St Kilda has paid a heavy price for its thrilling NAB Cup quarter-final win over reigning AFL premiers Geelong in Canberra on Saturday with spearhead Fraser Gehrig and key defender Max Hudghton both in danger of missing the start of the home and away season after limping off with soft tissue injuries.
The Saints' injury curse, particularly with soft tissue injuries, of recent years continued as first Gehrig suffered a calf injury and then Hudghton limped off with a hamstring injury - taking the gloss off their 3.9.10 (91) to 3.8.11 (86) victory at Manuka Oval.
St Kilda will now meet Essendon in the first semi-final at Telstra Dome next Friday night after first-year draftee Jack Steven's goal with 90 seconds remaining proved enough for the Saints to win a wildly fluctuating match.
But it is the injuries to Gehrig and Hudghton which were the main talking points of what was otherwise the best match of the pre-season cup so far.
Gehrig, the Saints' leading goalkicker for the past five seasons, limped off with a calf injury midway through the second term - an injury that is set to sideline him for at least a month.
And with the Saints' official season opener against Sydney to be played on March 22 that means Gehrig, who turns 32 next month, faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the season.
It is a cruel blow for the 2004 and 2005 Coleman Medalist, who retired at the end of last season only to return to the Saints months later.
Hudghton, meanwhile, grabbed at his left hamstring in the final term, following a marking contest, and immediately went down to the rooms and did not return.
The 31-year-old has a long history of hamstring problems and played just 10 games last season after suffering five separate leg injuries.
The Saints also suffered another scare in the final term when the injury-prone Justin Koschitzke left the field but he was only suffering muscle tightness in his leg and should be fit to face the Bombers.
Koschitzke, who has played just 97 games in seven seasons due to a series of injuries, looks on track for his best season yet and his five goals - including one nine pointer - ultimately proved the difference in a close game.
The Cats - despite missing Gary Ablett, Matthew Scarlett, Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman and Tom Harley - led by 20 points at quarter-time on the back of early nine pointers from Joel Corey and the ever-improving Mathew Stokes.
But the Saints hit back hard in the second term booting six goals to one to lead by 16 points at half-time with youngsters David Armitage and Jarryn Geary both impressive.
The third term was very even but as Tom Hawkins began to look increasingly dangerous in attack it looked as though the Cats would finish over the top of the Saints.
Hawkins booted two goals in the final term to have the Cats within sight of victory - despite a superb nine pointer on the run from Nick Dal Santo - and when Ryan Gamble kicked a behind from a tough set shot on an angle with just under two minutes remaining they led by a point.
But from the kick-in the Saints took the ball the length of the field where small forward Steven - a 17-year-old who