St Kilda is in serious danger of missing the finals for the first time since 2003 after its impotent attack again misfired against the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Sunday.

For the seventh time this year the Saints failed to score ten goals in a game and as was the case in all those previous instances it resulted in defeat - 11.14 (80) to 8.10 (58) - to the much-improved Kangaroos.

At the halfway mark of the season the Saints - who reached the 2004 and 2005 preliminary finals under former coach Grant Thomas - have just four wins from 11 games and now find themselves two games outside the top eight.

A season that started so full of promise for new coach Ross Lyon is fast turning into a nightmare and after watching yet another negative performance from the Saints, it's no wonder so many Saints' fans are yearning for the days of attacking football under Thomas.

Thomas of course was controversially sacked at the end of last year by the man with whom he is involved in a very public slanging match at the moment - St Kilda president Rod Butterss.

Butterss has accused Thomas of destabilising the team by continuing to maintain contact with the players and whether the furore is affecting the team is debatable but one thing is certain and that is the Saints are playing without spirit and flair.

From the time Corey Jones booted three goals in the opening term the Saints were on the back foot and it would not be until the final term until they surged back into contention.

But after closing to nine points midway through the final quarter, the Saints allowed Ed Lower to not only take an uncontested mark from a long kick-in but then also let him play-on under no pressure and kick the all-important steadying goal.

However defeat would have been tough on the Kangaroos, whose own forward line is hardly setting the world on fire.

But this win was built on the back of their defence as Drew Petrie thrashed Fraser Gehrig while Michael Firrito did likewise to a disappointing Nick Riewoldt as veteran Glenn Archer mopped up everything else.

And while the Saints look set for a barren September, the Kangaroos - whose record now stands at 7-4 - are a genuine chance of playing finals for only the third time in the past seven years.

And that in a season in which they