Lyon’s Battle plan as rivals circle for star defender

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says he isn’t any more knowledgeable than the next person, as to whether defender Josh Battle with stick with the club in 2025.
Battle is a free agent and has been heavily linked with a move to Hawthorn, amongst other clubs.
But with one game to go in their 2024 campaign, Lyon still doesn’t know what Battle’s big decision will be.
READ MORE: Crichton dodges bin as Dogs spoil SJ farewell
READ MORE: Play suspended as lightning strikes at MCG
READ MORE: Broncos defy horror start to keep finals hopes alive
“I’ve got not idea (what he’s thinking about his career). I know he’s focused on training. That’s the idea I have,” Lyon said on Friday.
While Lyon declared the pair have a “strong relationship”, he hasn’t been the one to push Battle to make any calls before he is ready.
Ross Lyon and Josh Battle have a strong relationship, according to the Saints coach. Getty
“He’s playing great footy, we have a strong relationship, but at the end of the day it’s a professional environment and there’s mechanisms that people either avail themselves of or they don’t.”
“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.
“Josh has invested a lot in us, we’ve invested a lot in him, but I just let it play out.”
Meantime, the Saints leader is keen to spoil the Blues’ party, as they must win the match on Sunday, to keep their finals hopes alive.
Josh Battle could leave St Kilda at season’s end. Getty
Lyon’s Saints do know how to spoil a party, considering they turned around a five-goal deficit against the cats in round 23, to record an 18-point win.
However, the Saints are playing down the prospect of another shock win.
“Our motivation is to improve our football and drive to the level that we need to be,” Lyon said.
The Saints face the Blues at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.