Welcome to the Senior Bulldogs - Will Hayes

[BulldogBelle]

And now his brother has been invited down to Footscray (don't remember his name but he's had a couple of years playing vfl for Footscray) to see if he can reignite the passion to get in a senior AFL list.

Another set if brothers at the sibling club!

I have probably seen most of the matches that Will Hayes has played since he came to Footscray.

Will Hayes has steadily improved over the years. He was good from when we first played him.

Will Hayes seems to be better than the average footballer in all relevant skills. Kicking, Marking, Balking, Handpassing, Running Bounce etc. He gets plenty of the ball and goes in hard. Doesn't seem to make mistakes or stuff things up. It seemed to be obvious half-way through this year that Hayes had impressed enough to get AFL drafted. I remember yelling out to him at the end of a game when the players were walking up the race - 'AFL for you next year Will!' And he smiled.

It is great that we drafted him. You would think that with scheduled AFL training we might even see improvement in him. Will has not shown exceptional brilliance - but it may come.

By the time that season 2019 is on the way, where Will fits into our exceptionally gifted list of midfielders is uncertain. He is definitely better than Porter, Roarke Smith, Webb, Greene and Lin Jong. Maybe better or on a par with Lipinski but below Wallis. Whether or not he can outperform the others and get himself a regular spot in the senior 18 remains to be seen.

I think that Will has willpower and Will will will himself to do better.

J D Hayes is Will's twin brother but Will was always the better of the two. I don't know why we would want JD Hayes back at Footscray. Maybe he has improved too.

[Twodogs]

I think that Will has willpower and Will will will himself to do better.

Love your work James C. Beautiful stuff!

Five wills in one sentence is willy, willy good!

[The Doctor]

I think that Will has willpower and Will will will himself to do better.

nice

[Mofra]

J D Hayes is Will's twin brother but Will was always the better of the two. I don't know why we would want JD Hayes back at Footscray. Maybe he has improved too.

I've been impressed by Hayes at Footscray, albeit I've sen far less games than you have. Not sure he's a candidate for an AFL list but is very good at VFL level.

[Axe Man]

3am alarms and life at Sha Tin: New Western Bulldogs recruit Will Hayes has travelled far and wide for this chance

Long before the Western Bulldogs read out his name with the final pick in last Friday’s National Draft, Will Hayes’ alarm would blast just after 3am most mornings, barely four hours after he had tucked himself into bed.
The 23-year-old would make his way to the racecourse in the wee hours of the morning to ride horses for his family business, before heading to training at Footscray later in the day.

That was the life inside one of Australia’s most celebrated racing families.

His father is champion trainer David Hayes who has won everything from the Melbourne Cup to the Cox Plate to the Golden Slipper and everything in between, and his grandfather, Colin Hayes, is one of only three trainers to hold legend status in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

While his older brother Ben and his twin JD are heavily involved in the family business at Lindsay Park Racing, Hayes put that area of his life on the backburner last week when the Dogs scooped up Footscray’s reigning best and fairest winner with Pick 78.

“Racing has been a massive part of my life, because between my grandfather and my father, there is a bit of racing expertise. I’ve got a very keen interest in horse racing; it is my second passion to footy,” Hayes told foxsports.com.au this week.

“I’m lucky, life after footy is definitely in the horse racing industry in training. If everything goes to plan, my footy career is 10 years long and my training career is 40 to 50 years long,

“While I was in the VFL I did a lot of hands on work with the horses, riding out with the horses four mornings a week.

“Ten past three the alarm would go off, so I was having hectic days where I was training here until 9:30 and be in bed by 10:45 if everything was streamlined.

“Once you’re on the horse it is awesome, it doesn’t feel like a job because it is a second hobby. I absolutely loved it, once you got used to the sleep deprivation.”

Unlike most players who turned up at AFL clubs this week, Hayes didn’t start playing football until he was 11.

He spent the first decade of his life living in a corner of the iconic Sha Tin racecourse where his old man trained horses in Hong Kong, a world away from football mad Melbourne.

“My early memories of footy are playing kick to kick with dad in a Hong Kong playground. I knew there was a game attached to it, but that’s how I saw footy at the time,” he recalled.

“At Sha Tin, we used to live about 150 metres past the winning post. Me and my brother JD and a South African jockey called Chad Schofield used to climb up a tree and watch the horses run past — that was about as close as we could get to the races because you’re not allowed inside the track under 18.

“I grew up playing soccer and rugby in Hong Kong, pretty much from six weeks old to 10 years I was over there. And then as soon as we got back, dad signed me and my brother up at the Glen Iris Gladiators. I’ve fallen in love with footy ever since.”

One of the first people who made contact with him when he went from Footscray’s list to the Western Bulldogs’ late last Friday was close friend and Essendon vice-captain Zach Merrett, who he played in a premiership with at Melbourne Grammar School in 2013, along with six others who landed on AFL lists after the team’s unbeaten season.

“Me and Zach were best mates at school. He was a boarder at Melbourne Grammar and we became really close through the Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup program,” he said.

“He didn’t have a car so I used to drive him to training, drive him home, and because it used to be too late for boarders dinners he used to just eat dinner at my place. I think if we had a countback, he’s probably eaten more hot dinners at my place than I have over the years.

“He has always been a close mate so it has been awesome to watch his success. Hopefully everything goes to plan and I get to play on him this year.”

The midfielder knows almost everyone involved with the program at the Whitten Oval and won’t have to look far to find inspiration next season.

Before Billy Gowers kicked the most goals for Luke Beveridge’s team in 2018, he was in Hayes’ shoes this time last year, 12 months after the pair became tight playing together in the VFL.

