St Kilda champion Lenny Hayes announces retirement

[Romey 150]

Sad to see Lenny is finishing up at year end - he is universally respected by all footy fans.

I seem to recall that he was sounded out as part of Paul Roos succession plan last year before he decided to play on for one more year. Could he now be back in contention?

A dream scenario would be for Roos to commit to 2 more years and we recruit Ling, Kirk and Hayes as assistance coaches to join Stone and Rawlings etc and select a successor from this group in 12 months time once each candidate has tried and tested! Am I being greedy?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/st-kilda-champion-lenny-hayes-announces-retirement-20140715-zt7ki.html

[P-man 13,366]

NOT LENNY!!!!!!

[mdemonski2 403]

Great heart and soul player. Loved by daints supporters and universally respected in the afl. A bit like junior was for us.

[pitmaster 3,474]

We might at last beat the Saints. Lenny has sorted us plenty of times.

[Machsy 2,858]

Sad to see Lenny is finishing up at year end - he is universally respected by all footy fans.

I seem to recall that he was sounded out as part of Paul Roos succession plan last year before he decided to play on for one more year. Could he now be back in contention?

A dream scenario would be for Roos to commit to 2 more years and we recruit Ling, Kirk and Hayes as assistance coaches to join Stone and Rawlings etc and select a successor from this group in 12 months time once each candidate has tried and tested! Am I being greedy?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/st-kilda-champion-lenny-hayes-announces-retirement-20140715-zt7ki.html

Not greedy; reckless.

You'd have very little experience amongst the assistant coaches, something that backfired terribly on Neeld.

I don't think that experience is a requisite attribute for the successor, but it is needed within the coaching group as a whole.

[MadAsHell 4,209]

We might at last beat the Saints. Lenny has sorted us plenty of times.

I remember the first time I saw him play was early in 2000.

He was doing a tagging job on Woewodin who had approx 29 touches and kicked a goal on Lenny in our 90 odd point win and I thought who on earth is this [censored]???

How far off the mark was I! An absolute champion, and one of many great players who unfortunatly never got to taste ultimate success.

[Ted Lasso 18,913]

Absolute star, congrats on a fantastic career!

[Bitter but optimistic 22,123]

Jeez, he was a top player!

[dees189227 12,296]

chris judd holding a presser before training tomorrow. Wonder if he will pull up stumps?

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,293]

Absolute champion on and off the field. Probably the best Sydney born AFL player of all time.

[Bedraggled Dee 336]

Champion in all senses of the word. Would love to see him at the Dees but donmt want us heading down the inexperience route again. I think if we get Lenny or Ling or for that matter Junior they need to backed by two years apprenteship under Roos and an expeienced panel of assistant and development coaches. We cant have a coaching panel like Neelds again.

[autocol 448]

Lenny was an absolute champion. No idea about his coaching credentials. Of the retiring players this year, I think Maxwell is the most suited to a transition to coaching. I've always thought players with average ability who succeeded through determination and strength of character make better coaches than naturally gifted superstars.

Clarkson, Hinkley, guys in that mould.

Edited July 15, 2014 by autocol

[rjay 24,679]

Lenny was an absolute champion. No idea about his coaching credentials. Of the retiring players this year, I think Maxwell is the most suited to a transition to coaching. I've always thought players with average ability who succeeded through determination and strength of character make better coaches than naturally gifted superstars.

Clarkson, Hinkley, guys in that mould.

Think you might be selling Kenny a little short.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,664]

Lenny was an absolute champion. No idea about his coaching credentials. Of the retiring players this year, I think Maxwell is the most suited to a transition to coaching. I've always thought players with average ability who succeeded through determination and strength of character make better coaches than naturally gifted superstars.

Clarkson, Hinkley, guys in that mould.

While I generally agree with the concept that average players can become great coaches (you could add Tom Hafey to your list), great players sometimes also make great coaches. No-one will dispute that Leigh Matthews was a great player and he managed to win four Premierships as a coach. Ditto Ron Barassi.

On the other I can't imagine Gary Ablett Sr as a coach..."This is how you do it. You run 100 metres in 11 seconds, jump over the pack, twist left, then right, do a blind turn and then kick the goal from 70 metres on the run with the non-preferred. What's so hard about that? And it doesn't mater if you don't know your teammate's name."

[daisycutter 29,436]

While I generally agree with the concept that average players can become great coaches (you could add Tom Hafey to your list), great players sometimes also make great coaches. No-one will dispute that Leigh Matthews was a great player and he managed to win four Premierships as a coach. Ditto Ron Barassi.

On the other I can't imagine Gary Ablett Sr as a coach..."This is how you do it. You run 100 metres in 11 seconds, jump over the pack, twist left, then right, do a blind turn and then kick the goal from 70 metres on the run with the non-preferred. What's so hard about that? And it doesn't mater if you don't know your teammate's name."

if gablett snr was coach who would force him to turn up to training?

[Machsy 2,858]

Lenny was an absolute champion. No idea about his coaching credentials. Of the retiring players this year, I think Maxwell is the most suited to a transition to coaching. I've always thought players with average ability who succeeded through determination and strength of character make better coaches than naturally gifted superstars.

Clarkson, Hinkley, guys in that mould.

I think that's a requisite trait, but also that they were a leader in some way.

No point having those attributes if you can't effectively communicate to other players and assist them to do the same.