Kiedis wrote:The answer to your Q3. Riewoldting, could quite easily be Roo. People don't seem to notice the guts and determination that Roo shows, just as much as Lenny. I think Roo suffers abit fom everyone thinking he's the marquee player, therefore it'd look like a popularity contest for him to gain captaincy. Sure he is our most marketed player, but don't forget how bloody hard he trains and plays.
I disagree. Anyone who has seen a St Kilda game will know what a super athlete Riewoldt is, and how hard he runs to create a target and take marks free from interference.
The guts and determination I am talking about is the ability to dig deep and get the best out of oneself, whether the team is 10 goals up or 10 goals behind. While there is no doubt Riewoldt works harder than any other Saint (including Harvey), he is a natural athlete with natural talent. Hayes is more of a no-frills toiler - but hard as nails and bleeds red, white and black.
He is more of a natural leader than Riewoldt because he can better relate to the players ranked 15-22 in our best 22 - the players that are going to be the difference between us finishing 9th and winning a flag.
These are the players that Hayes can inspire by word and deed. He is a far more physical player than Riewoldt and can lift those around him, especially in the centre where the game is won and lost, with bumps, tackles, shepherds and sheer physical pressure.
I think Hayes is more of a barometer of where we are at as a team. Riewoldt plays well whether we are winning or losing, so his good deeds don't seem to have an effect on the team overall.
When Hayes is in form we tend to win, and when he went down in early 2006 we lost our way a bit.
Riewoldt is a freak, Hayes is a mere mortal.
Edit: plus Hayes is a yapper and antagonistic. That's your tiebreaker factor right there.