And he isn’t the only mature-age success story Hayes is trying to emulate.

“I think Kane Lambert is the best case study to look at. If I can emulate the success he has had I would be very happy with my career,” he said.

“He is a similar height, similar age to when I got picked up, so he is probably the one that shows me that it can be done. I’m looking forward to being the example for kids to come as well.”

Hayes may have more time on his side than he used to, but you get the sense he is about to make the most of his time at the kennel.

[Axe Man]

Western Bulldogs midfielder Will Hayes glad he chose footy

It’s horses for courses, and Will Hayes is thankful he stuck with football over horse training.

A year after he was on the brink of turning to a career in horse racing, Hayes is in the formative stages of what he hopes will be a decade-long AFL career.

The 23-year-old considered shelving his AFL dream after 2017, certain he had done everything possible to impress recruiters during his four seasons with Footscray’s VFL team.

With his father, David, one of the country’s top horse trainers, the next step in his career appeared obvious.

“Quite a few times over the years,” Hayes said when asked if he lost hope of graduating to the elite level.

“I thought a few years ago I’d showed everything I had.

“At the end of 2017, I...sat down with dad and said I wanted to go more into racing and just play local footy for Euroa.

“Him and mum (Prue) were probably the ones who talked me into giving it another go, just saying I was only young and that I’d never forgive myself if I don’t give it one more crack.”

The Malvern resident followed his parents’ advice despite his passion for racing.

What followed was a career-best season — he led the Dogs for average disposals (26 per game) and contested possessions (10), and also ranked second in the competition for uncontested possessions and third for inside-50s.

The gun midfielder was crowned Footscray’s best and fairest winner and named in the VFL team of the year before the ultimate reward came when he was snapped up by the Western Bulldogs with pick No. 78 in November’s AFL National Draft.

Hayes put his eye-catching season down to more opportunity in the middle, owing to the AFL club’s lengthy injury list.

“It’s never what you want to see, an unhealthy AFL list,” he said.

“But given all the boys not playing, I had the opportunity to step up and I felt like I was able to do that.”

Hayes worked tirelessly on his ability to win the ball on the inside to complement his skills on a wing.

“I felt like that was probably a string to my bow that I added that recruiters in previous years sort of had a cross next to my name — and it became a tick,” he said.

“It was a good opportunity to grow my game on the inside. I got a lot of time as an onballer, which I loved. Definitely part of my game I want to keep growing.”

Hayes is targeting a berth in the senior line-up in 2019 but he is acutely aware it will not be easily earned.

“We’ve got so many good midfielders. It’s going to be really tough,” he said.

Continuing at Whitten Oval means his worst-case scenario is lacing up his boots next to several familiar faces in the VFL when not needed for AFL duties.

Hayes was a state league player for five seasons and a member of the Dogs’ 2014 and 2016 premiership sides.

He said forward Billy Gowers, who was in the VFL squad before being promoted to the Western Bulldogs’ senior list, provided a “source of inspiration” after he nailed 26 goals from 20 games in 2018.

“It makes you feel like it’s possible for us VFL players that have proven form at state league level to make the jump. It definitely instils confidence in us,” Hayes said.

Hayes said it was a “dream come true” to be in the AFL system, adding there is plenty of time to pursue his interest in horses in coming years.

“It doesn’t feel like I’m going to work every day. It just feels like I’m living out a dream,” he said.

“The way I see it, if everything goes to plan my footy career is going to be 10 years long. And the very best scenario is my racing career is going to be 40 years long.

“I’ve got a lot of time for racing.”

[hujsh]

So do we think Hayes is going to do a Gowers and get picked to everyone's disbelief in round 1?

Will he also prove most of us wrong, do the double Gowers and cement himself in the best 22?

[bulldogtragic]

I think 5-8 games if injuries present opportunities. Gowers is a very good mark, and very good at getting a Joseph The Goose. Hayes hasn't demonstrated one elite AFEL trait to me just yet. We know his VFL form will be very good, so I don't think he's far off the mark with injuries or a mass drop of form among similar players.

[bornadog]

I can’t see him picked for round 1 at this stage. Needs to prove a lot more for mine.

[Doc26]

So do we think Hayes is going to do a Gowers and get picked to everyone's disbelief in round 1?

Will he also prove most of us wrong, do the double Gowers and cement himself in the best 22?

With only a small sample of playing time with the main squad he should be given more time before being written off. With that said, he doesn’t seem to have any major weapons to hurt the opposition unless he can become a role player e.g tagger type. I don’t see him as a starting 22 at this time.

[Mofra]

With only a small sample of playing time with the main squad he should be given more time before being written off. With that said, he doesn’t seem to have any major weapons to hurt the opposition unless he can become a role player e.g tagger type. I don’t see him as a starting 22 at this time.

Yep, useful footsoldier who would have gotten games last year during our injury crisis but I have real concerns over his kicking. It was far below what he produces at VFL level and some very good VFL players struggle to make the step up (e.g. Webb).

[westbulldog]

Looks to be good at VFL level but short of AFL.

[Eastdog]

Looks to be good at VFL level but short of AFL.

VFL to AFL a big step up. Can take time. For some it’s a good transition but for others not so well. Mitch Honeychurch comes to mind who was quite good at VFL but not so at AFL level.

[comrade]

Won’t stamp his papers after 2 JLT games, but he hasn’t done anything to alleviate the concerns I had when we drafted him.

[Axe Man]

I caught a bit of Open Mike on Fox Footy last night with Will and his parents.

Link here is anybody is interested.