The Saints kicked 12.7 (79) to 10.10 (70) to notch their fifth win of the season and become the first team this year to win the week after both of its byes.
Only Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn and West Coast have also managed wins the week after a break.
The game was won in the second quarter, more specifically the final 10 minutes before half-time, in which the Saints slammed on five goals.
It was a flashback to the dominant St Kilda teams of 2009 and 2010 as Nick Riewoldt got away from opponent Lachlan Hansen to dictate terms.
Riewoldt returned to form after a brief lull, kicking three goals (all of which came in the second quarter) and taking 13 marks.
St Kilda and its captain eased off in the second half but held off an underwhelming North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos looked a shadow of the team that had won its previous four matches. Brent Harvey and Andrew Swallow struggled to get into the game but Todd Goldstein flew the flag in a dominant performance in the ruck and at ground level.
Brett Peake had possibly the best game he has played in St Kilda colours, rebounding off half-back to finish with 22 touches.
Teammates Nick Dal Santo and Jack Steven were also dominant while Brendon Goddard was effective all around the ground despite going off the ground twice with what appeared to be a niggle with his knee.
The Kangaroos had several chances to get back in the game in the final quarter but struggled to convert, kicking just 1.4 from some very easy shots.
The Saints didn't manage a single point in the final term but held on to grab a win that no one would describe as flashy but few could argue wasn't important.
Influential players
Athletic ruckman Todd Goldstein was clearly North Melbourne's best and Leigh Adams found the goals for North Melbourne.
What it means
The Saints are well and truly in the race for the finals after an inauspicious start to the year. They are now in 12th position, just one game out of the eight. With a good run ahead, the Saints are in a good position. North Melbourne is half a game ahead of them after their four-game winning streak came to an end. Both teams could be battling for the same spot in nine weeks time.
Dream Team watch
North Melbourne: Ruckman Todd Goldstein is fast becoming one of the most reliable scorers among the competition's big men. He delivered again against the Saints, his 130 points light years ahead of the next best Kangaroos - Daniel Wells (84), Brady Rawlings (81) and Leigh Adams (80).
What the coach said
Brad Scott:
"There were more positives to come out of today than negatives, but it was bitterly disappointing because we didn’t get the result. It’s probably a pretty accurate reflection on where we’re at. We’re improving, we’ve improved in a lot of areas, but we’re not quite there yet.
Quarter by quarter summary
FIRST QUARTER
St Kilda's Stephen Milne opened the game on fire. The Saints goalsneak kicked the game's opening two goals, the first from 40m after Brendan Goddard found him on the lead and the second after he won a free kick against Michael Firrito 20m out from goal. After a goal to Dean Polo, the Saints led by 21 points at the 14-minute mark. Brett Peake was everywhere for the Saints and finished the term with 11 disposals. North did not open their scoring until the 15-minute mark when Drew Petrie kicked a goal after marking in the goalsquare. The big spearhead then sparked the Kangaroos into action, kicking another from 50m less than two minutes later after outmarking Zac Dawson. The Kangaroos' pressure noticeably lifted in the second half of the quarter and was best typified by a great team effort that resulted in a turnover and a goal to Cameron Pedersen at the 24-minute mark. Levi Greenwood was also instrumental in wresting the momentum back for North, doing a lot of bullocking work around stoppages.
St Kilda by two points
SECOND QUARTER
North jumped the Saints at the start of the second term, kicking the first two goals by the four-minute mark. At that stage, the Kangaroos had kicked five unanswered goals. Leigh Adams kicked the first after getting on the end of a Brent Harvey pass, while Harvey kicked the next himself after a 50m penalty was paid against Dean Polo. Nick Riewoldt kicked the Saints' first for the quarter at the 10-minute mark when he converted from 25m out on a slight angle. It was a deserved reward as the St Kilda skipper had been running opponent Lachie Hansen ragged and marking strongly, but his goalkicking was - not for the first time - letting him down. It seemed to spark the Saints' skipper who added another two for the quarter as the Saints suddenly started to take complete control of general play. From the 22-minute mark of the term, they kicked five unanswered goals to take all the momentum into the main break.
St Kilda by 20 points
THIRD QUARTER
North coach Brad Scott swung the moves at the start of the second half, moving Cameron Pedersen from attack to man Riewoldt and releasing Hansen into attack. Both teams struggled to move the ball cleanly inside their forward 50s at the start of the term, but eventually St Kilda forward Ryan Gamble broke the deadlock at the seven-minute mark when he kicked truly from 30m out, after collaring Greenwood in a strong tackle. Hansen found space in North's forward line to mark and goal a minute later to bring the Kangaroos back to within 20 points. The Saints kicked the next two goals through Milne and David Armitage, Armitage's goal coming after a North interchange infringement. The Kangaroos had been in attack at the time, but the free kick saw St Kilda kick inside their forward 50, with Armitage ultimately catching Firrito in a tackle and winning a free kick for holding the ball. North hit back when Todd Goldstein kicked a goal at the 25-minute mark and when Ben Cunnington snapped a point two minutes later they were back to within 19 points.
St Kilda by 19 points
FOURTH QUARTER
The final term was an arm wrestle, with the Saints seeming to shut up shop. North ruckman Todd Goldstein was dominating but the Kangaroos midfielders could not take full advantage. That said, they were doing most of the attacking and created opportunities for their forwards, but Pratt, Hansen, Edwards and Petrie all missed gettable chances. Adams finally scored the term's first goal when he snapped a goal from 35m at the 16-minute mark. It brought the Kangaroos back to 10 points. North then piled on the pressure but struggled to find a way through St Kilda's defence with Sam Gilbert, Sam Fisher and Ben McEvoy getting back to chop off most of their long kicks aimed in Petrie's direction. Lindsay Thomas had a chance to cut the Saints' lead to four points at the 24-minute mark but kicked it out on the full. A minute later, Liam Anthony missed a tight shot from the boundary line and, with that, the Saints had weathered the storm without adding to their three-quarter time score.
St Kilda by nine points
The next four
St Kilda: Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium), West Coast (Etihad Stadium), Adelaide (Etihad Stadium), Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium).
North Melbourne: Collingwood (MCG), Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium), Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium), Carlton (Etihad Stadium)
North Melbourne 3.2 7.3 9.6 10.10 (70)
St Kilda 3.4 10.5 12.7 12.7 (79)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Adams 3, Petrie 2, Pedersen, Harvey, Swallow, Hansen, Goldstein
St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Milne 3, Lynch 2, Polo, Schneider, Goddard, Gamble
BEST
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Wells, Adams, Firrito, Greenwood
St Kilda: Goddard, Riewoldt, Dal Santo, Gilbert, Fisher, Steven, Jones, Dempster
INJURIES
North Melbourne: nil
St Kilda: Tom Ledger (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Raphael Clarke
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Nathan Grima replaced by Liam Anthony in the third quarter
St Kilda: Tom Lynch replaced by Raphael Clarke in the fourth quarter
Reports: nil
Umpires: Stewart, Findlay, Ryan
Official crowd: 29, 693 at Etihad Stadium
