In-demand St Kilda free agent Josh Battle has commented on his pending decision as he weighs up a potential move to Hawthorn this off-season.
Still viewed as a chance to remain at Moorabbin beyond this year, Battle has garnered strong levels of interest from the Hawks as coach Sam Mitchell looks to strengthen his rearguard and press for a premiership in the years to come.
Arguably the best unsigned key defender on the open market, Battle is an integral piece in Ross Lyon's own plans for the future as he enjoys a career-best season in the red, white and black.
Eligible for free agency this year, the Hawks could manage to lure Battle out of St Kilda at no trade cost, with the Saints unable to match their rival's bid given his unrestricted status.
St Kilda would pocket draft compensation for Battle's departure should he leave via free agency, with a selection as good as Pick 6 up for grabs should Hawthorn's offer trigger band one compensation.
Battle is yet to make a decision on where he will play in 2025, tellingย 7 Newsย on Sunday that he'll make a call in the off-season. Battle said his relationship with Lyon and the club's current form are sure to factor into his process.
"I'm loving my time here, loving what Ross is doing with the boys. I'll make the decision at the end of the year and hopefully, we can finish the year off well," Battle said in the Saints rooms after the weekend's 48-point win over Richmond.
"[Lyon] has been a huge influence on me the last few years, Ross is sort of a father figure I go to for advice.
"Definitely (the club's recent form helps), I think we're in a pretty good spot. Since the break, we've been playing some good footy, minus last week. We knew we weren't at our best and we had to respond tonight, and I think we did.
"I love working with the young guys here. We've got a lot of guys coming through and hopefully, we can be good (in the near future)."
Battle has played 121 games for St Kilda since being drafted as a forward in 2016, with the Dandenong Stingrays junior switching to defence over the past three years.
The 25-year-old has developed into an intercept role and worked alongside reliable vice-captain Callum Wilkie and veteran stopper Dougal Howard to form a formidable tall defensive trio.
St Kilda have remaining matches against Geelong and Carlton before their season ends, with free agency opening Friday, October 4.
