IT WAS a weird day for Josh Battle.
Already feeling mixed emotions about the task of coming up against his former teammates for the first time, the new Hawthorn star's afternoon had started by being pulled over by police after an accident on the freeway while driving into the game. "It was nothing untoward," coach Sam Mitchell later explained.
But it got weirder still. Battle had tried to put the challenge of facing St Kilda to the back of his mind all week. But, running out at Marvel Stadium and catching a glimpse of some of his closest mates in footy warming up on the other side of the field, the reality of seeing old friends again – and then trying to beat them – finally hit him.
"It was actually pretty weird," Battle told AFL.com.au afterwards.
"I didn't think a whole heap about it until I saw them warming up out there, then it was a bit weird. I just tried to prepare as I normally would. I really enjoyed it tonight, playing against some mates. That's always good fun."
The mixed feelings were shared by the St Kilda faithful in their own way, with Saints fans booing every Battle touch across the course of the night. It happened quite a fair bit, with the defender ultimately proving Hawthorn's biggest ball winner. He finished with 23 disposals, to go with seven marks and nine intercepts.
"(The booing) was weird," Battle said.
"I think I got a few cheers towards the end. But, I mean, I really enjoyed it. It was always going to be a tough contest against the Saints, so it was great to get the four points."
Those cheers were coming from his new fans, rather than his old ones. As Hawthorn wore down St Kilda on the field, cruising to a 20-point win, Hawks supporters in the stands also wore down the boos. By the end, the cheering for Battle's possessions were louder than any lingering heckles.
"I was really pleased that our fans got behind him and really cheered him home," Mitchell said after the game.
"It makes sense that they'd be disappointed to lose him, he's a very good player and very important to us now. I was rapt that the Hawthorn fans, every time he went near the footy, they got right behind him. It was plenty of times, I think he was our highest possession winner."
Battle, for the most part, kept his composure. His stat line at the end of the game was reflective of that. But one moment, where he dumped Mason Wood with a strong tackle over the boundary line near the benches – giving away a free kick in the process – brought some heat into the contest.
"Me and Mason are quite close," Battle laughed.
"He's a good mate of mine. We were chatting out there and it's always going to be fun. As soon as you cross the white line, they're the opposition and I enjoyed it. I actually thought James Sicily had given away the free kick, but it was me."
Battle was one of last year's biggest free agency signings, penning a six-year deal at Hawthorn that was lucrative enough to earn St Kilda the No.8 pick as compensation for losing the defender.
The decision of whether to choose a future at Hawthorn or St Kilda had weighed heavily on Battle throughout the year, with the 26-year-old explaining the reasons for the move after 123 games across eight seasons in Saints colours.
"It was always going to be a tough decision," Battle said.
"I definitely didn't take it lightly. I loved my time at the Saints, I had some great mentors and some great friendships there. It was a decision for me and my family. I thought I was ready for the move.
"I spent eight years there at St Kilda, but coming in here and learning off Sam Mitchell – and having him as a mentor – he's a special man. Kade Simpson, who is our backs coach, I've formed a really close relationship with him.
"Hawthorn is a massive club, a lot of history. You get to play at the MCG, the home of footy, and play in front of massive crowds each week. I thought I was ready for the next challenge and that was probably the reason why I left in the end."
