Lenny Hayes is born in Sydney. His initial interest in footy is spurred by his father Chris, who was a good schoolboy footballer and the grandson of Vin Maguire who played 43 matches for Geelong from 1915-18.
Hayes spends his junior years playing for Pennant Hills in suburban Sydney, the same club Mark McVeigh, Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack played for.
April 1998
Hayes is named captain of the NSW-ACT Rams in a team that also includes Craig Bolton, Mark McVeigh, Nick Davis and Ray Hall.
September 1998
Hayes wins the Morrish Medal as the best player in the TAC Cup competition ahead of Jude Bolton.
November 1998
St Kilda selects Hayes with pick No.11 in the 1998 National Draft. From that draft, only Heath Scotland has played senior AFL football this year.
April 1999
Makes his AFL debut against North Melbourne at the SCG in front of his friends and family. The 19-year-old finishes with eight disposals and three inside 50s, but also cops a heavy knock in the last quarter from North Melbourne veteran Glenn Archer.
June 1999
Kicks his first AFL goal in his eighth game against Collingwood at Waverley Park.
August 1999
Wins a Rising Star nomination in round 22 following a 19-possession effort against West Coast at the WACA.
March 2000
Hayes collects 25 touches in his first of six AFL draws, excelling against West Coast in just his 19th AFL game.
June 2001
Registers 20 touches against Fremantle in his 50th AFL match.
June 2002
Brad Scott slings Hayes into the fence at the Gabba and breaks his hand. The injury forces Hayes to spend two games on the sidelines and arguably costs him the best and fairest award.
September 2002
Finishes second behind Nick Riewoldt in the Trevor Barker Award – the first of his seven top-three finishes in St Kilda’s best and fairest.
May 2003
Amasses a career-high 24 kicks in St Kilda’s two-goal win over Carlton at Docklands in round seven.
June 2003
Finishes the Saints round 13 game against Melbourne with a career-best four goal assists.
September 2003
Wins his first of three Trevor Barker Awards ahead of Robert Harvey following a season in which he averaged 25.8 touches per game.
September 2003
Receives his first All-Australian guernsey, selected on the wing.
October 2003
Plays in his only International Rules Series in the UK.
February 2004
Is named captain of St Kilda Football Club as part of Grant Thomas’ rotation system.
March 2004
Captains the Saints to the pre-season Wizard Home Loans Cup win at Telstra Dome.
May 2004
Emphatically celebrates his 100th AFL game with a 101-point win over West Coast in round nine.
October 2004
Finishes third in St Kilda’s best and fairest.
September 2005
Named on the wing in the All-Australian team and finishes third in the Saints best and fairest.
April 2006
Collects a career-high 38 disposals in round three against Brisbane.
May 2006
Injures his knee against North Melbourne in round nine in his 149th AFL game and undergoes knee surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the year.
February 2007
Is named co-captain along with Luke Ball and Nick Riewoldt.
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March 2007
Celebrates his 150th game against Melbourne and his return from a knee injury with a 31-point victory.
October 2007
Finishes fifth in St Kilda’s best and fairest following a season in which he averaged 22.7 touches per outing.
March 2008
Plays in St Kilda’s pre-season premiership side.
September 2008
Collects 27 possessions in St Kilda’s 54-point preliminary final loss to Hawthorn at the MCG.
October 2008
Finishes third in the Saints best and fairest.
May 2009
Collects 31 touches in his 200th game against the Lions at Telstra Dome.
September 2009
Hayes caps off a superb finals series with 24 touches in a losing Grand Final against Geelong.
September 2009
Is selected in the centre in the 2009 All-Australian team and finishes third in the Brownlow Medal, polling 20 votes.
May 2010
Wins an astonishing six free kicks in St Kilda’s 47-point win over Adelaide in round 10.
June 2010
Registers a career-high 14 tackles against Geelong in round 13.
September 2010
Is awarded the Norm Smith medal after collecting 32 touches and laying 12 tackles in St Kilda’s drawn Grand Final with Collingwood.
October 2010
Plays in his second losing Grand Final, equaling his career-high 14 tackles.
April 2011
Hayes requires his second knee reconstruction after going down against Richmond in round two.
May 2012
Collects 27 disposals in his 250th game against Sydney.
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September 2012
Hayes undergoes heart surgery.
