Goulburn Valley: Euroa’s Will Hayes hot favourite for Morrison Medal honours

Prime time for Will Hayes’ two sporting worlds is about to collide again, as the horse trainer and country footy star seeks spring glory.

Prime time in Will Hayes’ two sporting worlds are about to collide again, but with some extra force on both fronts compared to previous years.

Victoria’s spring racing carnival and the Goulburn Valley football finals series are fast approaching and Hayes will be a pivotal figure in both the enduring success of the Lindsay Park training operation and Euroa trying to capture only its third GV senior premiership.

This month Hayes joined his two brothers, Ben and JD, at the helm of one of Australia’s most successful stables.

Euroa star Will Hayes with his Beagle-American Bulldog cross Taz at the Lindsay Park stables. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Added responsibilities of stepping up from assistant trainer to part of the training partnership will ultimately affect how much he can play for Euroa in the future.

But this season he has been the GV’s hottest player and is a raging favourite to win the Morrison Medal.

“Our family motto is that the future belongs to those who plan for it,” Hayes said.

“When it got approved and the partnership was announced I had goosebumps.

“It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted.

“With my footy, racing was always my distraction from work.

“Now I’m full-time racing, footy is my distraction.

“But I’ve loved every second of being back at Euroa with the boys, who I grew up with.

“They aren’t shy about asking for a tip.”

Former Carlton and Western Bulldogs player Will Hayes has starred for Euroa in the Goulburn Valley league. Picture: Matthew Mills

He missed a recent match against Rochester to attend his first city race meeting since being granted his trainer’s licence, but will be at the forefront of Euroa’s finals assault.

Hayes first played for Euroa as a 15-year-old and went on to play 11 AFL matches with Footscray and Carlton before being delisted at the end of last season.

Post football at the highest level, he was always coming back to Lindsay Park to work as part of the famous family’s third generation of racehorse trainers.

Playing for Euroa was also a given.

Hayes and twin brother JD started playing football together in the Euroa under-16s with JD going on to coach the club in 2017 and 2018.

Will Hayes at Lindsay Park racing stables near Euroa. Picture: Zoe Phillips

“I consider myself lucky to have even got there and to achieve what most people could only dream about – playing a handful of games, playing on the (MCG), kicking a goal, playing in a final,” Hayes said.

“As much as it was bittersweet to be delisted at the end of last year, I was definitely ready to take on the next chapter of my life.

“I only pursued football with the blessing of my family.

“If they wanted me to come back to racing I would have done so at the drop of a hat.”

The late Colin Hayes originally established Lindsay Park northeast of Adelaide in 1965 before it was relocated near Euroa 15 years ago by his son David to concentrate mainly on Victorian racing, but remain close enough to Sydney and Adelaide.

Will Hayes’ alarm clock goes off at 3am every day and by 6am he is riding his first horse in trackwork.

Trainer Ben Hayes and jockey Craig Williams after Mr Brightside’s win in the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Vince Caligiuri

Lindsay Park’s stocks are on the rise with 155 winners last season and the stable’s best spring hope, Mr Brightside, kicked off his spring campaign with a devastating first-up win at Caulfield.

Euroa finished runner-up to Echuca in the grand final last year and is guaranteed to be part of the September action again.

It sits fifth on the ladder after losing to another finals-bound team Kyabram on Saturday.

“We’re definitely on the second line of betting at the moment,” Hayes said.

“We made a run for it from a little bit further down the ladder last year.

“We plan to do the same again.

“I don’t think there is a team out there that on our best day we can’t beat.

“It’s just a matter of putting four quarters together.”

Euroa coach Scott Rowan. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Euroa’s current coach, Scott Rowan, who worked alongside JD when he was senior coach, said he and Will had been super players for the club.

Training responsibilities have limited JD’s appearances for Euroa, but Will has been an undisputed star.

“His workrate and application to making the whole club better with the young players has been second to none,” Rowan said.

“He’s averaging over 40 possessions in games and getting very high single digit tackles.

“He’s doing the defensive stuff as well as the attacking stuff and probably averaging a goal a game as well.

“We’re very lucky to have him.

“Priorities for Will swing a bit, but I am sure Euroa will have his services for a couple of years yet.”

Rowan said Hayes should win the Morrison Medal by the “length of the Flemington straight”.

“If he doesn’t, there needs to be an inquiry,” he said.

But Hayes isn’t buying into the hype.

“I’m more concentrating on winning the flag than any individual accolades,” he said.

“Success is better shared.”

Euroa has produced only one winner of the Morrison Medal since entering the GV in 1971 with Adam Baker successful in 1998.

JD Hayes finished third in the 2017 medal count to Echuca’s Simon Buckley.