It had been a long time coming, well several months, but Nick Dal Santo still couldn’t fully prepare himself for the emotional roller-coaster he experienced in playing against his old side.

A Saint for 12 years, the veteran says he didn’t enjoy the match in Hobart claiming it was “two of the least enjoyable hours of my footy career”.

With many close-friends battling away with St Kilda like Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna, Dal Santo took little pleasure in North’s win.

“It’s not nice going up against the boys,” he told Channel Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show.

In a special Mazda Moment filmed in the lead up to the game, Dal Santo predicted it would be a tough encounter physically and mentally.

“I don’t think I feel uncomfortable playing them but obviously it’s not ideal. It’s going to be a little bit weird, that’s just natural,”  he said.

PRESS PLAY above to watch the Dal Santo Mazda Moment | YouTube

The Kangaroos beat the Saints 92 to 33, and the 30-year-old came in for some special attention from Shane Savage. Despite wearing a tag for the entire afternoon, he still managed to collect 22 disposals.