St Kilda should be tuning up for their first AFL finals campaign in six seasons when they play Richmond next Sunday at the MCG.
Instead, they are 10th and hoping for a miracle on the last day of the home and away season.
By contrast, the Tigers will confirm the double chance if they beat the Saints.
It is a stunning turnaround from when the two teams last played, just six weeks ago.
If the Saints miss the finals, as expected, nothing better sums up their lost opportunity this season.
On July 8, St Kilda played some of the most exhilarating football of the year in the first half against Richmond, mauling them with 14 goals to one.
The Saints won by 67 points, leaving the two teams on 9-6 and their seasons at the crossroads.
While Richmond impressively put their season back on track immediately, the Saints fell into a ditch.
St Kilda lost their next three games, killing any momentum gained from the Richmond win.
The Tigers have won five out of six matches since that disastrous Saturday night.
The Saints are coming off a dominating 49-point win over North Melbourne, but the loss to Melbourne the week before meant they lost control of their finals destiny.
For 10th-placed St Kilda to snatch a finals berth, they must upset the Tigers and rely on Essendon (eighth) and West Coast (ninth) losing their Sunday games.
The Eagles are hosting top side Adelaide, but two hours before St Kilda's game, Essendon will play Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.
The Dockers are coming off successive 104-point losses.
Saints coach Alan Richardson said after the Kangaroos win that they are heading in the right direction, but they have much that needs improving.
"There would be a lot of things that we'd look back on that we need to address," he said.
"We won't lose sight of what's working for us and our strengths, we'll build those to another level.
"But there are areas that we've let ourselves down in. we'll leave no stone unturned to make sure we get that (improvement).
"This is going to be a really good footy team, we're not quite there yet, but we're heading the right way."
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