Lenny Hayes was universally admired for his many endearing traits.
His loyalty, heart and undeniable class saw him loved by all, but it was his courage which arguably defined his 297-game career.
And it was on this day in 1999 where it was exemplified best, with the debutant Hayes forging his reputation as one of the toughest players to ever take to the field.
It had been a relatively quiet debut for the 19-year-old at the SCG (eight disposals), but what would have been considered as a modest first outing would change in a heartbeat.
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Chasing after the footy along the boundary line late in the game, Hayes was suddenly greeted by a ruthless Glenn Archer, who ploughed straight through the slight youngster with his trademark brutality.
Crunched, poleaxed, cleaned up – no matter which word you attach to it, the force of Archer’s hit was more than enough to knock the most battle-hardened competitor off their feet.
Casually stepping over his fallen opponent, the Shinboner of the Century carried on as if nothing had happened.
And to the admiration of the football world, the then-unknown Hayes did the exact same.
Within seconds, the debutant was back on his feet and shrugging off the club doctors and trainers, in the process earning himself a reputation as one of the most fearless players to don the red, white and black.
The call of retiring commentating great Sandy Roberts summed it up best:
He’s a tough cookie, this youngster.”
Hayes subsequently became the embodiment of courage throughout his career, with his constant sacrifice and valour winning the hearts of not only the St Kilda faithful, but football fans across the country.
It was the little things every game which only cemented his standing, with his willingness to put his body on the line, superb tackling ability and unyielding hardness at the contest a constant across his 16-year career.
His bravery in 1999 wasn’t the only act which bolstered his status, however.
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Hayes tore his ACL against North Melbourne in 2006 but played out the rest of the game seemingly unaffected, while his off-season heart surgery in 2013, by his own admission, “wasn’t too frightening”.
Within three months, Hayes was back to full training and went on to play 14 games for the season.
Such actions placed him in the esteemed company of Paul Kelly, Francis Bourke and Archer, for who pain was just an inconvenience and individual safety was an afterthought.
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Across his decorated career, Hayes was a three-time Trevor Barker Award winner, two-time skipper of the Saints, three-time All Australian and a Norm Smith medallist.
For those who say footy isn’t as tough as it used to be and that players nowadays are ‘soft’, they don’t have to look back that far to see courage in its purest form.
