The Saints were gallant, but ultimately came up short against the Fremantle Dockers at Subiaco Oval on Sunday afternoon, going down by 41-points.
Fraser Gehrig was excellent, finishing with five goals up forward, though on the downside, Justin Koschitzke was carried from the ground at the 27-minute mark of the second quarter with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.
Later reports indicated the damage was not as severe as first thought, however.
The improving Saints, coming off three consecutive wins, gave a far better account of themselves on this trip to Subiaco than they did in round three when the Eagles beat them by 70 points.
Defender Max Hudghton – who injured a hamstring in the third term - blanketed Paul Medhurst, and Robert Harvey, Heath Black and Lenny Hayes ran well through the midfield.
As per usual, the Dockers’ midfield drove the win, with Des Headland, Matthew Pavlich, Paul Hasleby and Peter Bell all making major contributions.
The Saints started well, but failed to convert, and had two behinds on the board when Paul Hasleby slotted one from 40 metres.
Former skipper Nathan Burke goaled a couple of minutes later after a 50 metre penalty put him in the square, but Fremantle kicked the next four majors from inside 15 metres as they marked and crumbed well.
The game was in danger of getting away from the Saints but Gehrig and Steven Milne kicked the last two of the term to get the margin back to just 13 points at the first break.
Fremantle continued to get plenty of the ball early in the second term, but they continually broke down at half-forward as the Saints stood tall.
After both sides had goaled twice in the first 13 minutes, Simmonds was the recipient of some good work through the midfield with his first, as Peter Bell, Dion Woods and Matthew Carr combined to get it to the athletic ruckman who kicked it on the run from 40 metres.
Matthew Pavlich then goaled from the top of the square for Fremantle’s last of the term to stretch the home team’s lead to 22-points at half-time.
The Saints kicked three of the first five goals of the third to get it back to a 17-point margin, but Croad then fired up, first passing to Clive Waterhouse for the enigmatic forward’s first, then kicking his own from 45 metres near the boundary line.
Fremantle kicked the first two goals of the last term, and although St Kilda replied with two of their own, the Dockers kicked the last three.
Fremantle: 5.4, 9.7, 13.10, 18.15 (123)
St Kilda: 3.3, 5.9, 9.11, 11.16 (82)
GOALS: Fremantle: Longmuir 3, Farmer 3, Hasleby 2, Pavlich 2, Croad 2, Bell, Carr, Simmonds, Waterhouse, Headland, Cook.
St Kilda: Gehrig 5, Milne, Peckett, Thompson, Hamill, Burke, Hayes.
BEST: Fremantle Headland, Hasleby, Bell, Pavlich, Hayden, Woods.
St Kilda: Gehrig, Harvey, Black, Hayes, Powell.
INJURIES: Fremantle: None.
St Kilda: Koschitzke (left ankle), Hudghton (hamstring).
REPORTS: None.
UMPIRES: James, Rowe, Nicholls.
CROWD: 26,723 at Subiaco Oval.
