When St Kilda thrashed Fremantle by 71 points in the final home and away game last season, it was a result which might as well have carried an asterisk next to it, the Dockers, already assured of a top-four spot, choosing to field less than half their best 22.

There'll be no such mark alongside the same teams' clash at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, however. Well, not unless they devise notation for magnitude of an upset. Because surely there can't have been a bigger one in 2014, and that includes Greater Western Sydney's season-opener against the Swans back in mid-March.

On paper, this was a monumental mismatch between teams second and last on the AFL ladder, one side which had won eight games in a row and an opponent that lost 11 straight and was paying a more-than-lucrative $16 for a win. And so it played out like a mismatch. Just with the anticipated roles reversed. Certainly, St Kilda hasn't played football of this calibre for some time. Likewise, the Dockers have rarely in their recent history stunk it up this badly.

Perhaps the Saints' intent may have been signalled by the actions of Sean Dempster just three minutes into the game when he charged into the path of an oncoming Matthew Pavlich and was predictably flattened, knocked out before he'd even hit the ground and stretchered off.

While the consequences weren't as stark once play eventually resumed, the other Saints subsequently would show no less courage or intensity. They tackled harder than their more highly-rated opponent, they bored in more regularly, they were first to the vast bulk of contests, and as a result they dominated the scoreboard, too.

Skipper Nick Riewoldt got the ball rolling, Brodie Murdoch made it two, and Luke Dunstan's tackle on Nick Suban won a holding-the-ball free kick converted into a third. By the time a very lively Rhys Stanley, already giving Luke McPharlin a hard time, made it four, the lead was 25 points and something out of the ordinary looming.

Chris Mayne broke the ice for the Dockers just before quarter-time. But rather than provide a necessary spur to a side which looked guilty of having taken its opponent too easily, it merely proved an interlude, St Kilda even more dominant in the second term than it had been in the first.

The alarm bells were ringing everywhere for the Dockers. Danyle Pearce latched on to a ball midfield and promptly hoofed it out of bounds on-the-full under little pressure. Colin Sylvia ran into an open goal and rather than back himself to kick it, chipped a loopy pass to Pavlich which put the Docker veteran on an even tighter angle. He, too, kicked out-on-the-full.

Anthony Morabito marked a scrappy kick and converted for Freo. But again St Kilda's answer was swift. Riewoldt, giving Zac Dawson a torrid time, booted his second. Another goal to Tom Curren after Mav Weller had laid a gut-busting tackle and Lenny Hayes dished off a handball made it 33 points. Then Adam Schneider, allowed to mark in far too much space, stretched the gap to 40, heads being scratched in wonderment even among the St Kilda faithful.

Incredibly, even that was but an entree. Any thoughts that Fremantle was going to quickly re-assert the status quo were put to bed within a couple of minutes of the resumption when David Armitage snapped from close range. Pavlich responded quick enough in what was probably the Dockers' only sharp passage of play for the entire game. But again, St Kilda upped the ante with the next five goals, by now beginning to toy with a side that was gone beyond recall.

The veterans like Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes were basking in the glow of an impending victory that was turning the clock back to 2009-10. The former pair added another brace of goals. And the exclamation mark was provided by Farren Ray, who within the space of 90 seconds slotted his own pair of goals, the first a lovely right foot snap from 40 metres out, the second on his left from closer range.

When impressive youngster Luke Dunstan found himself in acres of space, stepped effortlessly on to his left foot and threaded the next from the 50-metre line, the St Kilda faithful let loose a roar the volume of which hasn't been heard at one of their games for years. The margin was now 75 points, and whatever happened from that point of little consequence.

Sure, this was a one-side thrashing widely expected in the lead-up. But far from a yawn. How could it be, when that same thrashing is also one of the biggest shock results we've seen in years?