North Melbourne coach Brad Scott told us midweek that wherever his team finished on the ladder, it's what they deserved. As it was, they have missed the finals for the third straight year, and it was indeed a deserved outcome.

They played the opening quarter and a half with the intensity of a team fighting for their season. They won contested ball in the middle, they took risks, they were just hungrier than the Saints.

Delivery into the forward 50 was a worry, but the sheer volume of entries kept the Saints' defence on edge. Drew Petrie was marking everything, and Kieran Harper played the best half of footy of his fledgling career.

However, their fight lasted just a quarter and a half. From midway through the second term, the players looked second rate. It was a familiar tale for a Kangaroo outfit who have won just one game against a top-eight side this year.

No individual was quite as disappointing as North's captain, Brent Harvey, who had no influence on the game at all under close attention from Sean Dempster.

Instead of push himself harder or ask for some help from his teammates, he repeatedly fell to ground appealing to the umpires for a free. His petulance was epitomised by the official complaint made to the umpires at three-quarter time.

By then, the damage had been done.

Of course, blame for the result lies in the coach's box, too. North's matchups in defence were ill-conceived and allowed St Kilda's forwards to dominate the game.

Stephen Milne was far too quick for Scott Thompson and ran rings around him for four goals, including three in a match-winning third term. Similarly, Adam Schneider easily ran off and danced around Scott McMahon.

Nick Riewoldt outclassed Lachlan Hansen, while Nathan Grima was no match for Justin Koschitzke. The twin towers looked as good as they have for a long time, combining for eight goals.

Yes, as much as North deserved to lose for their performance, St Kilda earned the win and their spot in the finals.

Brendon Goddard's grunt work in the second term was as good as his swift running in the third. Ben McEvoy took it to Todd Goldstein, who should be the All-Australian ruckman this year. David Armitage and Jack Steven were more effective than they will probably get credit for, at least from us outside the club.

Every player did their job, and they put the side into September. Incredibly, Ross Lyon is only the second St Kilda coach in history to take the Saints to four consecutive finals series.

Now the issue remains: how much of an impact on the finals can and will the Saints have?

Having any impact beyond week one will require getting past Sydney. They are all but definitely going to play the Swans in an elimination final. It is just the location that is yet to be determined.

If the Saints can beat Carlton, it will be in Melbourne. However, if the Blues win, and the Swans score a likely victory over Brisbane, the match will be in Sydney.

The two sides met in Sydney just last week, with the Swans prevailing by 15 behinds. The Swans have also been in good enough form to beat Geelong at the Cattery.

Even if do they win that, they will then have to play either Hawthorn or Geelong, neither of whom are particularly exciting prospects in a knock-out final.

Looking even further ahead, if they manage to win that game, they will likely face Collingwood in the prelim. If the Saints make this year's Grand Final, they will have earned it.

However, I'm sure St Kilda will be quick to remind us that they're only focussing on Round 24.