September 2012
In a remarkable return from a knee reconstruction, Hayes wins his third best and fairest award ahead of Leigh Montagna and Sean Dempster.
July 2013
Signs a one-year contract extension and overcomes a nagging calf complaint to play eight of the last nine games for the season.
August 2013
Completes an injury interrupted season on a positive note, collecting 24 touches in Jason Blake’s Justin Koschitzke’s and Stephen Milne’s farewell game against Fremantle.
July 15, 2014
Lenny Hayes holds a press conference to announce that the 2014 AFL season, his 16th for the Saints, will be his last.
Kicks his first AFL goal in his eighth game against Collingwood at Waverley Park.
August 1999
Wins a Rising Star nomination in round 22 following a 19-possession effort against West Coast at the WACA.
March 2000
Hayes collects 25 touches in his first of six AFL draws, excelling against West Coast in just his 19th AFL game.
June 2001
Registers 20 touches against Fremantle in his 50th AFL match.
June 2002
Brad Scott slings Hayes into the fence at the Gabba and breaks his hand. The injury forces Hayes to spend two games on the sidelines and arguably costs him the best and fairest award.
September 2002
Finishes second behind Nick Riewoldt in the Trevor Barker Award – the first of his seven top-three finishes in St Kilda’s best and fairest.
May 2003
Amasses a career-high 24 kicks in St Kilda’s two-goal win over Carlton at Docklands in round seven.
June 2003
Finishes the Saints round 13 game against Melbourne with a career-best four goal assists.
September 2003
Wins his first of three Trevor Barker Awards ahead of Robert Harvey following a season in which he averaged 25.8 touches per game.
September 2003
Receives his first All-Australian guernsey, selected on the wing.
October 2003
Plays in his only International Rules Series in the UK.
February 2004
Is named captain of St Kilda Football Club as part of Grant Thomas’ rotation system.
March 2004
Captains the Saints to the pre-season Wizard Home Loans Cup win at Telstra Dome.
May 2004
Emphatically celebrates his 100th AFL game with a 101-point win over West Coast in round nine.
October 2004
Finishes third in St Kilda’s best and fairest.
September 2005
Named on the wing in the All-Australian team and finishes third in the Saints best and fairest.
April 2006
Collects a career-high 38 disposals in round three against Brisbane.
May 2006
Injures his knee against North Melbourne in round nine in his 149th AFL game and undergoes knee surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the year.
February 2007
Is named co-captain along with Luke Ball and Nick Riewoldt.
March 2007
Celebrates his 150th game against Melbourne and his return from a knee injury with a 31-point victory.
October 2007
Finishes fifth in St Kilda’s best and fairest following a season in which he averaged 22.7 touches per outing.
March 2008
Plays in St Kilda’s pre-season premiership side.
September 2008
Collects 27 possessions in St Kilda’s 54-point preliminary final loss to Hawthorn at the MCG.
October 2008
Finishes third in the Saints best and fairest.
May 2009
Collects 31 touches in his 200th game against the Lions at Telstra Dome.
September 2009
Hayes caps off a superb finals series with 24 touches in a losing Grand Final against Geelong.
September 2009
Is selected in the centre in the 2009 All-Australian team and finishes third in the Brownlow Medal, polling 20 votes.
May 2010
Wins an astonishing six free kicks in St Kilda’s 47-point win over Adelaide in round 10.
June 2010
Registers a career-high 14 tackles against Geelong in round 13.
September 2010
Is awarded the Norm Smith medal after collecting 32 touches and laying 12 tackles in St Kilda’s drawn Grand Final with Collingwood.
October 2010
Plays in his second losing Grand Final, equaling his career-high 14 tackles.
April 2011
Hayes requires his second knee reconstruction after going down against Richmond in round two.
May 2012
Collects 27 disposals in his 250th game against Sydney.
September 2012
Hayes undergoes heart surgery.
September 2012
In a remarkable return from a knee reconstruction, Hayes wins his third best and fairest award ahead of Leigh Montagna and Sean Dempster.
July 2013
Signs a one-year contract extension and overcomes a nagging calf complaint to play eight of the last nine games for the season.
August 2013
Completes an injury interrupted season on a positive note, collecting 24 touches in Jason Blake’s Justin Koschitzke’s and Stephen Milne’s farewell game against Fremantle.
July 15, 2014
Lenny Hayes holds a press conference to announce that the 2014 AFL season, his 16th for the Saints, will be his last.
