WESTERN BULLDOGS coach Brendan McCartney says he might buy a 'Lenny pass' as his side prepares to face St Kilda on Sunday.
The afternoon clash at Etihad Stadium is being billed as a tribute match – with Saints fans encouraged to purchase a special ticket package to celebrate the much loved player's career.
"I might buy one myself," McCartney joked at Whitten Oval on Thursday.
"I'm a fan, I think he (Hayes) is everything that's right about our game," he said.
"He’s just been an amazing player. I have so much respect for the person and the player.
"I'm sure they'll get up for him and they'll play really well for him.
"We're really confident of playing some good footy. I think it'll be a really good game to be part of, and we're looking forward to it.
However McCartney said he wouldn't be specifically addressing 'the Lenny factor' before the match.
That's despite the Saints causing one of the upsets of the season when they thrashed Fremantle by 58 points in the days after Hayes announced his retirement.
"They just played well that night. Footy's a funny game - if you don't bring effort and intensity and the right attitude and a team-based approach, you can look pretty average," McCartney said.
The coach revealed Dale Morris would probably line up on Saints spearhead Nick Riewoldt, ahead of Jordan Roughead
"Dale’s played on him (Riewoldt) for a long time and with a bit of luck he'll get it done early," McCartney said.
"In the end, he's a great player, and if they've got space and they can kick the ball and mark the ball they'll get it to him.
"We need 18 players doing the right thing to help the guy playing on Nick."
