St Kilda defender Josh Battle will officially join Hawthorn in the upcoming AFL trade period.
The 25-year-old free agent told the Saints of his decision on Thursday.
Battle had been wrestling with the decision for months, but has opted for a fresh start at Hawthorn.
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He is expected to sign a six-year deal worth in the region of $850,000 a season.
As an unrestricted free agent, Battle is free to join the club of his choice.
St Kilda will get a compensation pick in return, which they hope is a first-round pick, but it remains to be seen where exactly that will land.
The Saints reportedly upped their offer to Battle in recent days in a bid to keep him or at least drive up Hawthorn’s offer.
They are hoping the Hawks’ offer will trigger a top compensation pick, which would land at pick No.8 (immediately after their first pick) at this year’s draft.
Battle’s decision came just two days after Barrass, who is contracted until 2027, told West Coast he wants to move to Hawthorn.
The Hawks will now have to satisfy West Coast with a suitable trade, with the Eagles expected to ask for two first-round picks as an initial bargaining position.
Battle paid tribute to the Saints for his time there after arriving at the club via pick No.39 in the 2016 AFL draft.
“I came to this club while I was still in high school and couldn’t have asked for a better place to grow, both as a footballer and a person,” Battle said.
“I now have a young family of my own, and in planning for our future I’ve come to the difficult decision to move on from my time at the Saints.
“The club has been fantastic throughout this entire process and I leave so grateful for the support they’ve shown both my family and I.
“I’d like to thank all my teammates, coaches and staff who have made my time at the Saints so special, as well as the Saints fans who embraced me from day one.”
St Kilda GM of footy David Misson was disappointed to lose Battle, but wished him all the best.
“While we’re clearly disappointed to be losing a person of Josh’s talent and character, he leaves with our best wishes for this next chapter for his young family,” he said.
Battle has played 123 games with the club, mainly as a defender.
It’s the latest departure from the club after they farewelled veteran Seb Ross on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old wasn’t offered a contract for 2025, joining Tom Campbell, Riley Bonner, Matthew Allison and James Van Es as delistings.