IT MAY have looked like an awkward interaction between former teammates but St Kilda's Leigh Montagna says running into ex-Saint Brendon Goddard in Colorado was anything but.

The Saints have been in the US since leaving Australia last Tuesday for their two-and-a-half week altitude training camp in Boulder.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Essendon players left for the same destination on Saturday for the club's own 15-day venture.

As the Saints were finishing their morning session at the local elite training venue, the Bombers arrived for theirs.

The Bombers watched the end of the hit-out before the groups briefly mingled. 

The rival players crossed paths, with Goddard meeting teammates he left just over 12 months ago when he crossed to the Bombers via free agency.
 
The moment was captured and it appeared uncomfortable, but Montagna insisted it was quite uneventful.

"We actually just bumped into them this morning. They were using the training facility straight after us so they walked in and I'm sure we'll bump into a few of them," Montagna told SEN on Tuesday morning.

"These days you mingle with so many players from other teams that guys know each other and guys will have coffees and all of that. I'm sure a few of us will catch up with BJ and guys like that. It's all fine.

"The boys all get on really well and the guys know each other and there will be no issues there crossing paths, I'm sure."

Goddard himself endorsed those sentiments with the following tweet on Tuesday morning (Australian time):

Goddard has remained friends with a number of Saints and spent time talking to the likes of Montagna, Nick Riewoldt and Sam Fisher.
 
Essendon captain Jobe Watson also wandered over to talk to the players; in particular, his younger cousin Seb Ross.

The Saints have announced the extension of Montagna's contract by two years since arriving in Boulder, and Riewoldt's until the end of 2015.

The Bombers are also believed to be interested in re-signing one of their brightest stars with the beginning of low-level talks with David Zaharakis, who is contracted until the end of 2014.  

While the Dons haven't taken all of their players – a group larger than the 10 who travelled last year but not the entire list – the Saints have the majority of their players in town.

New draftees Jack Billings, Luke Dunstan and Blake Acres flew over with the team while rookies Maverick Weller and Eli Templeton joined them on the weekend.

Players who haven't travelled are Lenny Hayes, who is awaiting the birth of his first child, and James Gwilt, Nathan Wright, Dylan Roberton and Rhys Stanley, who are all coming back from injuries.

Sam Gilbert is on his first trip after missing last year's following shoulder surgery.

He played nine games this year with a knee injury sustained in round six keeping him out until the final three rounds of the season.

"It has been a frustrating time but the good thing is I'm 100 per cent now," Gilbert told the club's website.

"I managed to get back for a few games towards the end of last year but I'm coming into this pre-season with no injuries so I have done the full pre-season so far and I'm looking forward to continuing."

The Saints are staying just outside Colorado University for the second year running and are heading on hikes in between sessions at the university's Bubble facility, which is a NFL-sized indoor stadium.

They leave Boulder on December 10.

Twitter: @AFL_JenPhelan