Recommitted Josh Battle [contracted and staying at St Kilda]

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I'm not sure I'd call him a fringe player. He's been selected for just about every game he's been available for since round 3 last year.

I think the only time he wasn't was when he was used as an injury sub once or twice before injury?

But yeah, for a player that has had a pretty average year it seems pretty good, but I also think there enough upside there for him to be worth that.

That and the fact he's contracted.

A pick in the 20's probably appears overs, but KPP tax always sees teams pay more, especially if they see potential to hold down a key post immediately.
 

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May 3, 2007
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Rock solid at CHB, potential AA in that spot in the future, not so good when played elsewhere. Wants to be a forward but in my opinion he's not much good in that position.

That's my assessment on him. So question to opposition fans, what would you pay for him as we desperately need pick/s in the upcoming draft.
he is a weird one isnt he?

He is 193 cm. Strangely I remember him talked up in his draft year.

Yeah he can play as a tall forward or tall defender. I was actually he was thinking he was a midfielder. Out of contract next season, his 6th year at the saints.

I have always said free agency should go down to 6 years
 
Nov 23, 2015
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Is there any news from the Battle front? Nothing for nearly 3 weeks
The last media reporting - and it depends how much credence you want to give to that source - indicated Saints ''were open to offers''. In other words, not being pushed out, not a fire sale, but if another club was willing to pay a decent trade price for him, they might look to trade. Seems that in being a utility, he's perhaps not cemented a spot. (Which is a shame as I do rate him as a decent player.)

It will be interesting to see if he gets any suitors during trade period, particularly given how weak this year's draft is for talls.
 
May 3, 2007
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Fremantle
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Man City, Valencia, Lazio, Panthers
aussierulesrules . your honest opinion of josh battle? lol
 
Jan 7, 2011
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Heaven. I mean Victoria.
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St Kilda
aussierulesrules . your honest opinion of josh battle? lol
In his 2nd season on the list (was still at school in his first) he looked bloody promising up forward, in his first few games there, looking the one most likely to take a grab and kick a goal, and he basically looked like he was our most dangerous tall up there (despite being just 19yo and in his first 5 games), but then he copped an injury (may have been concussion) and his output dropped for the remaining couple of games he played, before injury ended his season.

Then the following year he played basically the whole year at CHB and he was very solid in that role, looking especially promising with his intercept marking, and in particular his kicking, on both feet. He rarely missed a target, and went for difficult kicks, on both feet.

But for the two years since then he has for some mysterious reason been played mostly on the wing, despite to me not looking anywhere near as well suited to that role as he is to a 3rd-tall type role up either end.

Unsurprisingly to me he has really struggled to have much impact in that role, and was eventually dropped this year- ironically after almost certainly his best ever game there!

He has plenty of talent (as we saw with a couple of his clunks in the final against Richmond last year, when he was playing with a broken foot) but we’ve really failed to get the best out of him so far.

And now with Highmore and Sharman going so well this year in the two positions Battle is probably best suited to, he could really struggle to get a regular game next year.

Probably needs to get to a club that will play him either up forward or down back.

Should be perfectly suited to the Tom Lynch (Adelaide version) or Jack Gunston type role up forward, or the Jake Lever 3rd-tall/intercept/rebounding role down back.
 
Last edited:
Sep 9, 2008
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The last media reporting - and it depends how much credence you want to give to that source - indicated Saints ''were open to offers''. In other words, not being pushed out, not a fire sale, but if another club was willing to pay a decent trade price for him, they might look to trade. Seems that in being a utility, he's perhaps not cemented a spot. (Which is a shame as I do rate him as a decent player.)

It will be interesting to see if he gets any suitors during trade period, particularly given how weak this year's draft is for talls.
While I think clubs putting it out there that they are open to trading players happens much more often than we know, it would be puzzling for saints to try that with a uncontracted player who hasn’t nailed down a position.

it seems like it’s inviting trouble. You would just get lowball offers from teams who think “maybe” we can turn him into this or that. And he’s out of contract so it backfires if he wants to leave after all you’ve got is lowball offers..

maybe it’s a mutual thing where he would like to go somewhere for more opportunity and saints have said they’ll facilitate that but teams are waiting to see what unfolds before committing to him.
I always thought he should be developed as a key defender and left there. There must be a reason saints haven’t stuck with him there, while their not horrible back there they aren’t exactly stuffed with all-star key defenders out the wazoo. Most teams play 3 at least.
 
Jan 7, 2011
35,117
71,511
Heaven. I mean Victoria.
AFL Club
St Kilda
While I think clubs putting it out there that they are open to trading players happens much more often than we know, it would be puzzling for saints to try that with a uncontracted player who hasn’t nailed down a position.

it seems like it’s inviting trouble. You would just get lowball offers from teams who think “maybe” we can turn him into this or that. And he’s out of contract so it backfires if he wants to leave after all you’ve got is lowball offers..

maybe it’s a mutual thing where he would like to go somewhere for more opportunity and saints have said they’ll facilitate that but teams are waiting to see what unfolds before committing to him.
I always thought he should be developed as a key defender and left there. There must be a reason saints haven’t stuck with him there, while their not horrible back there they aren’t exactly stuffed with all-star key defenders out the wazoo. Most teams play 3 at least.
I don’t think we rate his actual defending abilities when playing genuine key defence.

Was tried there a couple of times early this year (on the similarly sized Jack Riewoldt and then Jack Darling, the following week) but didn’t get another shot after that, despite that position not being a strength for us outside of Howard and Josh not exactly setting the world on fire on the wing.
 

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Nov 30, 2016
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While I think clubs putting it out there that they are open to trading players happens much more often than we know, it would be puzzling for saints to try that with a uncontracted player who hasn’t nailed down a position.

it seems like it’s inviting trouble. You would just get lowball offers from teams who think “maybe” we can turn him into this or that. And he’s out of contract so it backfires if he wants to leave after all you’ve got is lowball offers..

maybe it’s a mutual thing where he would like to go somewhere for more opportunity and saints have said they’ll facilitate that but teams are waiting to see what unfolds before committing to him.
I always thought he should be developed as a key defender and left there. There must be a reason saints haven’t stuck with him there, while their not horrible back there they aren’t exactly stuffed with all-star key defenders out the wazoo. Most teams play 3 at least.
He is contracted for 2022.
 

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