St Kilda slammed over ‘petty and immature’ act in Josh Battle divorce

St Kilda have shown there is nothing but hard feelings after star defender Josh Battle made a call on his future last month.

St Kilda have been labelled “petty and immature” after telling departing free agent defender Josh Battle to not show up at the club’s best and fairest awards night.

The 26-year-old intercepting defender announced late last month he was heading to Hawthorn, breaking the hearts of the Saints.

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And the wounds are deep at Moorabbin after his snub at the Trevor Barker Award.

Another dire season saw the Saints finish 12th, unable to return to the finals, something the club has only achieved twice (2020, 2023) since 2011.

The club crowned defender Callum Wilkie as the club’s best and fairest for the first time on 206 votes, ahead of Jack Sinclair (174) and Battle (161) in third.

However, the club has all but turned its back on Battle, despite having played 123 games over eight seasons for the club.

SEN’s Sam Edmund reported not only had Battle been told “not to come”, but that he “wasn’t mentioned by the president (Andrew Bassat), captain (Jack Steele) or coach (Ross Lyon)”.

That’s as petty as it gets. Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

While other clubs such at the Demons have copped criticism over farewelling Alex Neal-Bullen, who spent 10 seasons at the club before requesting a return home to Adelaide for family reasons, a player moving on from a club is just part of the modern AFL.

Speaking on SENTrack, former Hawks premiership player and 2007 All-Australian Campbell Brown said Battle deserved to be recognised for his service to the club.

“We’re in a modern world where players are moving around all the time,” Brown said.

“While they would have desperately loved to have kept Josh Battle who’s been a great player at St Kilda in particular this year coming third in the best and fairest, I think it’s very immature of a footy club to uninvite a player (to the award night).

“He’s been there seven seasons, he’s played 123 games of footy, and he was one of their leaders down back.

“Yes, he’s made the personal decision to leave clubs, but you honour the player, you respect the fact that he’s put in blood, sweat and tears over a long period of time.

“He’s had a bloody good year to run third in the best and fairest and I think for a President, coach and captain to refuse to acknowledge him on stage is pretty ordinary.”

Josh Battle got engaged to Casey Ollier recently.

Josh Battle has starred for the Saints. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Before Battle announced his departure under free agency, coach Lyon said he had a “strong relationship” with Battle.

“Confidence is just a feeling … my feelings are personal, and list management, it’s the world we live in – free agency, it can be good, it can be bad,” Lyon said when asked about Battle on Friday.

“Josh has invested a lot in us, we’ve invested a lot in him, but I just let it play out.”

A week later, Battle revealed he wanted a trade to the team he supported as a child in Hawthorn — and it seems the Saints’ tune also changed.

The Saints made a last-ditch effort to retain Battle’s services with The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph reporting the club had offered $950,000 over six seasons, either trying to get Battle to stay, or at least forcing the Hawks to match.

It was reported the Hawks’ offer was less lucrative than the Saints’ bid.

And it appears to have put a few noses out of joint at St Kilda.

However, Brown said the Saints should have taken the high road.

“I can understand they’d be desperately disappointed to lose him because he’s a really good player and he’s in the prime of his career, but he’s made a decision for whatever reason to go to Hawthorn,” Brown said.

“But he’s still been a really good servant for a significant amount of time, this is not a guy that’s leaving after one or two years, he was there seven years and over 120 games.

“You need to acknowledge the fact that he ran third in their best and fairest.

“Give him a bit of a farewell, I’m sure the supporters would have liked to have seen him … it’s petty and it’s immature in this professional world of sport where people are moving around a lot, I didn’t like it at all.”

Bassat with Josh Battle in July. Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images

It was a spicy awards night for the Saints as Bassat savaged the AFL draft system, labelling the AFL’s father-son and academy structure “rubbish”.

Bassat addressed players, coaches, families and alumni at last night’s dinner for the sixth time in his tenure as club president – and during his speech, touched on his well-documented opinion on access to players pre-draft.

It comes as Levi Ashcroft, the brother of 2024 Norm Smith Medallist Will and son of three-time Lions premiership player Marcus who is widely regarded as the best player in this years’ draft pool, will almost certainly head to the premiers,

Currently with pick 18 as their first selection in the draft, Bassat was fuming that the Lions will still have access to Ashcroft at what he believes is an unreasonably low price to pay.

“Unfortunately, the AFL in its wisdom chose to make the changes next year; so, I had a great time after half time (at the Grand Final) when it was pretty clear Brisbane was going to win.

“Every single commissioner I found (there) … the conversation went to the effect of (Bassat): ‘I’ve got a great idea – how about you give the best player in the draft to Brisbane this year!’

“And they would start walking away (and I’d say): ‘Oh, don’t charge them for it’.

“The system’s an absolute nonsense; it’s complete and utter nonsense. We’ll fight the battle, certainly until my last day as president – and hopefully beyond.”

Originally published as St Kilda slammed over ‘petty and immature’ act in Josh Battle divorce