The Saints finished in second place on the ladder after the home-and-away series without beating South Warrnambool (first), Warrnambool (third) or Terang Mortlake (fourth) to raise questions about their post-season prospects.

But a 12.14 (86) to 11.11 (77) qualifying final victory against Warrnambool on Saturday in a hard and at times willing contest was the first answer playing coach Chris McLaren was seeking from his team.

Koroit cashed in at Gardens Oval, Port Fairy, after winning the toss and kicking with a powerful northerly wind to the southern end of the ground.

With its onballers Simon O'Keefe, Brett Harrington and Isaac Templeton winning a series of decisive centre clearances and key forwards Ben Dobson and Joe McLaren making the most of their opportunities, Koroit stung Warrnambool with four goals in the first four minutes of play and by quarter-time had opened a decisive 8.2 to 1.3 advantage.

Dobson was the go-to man across half-forward, landing the first of three goals in the term from 50 metres and the second from 60, forcing the Blues to switch their defensive match-up from Paul Looney to Sam Cowling.

Warrnambool was also forced to shift Andrew McCarthy from attack when ruckman Rhys Raymond suffered a game-ending ankle injury mid-term.

A clash between Koroit ruckman Nathan Meade and Warrnambool defender Brad Bull late in the term had repercussions for the Saints at the start of the second quarter when the central umpires showed Meade a yellow card and told him he had been reported by emergency umpire Warren Durdin.

The charge was later withdrawn but Meade's time on the pine was compounded minutes later when teammate Ben Goodall was sent off under a yellow card for a high shot on Walters at a stoppage on the clubrooms wing.

While Walters was forced from the ground for the remainder of the period, instant retribution from his teammates left Goodall concussed and unable to return to the field. With Matt McMahon succumbing to a hip injury at quarter-time, it left the Saints with one bench rotation.

Koroit did an amazing job to restrict Warrnambool to four goals in a second term which lasted 35 minutes, given it was down to 16 players on the field for the first half of the quarter.

A late goal from youngster Haydn Drew gave the Saints the upper hand at half-time, 10.4 to 5.7.

Koroit created nine scoring shots to four in the third period but was unable to deliver the killer blow, kicking 1.8 to 2.3.

The Saints were less inhibited kicking against the breeze, with wingman Alex White capping a stirring team goal 39 seconds into the final quarter, handing his side a 12.12 to 7.10 advantage.

But when Warrnambool kicked the next four goals to close within eight points at the 21-minute mark, it was Koroit's defensive unit which shone as the lack of midfield rotations began to tell.

Koroit playing coach Chris McLaren restricted Warrnambool spearhead Jason Rowan to four goals, Liam McLaren held Travis Graham goalless and Andrew Foster's courage and positioning earned him a place at the of the Saints' best player list.