ST KILDA is using upcoming opponents Western Bulldogs as inspiration for a possible first finals berth since 2011, forward Josh Bruce says.

Following Sunday's solid win over Melbourne, the Saints are up to 10th place at 8-8, just two games behind the eighth-placed Kangaroos.

While the Dogs are in third spot and pushing for a flag, it was only in 2014 when they finished 14th and then-captain Ryan Griffen walked out on the club to Greater Western Sydney and coach Brendan McCartney resigned.

Bruce said at recovery on Monday that the team had not placed limits on what it could achieve.

"You look at some of the rises of teams like the Western Bulldogs for example," Bruce said.

"They rose up the ladder really, really quickly. We knew that anything's possible.

"We believed in our system and the way that we play, and we knew that it would hold fast … against good teams. It's starting to show this year."

North Melbourne's grip on eighth spot slipped after a loss to ninth-placed Port Adelaide (8-8).
 
The Kangaroos are 10-6 but have lost five consecutive matches. They face the Saints in a fortnight – a clash that could be crucial to deciding which team will be involved in September action.
 
"(Finals) is always on the backburner – we know we're still a chance," Bruce said.
 
"We're doing everything we can to play finals. There's always a bit of banter about it."
 
Beating the Dogs this week shapes up as an arduous task. In the round two meeting, St Kilda scored just 36 points to be comprehensively defeated in skipper Nick Riewoldt's 300th game.
 
Bruce identified a couple of areas the Saints would need to improve in.
 
"We just couldn't get hold of them with our tackle pressure," he said.
 
"They're very slick off half-back. [Jason] Johannisen really got going and kicked a couple of goals. That will be a real focus of ours.
 
The Dogs are the second-stingiest team in the competition, largely due to their midfield domination (No.1 for contested possession differential) and not allowing the opposition to send the ball forward (No.2 for inside-50 differential).
 
If the Saints can give their forwards a chance, they can hit the scoreboard. Tim Membrey is in impressive form after having booted nine goals in the past fortnight.
 
With Riewoldt having moved to a wing, Bruce has taken the best opposition defender most weeks, a role he has relished.
 
"It's a great challenge. I'm really enjoying it. I feel like the team's benefiting from it," he said.
 
Paddy McCartin could come into contention to line up against the Dogs. Bruce said the young tall has trained the last couple of weeks after suffering his third concussion of the season.
 
"He shouldn't be too far away," he said.