Most likely St Kilda will farewell AFL great Nick Riewoldt when they face Richmond but there is still a possibility they will go marching into the finals.
In a season of so many twists and turns it seems only fitting that the Saints are some sort of chance to claim a play-off berth if they can beat the Tigers at the MCG on Sunday.
St Kilda were 10th heading into round 23 and need to beat the fourth-placed Tigers then hope Fremantle beat Essendon and Adelaide defeat West Coast.
Adding to the intrigue, all three games are on Sunday with the Bombers the early game and the Eagles the latest start.
"It's a bit of a strange situation ... we've got to rely on other teams, but we've got to just to concentrate on getting a result first," St Kilda midfielder Jack Sinclair told AAP.
"But they show the scores from around the ground on the scoreboard so it will probably be a bit hard to keep away from.
"We'll have our fingers crossed but we've just got to focus on ourselves and get the job done.
"We can't control the rest of it."
It's a scenario that was highly unlikely after the Saints handed Richmond a 67-point belting at Etihad Stadium in round 16.
Both teams had 9-6 records after that result, but since then Alan Richardson's side has sputtered to an 11-10 record, while the Tigers (14-7) dropped just one game.
Even as Riewoldt approaches the end of his decorated career, Sinclair has been struck by how driven the 34-year-old is to improve elements of his game.
"I think that was something that really resonated with me," he said.
"No matter how good or how old you are there are still things that you can work to improve.
"He's such a competitive person and I learned a lot about how you need to prepare for games from him.
"He's been such an inspirational figure. It's been a pleasure to watch him for 14 years but to get to play alongside him for three years has been amazing."
On the selection front the Saints have brought in Jack Lonie to replace Sam Gilbert (abdominal strain) and Damien Hardwick stuck with the same 22 that handed Fremantle a 104-point hammering.
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