HAWTHORN recruit Josh Battle says the decision to swap RSEA Park for Waverley Park was the most challenging call he has had to make in his life, but the right move for his career going forward. 

The 26-year-old officially joined the Hawks as an unrestricted free agent on Friday morning after the paperwork was lodged and completed at AFL House, five weeks after committing to the move after eight seasons in red, white and black. 

Battle has signed a lucrative six-year deal at Hawthorn until the end of 2030, but is understood to have left more money on the table by rejecting St Kilda's counter-offer.

The defender grappled with the decision across most of the 2024 season and was torn between staying the course at the Saints or joining a new project at the Hawks. 

But after playing 123 games across eight seasons at Moorabbin, Battle injects his new side with even more defensive quality after the Hawks recovered from 0-5 to fall three points short of a preliminary final last month.  

"It is the toughest decision I've ever had to make in my life," Battle told AFL.com.au.

"To leave my teammates, who I have a great relationship with and worked with over the last eight years, it was very hard to leave. 

"I was drafted with Rowan Marshall. I've worked really closely with guys like Jack Sinclair and 'Wilks' (Callum Wilkie) and 'Naz' (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera) and these guys in the backline. Leaving was always going to be a tough decision, but I felt it was the right one for me and my family. I'm looking forward to making new relationships and getting to work at the Hawks."

After finishing top 10 in the past two best and fairest counts, Battle thrived amid the chaos of a contract year to produce the best season of his career in 2024, finishing third in Monday's Trevor Barker Award behind All-Australian defenders Cal Wilkie and Jack Sinclair. 

"I found footy a great distraction and release this year from everything going on. That's probably why it resulted in my best season to date," Battle said.

"We had our daughter Bobbi in April, so life was pretty busy at home with two kids. Plus the contract situation and the noise around that. I loved coming into the club, getting to work with my mates and then performing on the weekends." 

Battle was transformed from a part-time forward and even wingman into a star intercept defender under former St Kilda coach Brett Ratten, with six-time All-Australian and current Saints backline coach Corey Enright integral to the switch. 

Battle will reunite with Ratten, who is now Hawthorn's head of coaching performance and development, as well as former Haileybury College schoolmate Jack Scrimshaw. 

St Kilda asked Battle not to attend the Trevor Barker Award after he chose to exercise his free agency rights. Saints coach Ross Lyon and president Andrew Bassat didn't mention him in their respective speeches and his podium finish was barely acknowledged at Crown Palladium. 

"I respected the Saints' decision for not wanting me to go. They need to do what's best for their club now," Battle said.

"I totally accept and understood why they didn't want me at the Trevor Barker. I would have liked to have gone, but I was comfortable with their decision at the end of the day and we move on."

Battle stressed his decision to move to Hawthorn wasn't due to an issue at the Saints, with the Dandenong Stingrays product praising the impact of Lyon on his football and family.

"Ross knows how much respect I have for him. He has been a significant influence on not just my career, but on my life in the last few years," he said.

"He has been amazing for myself, my family, Casey and the kids. I'm super grateful that I've had the chance to be coached by someone like Ross Lyon."

Hawthorn has become a destination club under Sam Mitchell's watch. They signed Jack Ginnivan, Mabior Chol, Massimo D'Ambrosio and brought Jack Gunston back to Waverley Park last off-season, 12 months after landing Karl Amon as a free agent and beating a handful of clubs to recruit Lloyd Meek. 

The Brownlow medallist and his wife Lyndall have been particularly involved in this area of the business, with GM Rob McCartney, list boss Mark McKenzie and new player acquisition manager Jarryd Roughead all playing critical roles to transform Hawthorn into a place in-demand players want to play. Now Battle is the latest player to join the brown and gold.

"It just felt right for me and my family from the moment we met Sam and Lyndall. I'm really excited by the next challenge and next phase of my career," he said.

"I've really connected with Sam over the last month in particular and I feel like I'll be a great fit at Hawthorn. I can't wait to get to work there. We connected really well with Lyndall and Sam. 

"Before making such a massive decision, Case and I had to get to know the family and I feel like they gave us a real insight into what the club is like and what it will be like playing for Hawthorn. I really aligned with Sam's values and what he stands for."

Battle is set to be joined by West Coast key defender Tom Barrass by deadline day after the 2022 John Worsfold Medallist requested a trade to the Hawks in August, despite having three years to run on his contract at the Eagles. 

The pair will join an elite defence that is led by Hawthorn captain James Sicily, star small defender Blake Hardwick, veteran Sam Frost, young gun Josh Weddle, Scrimshaw and run-and-gun weapons Jarman Impey and Amon. 

Battle will spend most of the off-season on the Gold Coast with his fiancée and two kids before returning to Melbourne to get to work ahead of Hawthorn's pre-season starting on November 25.