Lenny Hayes, a revered figure in the history of the St Kilda Saints, has been appointed as the new general manager of football for the AFL club. This significant move aims to bolster the Saints” pursuit of success in the league.
Previously serving as an assistant coach under Ross Lyon, Hayes will now collaborate closely with the senior coach in this new capacity. He succeeds David Misson, who left the position in October.
During his playing career from 1999 to 2014, Hayes participated in 297 matches for St Kilda, captaining the team in both 2004 and 2007. He was one of the standout players during Lyon”s initial coaching tenure at the club.
“Lenny”s career is intricately linked to the narrative of St Kilda, and we are excited to welcome him into this new chapter,” stated chief executive Carl Dilena. “Anyone who has had the honor of working alongside Lenny recognizes his exceptional talent for cultivating strong, trusting relationships.”
Hayes, a three-time best and fairest winner and a three-time All-Australian, earned the Norm Smith Medal during the drawn 2010 grand final against Collingwood. After his playing days, he transitioned into coaching with GWS, where he served as an assistant from 2016 to 2020. He returned to St Kilda in 2022 to work under Lyon as an assistant and development coach.
The club is now looking forward to a promising future, having secured the re-signing of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera along with a noteworthy recruiting campaign that has brought in Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Liam Ryan, and Sam Flanders.
“Having spent more than half my life within football programs, I am genuinely enthusiastic about stepping into this role,” Hayes expressed. “I look forward to working closely with Carl and Ross to ensure we maintain a high-performance environment. The strength of football programs lies in the people involved, so my aim will be to guarantee our staff, and consequently our players, are positioned for success both on and off the field.”
