MUCH has been said of the alleged "Sydneyisation" of St Kilda under the coaching of former Swans assistant Ross Lyon. A lot of the theorising has been debatable, some of it complete bunk. But the one similarity becoming increasingly apparent is the Saints' capacity to finish the season full of running.

Particularly significant, considering a fourth win on the trot, a third quarter of football against Hawthorn on Saturday night arguably the best term the Saints have produced in the past three years, and a good run home.

After a shocking start under Lyon last year, St Kilda finished just out of the eight with seven-and-a-half wins from its last 11 games. It's happening again, the Saints 5-7 five weeks ago, now 9-7.

Sydney was a master of pacing itself in its grand final years of 2005-06, the Swans winning 10 of their last 12 games en route to their famous '05 flag, six of their final seven the next season to clinch top four spots both times. Of course, there was no opponent as dominant as the steamroller that is Geelong, either.

But the implications of St Kilda's eight-goal burst against the Hawks shouldn't be underestimated. This is a vastly different side from the one that just five weeks ago had everyone scratching their heads.

The current winning streak began with a scratchy home win over Fremantle, but the real turning point in hindsight seems to have been the upset over North Melbourne at Carrara before the break.

Carlton was accounted for very efficiently, but Saturday night's 10-goal turnaround against a shell-shocked Hawthorn was on another level again altogether.

It's all coming together for St Kilda, the irony that it is the same Sydney outfit to which Lyon's team is so frequently compared that stands in the way of the double chance.

The Swans' dramatic two-point win over Carlton yesterday might end up proving the most critical result of the season, coach Paul Roos's unusual display of animation come siren time an indicator of the importance of a six- rather than two-point lead over the three teams on nine wins. But Sydney is far from home and hosed for fourth spot. The Swans have Adelaide next week, who have beaten Sydney in eight of their past nine clashes.

Then it's four top-eight rivals in the final five games, including the Western Bulldogs, Geelong and Collingwood, all of whom have beaten the Swans this season.

Compare that to St Kilda's run, which takes in just one top-eight opponent in Collingwood, a pre-finals final in round 19.

The Magpies remain firmly in the running, but they have lost three of their past five.

Fellow top-four contenders Brisbane have lost three out of their past four before a routine win over West Coast and don't deserve kudos.

St Kilda hovers a lot closer to the top of the "form ladder" at the moment.

Should the Saints continue to turn on football like that sublime third term on Saturday night, they'll give the upper reaches of the premiership a decent shake, too.