St Kilda has appointed club legend Lenny Hayes as the new General Manager of Football, a role aimed at assisting the team in achieving success in the AFL. Hayes, who previously served as an assistant coach under Ross Lyon, will now collaborate closely with the head coach in this pivotal position. He takes over from David Misson, who left the club in October.
During his playing career, Hayes participated in 297 matches for St Kilda from 1999 to 2014, including two stints as captain in 2004 and 2007. He was a standout player during Lyon”s initial coaching era at the club. Chief Executive Carl Dilena expressed enthusiasm about Hayes”s new role, stating, “Lenny”s career is so closely woven into the story of St Kilda, and we are thrilled to see him begin this new chapter with us.” Dilena further emphasized Hayes”s ability to foster strong relationships and highlighted his competitive nature and leadership skills.
Hayes”s accolades include three best and fairest awards and three selections as an All-Australian. He also earned the Norm Smith Medal during the drawn 2010 Grand Final against Collingwood. After transitioning to coaching, he served as an assistant coach at GWS from 2016 to 2020. Returning to St Kilda in 2022, he worked as an assistant and development coach under Lyon.
With high expectations following the re-signing of promising player Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and recent recruitment efforts that brought in Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Liam Ryan, and Sam Flanders, Hayes expressed his excitement about the new role. “Having spent more than half my life working inside football programs, I am really excited to step into this role,” Hayes stated. “I am looking forward to working closely with Carl and Ross and doing everything I can to help maintain a high-performance environment. Football programs are only as strong as the people within them, so my focus will be on ensuring our staff, and in turn our players, are in the best position to succeed on and off the field.”
