As St Kilda’s Josh Battle and Dean Kent walk along Noosa’s main beach, the in-jokes flow, sarcasm is rife and a playful jab in the side is never too far away.

But through all the laughs and larrikinism, there’s an unmistakably genuine care.

The locker-mates share many things, among them a love of ink, their upbringing in Melbourne’s south-east, quick tongues and a wicked sense of humour.

And according to Battle, it didn’t take long for the now inseparable pairing to click.

Friendship began almost instantaneously for the Nos. 25 and 26, although it has a different starting point depending on who you ask. 

“When I first got to the club, I realised Battle had no mates, so I thought I’d better help this poor bloke out and get around him,” Kent laughs.

Battle doesn’t hesitate to fire straight back. 

“I felt sorry for him. I thought no-one would talk to him.” 

Thanks to a new partnership with Dare Iced Coffee and R U OK?, we’re here to discuss something deeper: the importance of checking in on your mates and speaking up. 

Kent takes us back to the postponement of the AFL season, when it seemed the future of the country – let alone the AFL – teetered on a knife’s edge. 

“During the lockdown, Josh kept ringing me every day to check in and make sure I was doing the right thing,” he says. 

“The big fella pushes me when we’re training, but yeah he just kept me in check."

For Battle, having an experienced ear in your corner has proved invaluable as the 21-year-old grapples with the ins and outs of life as a professional footballer. 

“We get stuck into each other but when I need to lean on him and stuff like that, I feel like I can ask him for advice. We can be serious when we have to be. 

“Most of the time we’re just mucking around, but it’s good to have such a good mate and be locker buddies as well. I can’t get away from him!” 

And although they are at different stages of life – Kent is a young father while Battle is just 21 – Kent didn’t hesitate to take the youngster under his wing.

“For me, it feels like I’ve got two kids all of sudden,” he laughs. 

"I’ve gotta look after my little fella Miles and now I check in with Battle as well. I even cut his hair, I’m just an all-rounder really."

Resilience – both physically and mentally – has become a major focus for the Saints in 2020, even more so since the COVID-19-enforced shutdown. 

And with that increased focus, Kent believes the importance of checking in on your mates and simply starting a conversation is now more crucial than ever.  

“The bonus about being human is that everyone’s got ears so everyone can listen and help, so I just encourage anyone that’s having a rough time to speak out and get on top of it early.

“And it’s just as important, as a mate, to check in on those around you to make sure they’re doing OK. 

“To see the spike in the number of people seeking mental health support during the COVID-19 lockdown, it’s pretty scary, but you’d be surprised how willing people are to listen if you seek help.”