Leigh Montagna Biography

St Kilda re-sign Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna with contracts that will keep them at the club until 2011 and 2010 respectively.

"We've got a real chance to build something here," Hayes said.

"We're at a club that hasn't had a lot of success and I think that's a real driving force for the current playing group."

Leigh Montagna admits to delivering a personal insult to Bomber Andrew Lovett with words implying that Lovett was guilty of domestic violence.

Montagna, however, made light of his remarks which were heard during the game's broadcast saying that he and Lovett were close friends.

"Andy Lovett and I are actually good mates," Montagna said.

"We'd had a flat third quarter and Essendon were coming back and I thought a little bit of spark might just get the boys going again.

"So I just had a bit of a scuffle with Andy and I knew he wasn't going to hurt me cos we're mates. He might have just thrown a leg into me - given me a little corky or something like that - which got me a little bit agitated, especially coming from Andy, cos, as I said, we're mates."

Lovett is understood to not be looking to take the matter any further.

Later analysis of the video footage, however, reveal that it was Nick Riewoldt who verbalised the sledge at Lovett.

St Kilda's Leigh Montagna will front the AFL tribunal tonight to contest a charge of striking Paul Hasleby.

The AFL's official statisticians have named Leigh Montagna as their Brownlow Medal bolter.

Using the formula that tipped Jimmy Bartel as runaway winner in 2007 and Adam Cooney as a top-three certainty last year, Champion Data has Montagna as the only challenger to Gary Ablett.

Champion Data has Montagna, St Kilda's most potent ball carrier, on 17 votes after 11 rounds.

A string of standout performances has experts talking up Saints onballer Leigh Montagna as a legitimate Brownlow Medal chance.

"I'm starting to get a little bit of publicity, but we try to put that aside," Montagna said.

"We don't really take too much notice of those things."

Injuries have grounded Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna, Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard and Steven Baker for Saturday's clash with Hawthorn with the Saints taking a cautious approach in the lead up to the finals.

St Kilda's All-Australian duo Brendon Goddard and Leigh Montagna have signed new three-year deals with the club.

"It really builds on the plank of stability and the focus we are about, which is team success. Personally I couldn't be happier and it is a great sign of the contentment of the group, where the team is going and where the club is heading. I thank the boys for that," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said.