Former Saint Justin Koschitzke spills beans on beloved teammate Lenny Hayes

EVERYONE loved Lenny Hayes, or so we thought. Former Saint Justin Koschitzke has spilt the beans on his squeaky clean teammate, revealing there was one group he didn’t get on with at all.

Lenny Hayes lets the umpire know what he thinks of his decision.

EVERYONE loved Lenny Hayes, or so we thought.

The St Kilda midfielder was one of the most widely respected and admired players in the competition before hanging up the boots at the end of the 2014 season.

Hayes played 297 games, won three best-and-fairests and a Norm Smith Medal. But he wasn’t a renowned poller on Brownlow night.

And former teammate Justin Koschitzke has revealed why.

“Lenny Hayes, a great mate of mine, as hard as woodpecker lips, he would go at the ball and go at the ball — but he would spray the umpires like you’ve never heard,” Koschitzke on SEN radio.

Hayes polled 129 Brownlow votes over his 16-season career, with a best of 20 in 2009.

In 2010 he caused controversy by touching field umpire Shaun Ryan, although he escaped penalty because there was “no swearing or aggressiveness.”

But according to Koschitzke that might have been out of character.

“He is the worst I’ve ever seen, Lenny Hayes at the umpires, would absolutely just brawl with them.

“Full white-line fever Lenny, he would step over it and just verbally brawl with them.”

“The funny thing is ... he did some work with them and Wayne Campbell reviewing how they went about it.

“Just through his role with the AFL, the traineeship, part of that was to give some feedback to the umpires being fresh out of the game and the star that he was.

“I thought it was quite funny given he verbally brawled with them his whole career.”