Saints champ Lenny Hayes breaks all-time tackling record in final game
Retiring Saint surges past Jude Bolton to set new tackling benchmark
RETIRING St Kilda champion Lenny Hayes has become the AFL's most prolific tackler, breaking former Sydney Swan Jude Bolton's record in his 297th and final game.
Hayes said the record itself didn't mean a great deal to him but that he had prided himself on his tackling ferocity throughout his 16-season career.
"I've always valued that and the position I play gives me an opportunity to make those sorts of tackles," Hayes said.
"I've always placed a pretty high emphasis on it, being an inside mid.
"It's something I might look back on and tell my son one day that I used to go all right."
The 34-year-old said he hadn't finalised any plans for the next stage in his life but that he was keen to stay in football.
He said there was an option to remain employed by the Saints and that he'd likely make a decision within the next month.
"I'll have to head down to Centrelink on Monday and sign up," he joked.
"I said all along that I wouldn't mind getting to the end of the season and then over probably the next two or three weeks I'll make a decision.
"I'd love to stay involved in the game in some capacity - we'll wait and see.
"[St Kilda has] been absolutely sensational in putting something forward to me and like I have said, I just needed to wait until the end of the season and get all my ducks in a row and then make a decision from there."