More than 100 minutes of Lenny Hayes' sheer will wasn't enough to win the AFL grand final for St Kilda.

Rewarded with the Norm Smith Medal for best afield for a remarkable 32 possessions, 12 tackles, five clearances, a goal and the behind which tied up Saturday's match against Collingwood at the MCG, Hayes nearly lifted his side to the most unlikely of victories.

Trailing by 24 points at halftime, Hayes led a rearguard action to bring St Kilda back into the match as Collingwood inflicted death by a thousand cuts on certain victory.

Unable to talk properly after the match, Hayes let his football answer his snub from All-Australian selectors earlier this month.

He and Brendon Goddard combined brilliantly in the midfield to give the Saints a sniff of victory as wasteful Collingwood booted 3.11 from quarter time to the start of the final term.

But despite the Magpies gaining the ascendancy with an early Leon Davis fourth quarter goal, Hayes willed the Saints back into it again with a huge mark, set shot and goal soon after to bring his side back to within seven points.

Then, with one of his 11 final quarter touches, he gathered the ball with 90 seconds remaining and launched a wobbly kick which bounced through for a behind to level the scores, giving his team a chance to win their first premiership since 1966 in next Saturday's replay.

Four of the five Norm Smith Medal judges had Hayes best-afield, with his 13 votes enough to see off nearest rival Goddard.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was full of praise for Hayes' game.

"It was clearly pretty good, maybe the selectors got it right," he said.

"He's pretty good, but we know he's an elite players, don't we?

"Everyone has a different view of Lenny, but he's certainly value for us and a great leader.

"But you know what? He needs to do it again.

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