The next month for Fremantle shapes as a crucial period for the club and coach Justin Longmuir, who has been left to ask 'What did I get wrong?' in the wake of the club's shock loss to St Kilda.
The 61-point defeat sees the Dockers slide 10th on the ladder, with further Round 8 results potentially seeing the Western Australian side drop further and fall further away from the contending top eight.
Longmuir's side has struggled to find consistency this season, having chalked up as many wins as losses from their first eight games early into a campaign many thought would see the purple army rise back toward the top of the competition.
A winless opening fortnight was quickly turned around with victories over West Coast, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond, however the Dockers have lost two of their three since, suffering upset defeats at the hands of Melbourne and now St Kilda.
Those two losses bookend a stunning win over Adelaide in Perth, a match that saw the Dockers at their full potential after a shaky start to the season.
Longmuir and his men came crashing back down to Earth on Friday night as the Saints kept the travelling side to two goals by the final break, with Fremantle losing the inside 50 (-27), clearance (-28), contested possession (-48) and marks inside 50 (-11) substantially.
Speaking post-game, a "really disappointed" Longmuir said his side's failure to provide a consistent run of form "isn't good enough".
"I'm not (concerned this side isn't what people thought it might be). Our consistency isn't good enough," the Dockers coach said.
"We've shown we can play some really good footy. My job, and the club's job, is to make sure we put a consistent performance out each week.
"I understand our fans would be really disappointed. We're really disappointed.
"We're got to work our backsides off to become a more consistent team that can produce our top-end footy more regularly."
The Dockers' most recent loss has Longmuir assessing the role he has played in Fremantle falling short of the mark.
Not pushing blame onto his playing group, the Dockers coach said he'll look to reflect on how his methods are contributing to the club's results.
"I think everyone at the football club at the moment should be questioning themselves," Longmuir said post-match.
"The first thing I look at after a performance like that, and any good leader should, is, 'What did I get wrong?'
"I'm not sitting here blaming the players. I've got to look at my own performance this week, and am I contributing to us being an inconsistent team?
"Of course I'm going to question myself. Can't just sit here and say it's all on the players."
With pressure already mounting on Longmuir, who will enter an ongoing employment agreement with the Dockers at the cessation of his contract this year, the task to turn Fremantle back into a finals-contending club could become more arduous over the next four weeks in the run-in to Fremantle's mid-season bye.
The Dockers will return to Optus Stadium in Round 9 for a meeting with ladder leaders Collingwood before facing further contenders in GWS (A), Port Adelaide (H) and Gold Coast (A) prior to their break.
All four sides currently sit above the Dockers, with a poor run against testing opposition potentially leading to a crucial juncture in their season under Longmuir.
The Dockers coach, who is in his sixth season in charge of the club, could see his record at the helm slide below the 50 per cent mark, having won 57 and lost 56 of his 115 games in charge.
A winless four-game run could see their finals chances slip away quickly, with a post-bye run that contains clashes with Collingwood, Hawthorn, Sydney, Brisbane, Port Adelaide, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs adding to the uphill battle.
