Every year for the best and fairest award night, Lenny would go to Bakes' house and help him co-ordinate his suit. He would arrive and Bakes would have on one white sock and one black. So Lenny would make sure his socks matched; he had the right shirt and tie on; that his pants matched his suit coat … or that he was even wearing pants. Lenny has just got married and they don't have kids yet, and the boys were saying we know he will be a good dad because he has been looking after a grown man for 14 years. In a teammate, a player wants someone they can rely on, who is predictable and who gives his all every time they step on the ground. Many players can be one or two of those things but Lenny ticks all three boxes. It is on the weekends the spirit and passion is on display for the public to see, but what the public miss out on is the character of the man during the week. He is exhaustive in his preparation. I think he learnt from Robert Harvey and we now all still learn from Lenny. At 32, he could be excused for pulling back and not giving himself as completely to the club, but his relationship and care for guys sometimes 14 years younger than him is something special. He gives every single person the same amount of attention and time. Except Bakes: he gave him a lot more time.

In 10 years of playing alongside Lenny, he has not changed one bit. He still trains with the excitement of the first-round draft pick he was in 1997. There is no doubt that Lenny has had an influence on my career simply by the standards he sets, similar to that of a coach. Lenny rarely seeks media opportunities and you won't see him in the social pages for the opening of a bar. After 15 years of attention and adulation, Lenny still blushes like a teenager when singled out for praise. There was one team meeting when Ross Lyon was coach that we still laugh about. Lyon showed clips of Lenny during a game and then compared it to the disappointing efforts of the rest of the team and said, "and that is why I think Lenny Hayes is enormous". Lenny was so embarrassed he could not even look up. He still has a mischievous side. He has a sharp wit and is a bit of a wise guy. Before training he will sit in the physio room next to Stephen Milne and banter and help create the mood at the club.

In my time at St Kilda, there are three players who stand out for their competitive edge: Aaron Hamill, Bakes and Lenny. They pursue the football like a dog chasing a tennis ball in the park (and getting the ball off them is like putting your hands in a dog's mouth for the ball). In the past week we were lucky enough to have a chat to Robbie Kearns, the former Melbourne Storm great. He touched on the Storm players who others wanted most to play with. My first thoughts went to wondering what my peers would say of me and my second thought was who do I love playing with? Once again the answer was Lenny. This is because in the modern game, where most things revolve around structures and game plans, there is still a place for old-fashioned hard, instinctive football. The Saints really missed Lenny last year and I did personally. It was a great feeling to walk down the race on Sunday and look to my right and see him beside me. When Lenny finishes his football career I know his body will be grateful but you know that he will succeed at whatever he does because you can be guaranteed he will give it 100 per cent. He knows no other way. That is why I respect and love Lenny Hayes. And why Everybody Loves Lenny.