Josh Battle can still remember the brutally honest words from an AFL recruiter that changed his attitude to the game

TWELVE months ago Josh Battle was told he wasn’t fit enough for the AFL. The stinging assessment lit a fire under the teenager who hasn’t looked back since.

JOSH Battle remembers a Sydney recruiter looking him in the eye and rocking his world.

At a camp in Melbourne last November, the promising goalkicker was bluntly told he was a one-dimensional player and too unfit for the AFL.

Battle sat back in his chair stunned, and a couple of days later it stung him into action.

“I was a little bit overweight, so over that pre-season I did extra sessions like boxing, swimming and running,” Battle said.

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The Swans’ words echoed in his mind every session and the results soon showed, when Battle flew to America with the best draft prospects and took out the 3km time trial.

“I actually started in the second group and caught the first group and pretty much ran with (Jarrod Berry) the whole way,” he said.

As an under-16 it took Battle 11min 34sec to run 3km. In the US, he clocked 10min 01sec to underline his commitment.

Josh Battle is an exciting draft prospect. Picture: Getty Images

And after a season where he slotted six goals in a TAC Cup final and was named All-Australian for his 11 Vic Country goals, Battle looms as a possible second-round selection.

He could go as early as St Kilda’s pick 23, and could go anywhere in the land, despite needing to complete year 12 at Haileybury next year after repeating prep.

Interstate clubs say they would take a long-term approach when considering Battle, as Adelaide did with Patrick Dangerfield’s first season.

The 192cm forward now boasts elite endurance and is likely to play as a third tall — or a big-bodied midfielder in bursts — at AFL level.

Battle needs to sharpen his work below the knees and lacks a bit of zip, but on output appears the best goalkicker in the draft.

Josh Battle playing for Vic Country during the Under 18 Championships. Picture: Mark Dadswell

The Doveton lad once slotted 13.5 in an under-15s game and toiled away against No. 1 pick Jacob Weitering and his defensive sidekick Kieran Collins at Dandenong Stingrays last year.

“I’d play on Collo on training and him and Weiters would swap over every five minutes,” Battle said.

“So I’d be getting both of them, copping barrels off both of them, so I don’t think I’d touch the ball in a session.

“It was a great learning experience. Weiters was great for me, he really helped me.

“He’s very mature so he’s someone that I looked up to last year and he was great with leading patterns.”

The Stingrays’ lack of key forwards denied Battle extra midfield minutes this season, but he is keen to develop as a utility.

Josh Battle shows off his defensive pressure. Picture: Jason Sammon

“I’d love to go through the midfield. I love watching the bigger midfielders now like (David) Mundy, (Patrick) Cripps and (Marcus) Bontempelli,” he said.

“I’m a Hawthorn supporter so I love watching Jack Gunston. I sit down and watch him and see what he does well and try to implement that in my game.

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“He’ll be up the ground and then on the wing and then two seconds later he’ll be back in the goalsquare taking marks, so the way he works is pretty phenomenal.”

As for the Sydney spray?

“When people criticise you you can go two ways with it, and I was pretty determined to prove those people wrong,” Battle said.

Originally published as Josh Battle can still remember the brutally honest words from an AFL recruiter that changed his attitude to the game