St Kilda had the opportunity to nab an unlikely finals berth or honour a retiring great in Nick Riewoldt against Richmond and they did neither.
A flat and disappointed Alan Richardson has spoken of the difficult equation that faced the Saints at the MCG on Sunday.
St Kilda were still a chance to snatch a finals berth with a win over the Tigers if Fremantle beat Essendon in the early game.
Then the focus skewed more toward giving Riewoldt an appropriate send-off as the Bombers gained the ascendancy over the Dockers.
But, a third-quarter fight back aside, the Saints didn't offer much in a 41-point loss to the Tigers that saw them finish the season in 11th spot.
"It was an awkward day," Richardson told Fox Footy's AFL 360.
"It was a day where we turned up with almost two agendas - we had a chance to play finals if other things go our way and we do our part and also wanting to do the right thing by Nick.
"Then the score goes up in the warm-up that Essendon are 31 points up ... it was a really frustrating day.
"I said to the players before the game that it was as crook as I've felt in the guts before a game.
"We spoke about both scenarios and wanting to make our people proud but we let ourselves down, there's no doubt about that."
St Kilda finished the season with an 11-11 record and have now finished 18th, 14th, ninth and 11th under Richardson.
More was expected of the Saints in 2017 and more will certainly be demanded of Richardson's team in his fifth year at the helm.
Asked if he expected pressure would increase on his position next year, Richardson said that wouldn't be his focus.
"We're disappointed with this year," he said.
"There's nothing else to focus on but the work that's required to make sure we bridge that gap.
"That's going to be our focus ... not whether I or anybody else is under pressure.
"That's just a waste of energy."
Richardson said a decision on the future of veteran Leigh Montagna would be made over the next week or so.
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