dome, Fremantle had threatened to bury the home side, kicking five unanswered goals from halfway through the second term to nine minutes into the third.
Before then, the visitors trailed by 27 points.
Four of the five goals came from skipper Matthew Pavlich, who was showing his previous week's form and, when Josh Carr drilled a low goal from a set shot, Fremantle took the lead for the first time.
Ruckman Aaron Sandilands (29 hit-outs) knocked to space and the influence of experienced utility Dean Solomon (23 possessions), Byron Schammer (24), David Mundy (20) and young midfielder Rhys Palmer started to grow.
But while he accrued 27 possessions, Palmer's disposal let him down. He wasn't alone.
Sandilands missed an opportunity from 25m out, St Kilda sent the ball back for Steven King to win a 50m penalty and his boot to the goal square had Brendon Goddard climb and kick his second.
Reliable Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin was carried off after a heavy hit to the ribs and Riewoldt – very good all night – made the most of his absence, threading a banana from a free kick.
Numbers told the story of his evening – 25 possessions and 18 marks.
The Saints then made it three in a row when veteran Robert Harvey (31 touches) pounced on a fumble by Michael Johnson to create Jason Gram's second running goal from the arc.
With 11 points the difference at the final change, Fremantle still seemed to have the energy and impetus until the match slowed.
Neither side showed the dash of a game on the line.
But Ryan Crowley drifted forward to mark and goal, giving it some life, though the crowd had to wait almost eight minutes for another.
It came, somewhat fittingly, from Riewoldt, who snapped around his body to put the Saints nine points clear.
In the shape of the contest, it seemed as if just one more would be enough to earn the win.
Most of St Kilda's 18 men rushed the back half, just as Fremantle had done early in the evening, and this time their ball use was stagnated; their movement starved.
A sealer didn't come, but the Saints held on to keep their finals hopes alive.
Harvey had a good evening, but was bettered by Luke Ball, who had left the ground very groggy after a heavy hit from young Fremantle ruckman Robert Warnock in the first term.
A melee looked to burst as St Kilda remonstrated, but Ball returned to the field to play his stirring role.
Best on ground to quarter time was Lenny Hayes, whose 16 disposals ensured the Saints had early supremacy and were far more effective than Fremantle.
Hamstring tightness ended his evening and the Saints lost some run and grunt, taking 10 minutes to open the scoring in the second term.
Pavlich then moved to control the match through three goals in six minutes and, with the margin seven points at the main break, the smallish crowd of 22,440 would have expected a thriller.
The final scores suggested it, but the process benefited few bar the Saints.
St Kilda 4.3 6.3 9.5 10.5 (65)
Fremantle 2.0 5.2 7.6 8.9 (57)
GOALS
St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Goddard 2, Gram 2, Montagna, Hayes, Gilbert
Fremantle: Pavlich 5, Murphy, J. Carr, Crowley
BEST
St Kilda: Ball, Riewoldt, Harvey, King, Armitage, Gwilt, Goddard, Gram
Fremantle: Pavlich, Solomon, Mundy, Palmer, Mayne, Sandilands
INJURIES
St Kilda: Hayes (hamstring)
Fremantle: McPharlin (ribs), Michael Johnson (ankle)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Farmer, Jeffery
Official crowd: 22,440 at Telstra Dome
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
