Port Welshpool’s The Rusty Gurnard, formerly the Pier Port Hotel, has hit the market

Former Brisbane Lion premiership player and coach, and now assistant coach at Collingwood, Justin Leppitsch, is hoping his magic running the Pies’ list can rub off on the sale of his seaside pub.

The newly renovated Port Welshpool pub, rebranded as the Rusty Gurnard, is taking expressions of interest. Picture: Real Commercial

A popular seaside pub co-owned by three-time premiership defender Justin Leppitsch that has been polished with a $600,000 revamp has been booted onto the market.

The Rusty Gurnard on Lewis St, formerly known as the Pier Port Hotel/Port Welshpool Pub, has been listed for sale by expressions of interest on Real Commercial.

The fully renovated pub was purchased by Adam Thorn, Michelle Thorn, and former Lions player and coach and now Collingwood assistant coach Leppitsch and his wife Christie for $935,000 at the end of 2023.

Prior to that, it had been vacant for years.

The Rusty Gurnard co-owners (left to right): Michelle Thorn, Christie Leppitsch, Justin Leppitsch and Adam Thorn.

The opportunity offers potential buyers views of the ocean and Wilsons Promontory, a beer garden, polished concrete floors, a large public bar, an open fire place, a bistro on the ground floor and a function room on the second.

The hotel also features a large three-bedroom manager’s residence, ample storage, large rear car park and a full solar system.

The co-owners reopened the pub in November last year.

Mr Thorn said the pub definitely had “scope for growth”.

The new rustic bar at the pub.

“An example would be over that summer period you could probably open seven days a week,” he said.

“It’s been amazing, the response we get from people locally and afar how impressed they are with the renovation — it was probably due for a renovation — there had been some damage to it while it was closed.

“It was a good opportunity to do that as part of the relaunching of it.”

The Port Welshpool Pub before the renovation.

“It was originally built because the Devil Cat was coming from Tassie so the people that originally built it saw the opportunity to pick up that traffic, but it’s evolved since then.

A new look for the pub, featuring a pool table and more.

“And now it’s mainly tourists and locals that come to the pub — it’s still relatively young.”

Mr Thorn added the pub would suit a variety of buyers, from investors to retired couples who wanted to move to the area.

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“My wife and I have got a house in Melbourne and we’ve got one here (in Port Welshpool) as well, we’ve had one here for about five years and we bought here specifically because the area offers us a lot of recreational things that we love to do like paddle boarding, motorbike riding and fishing,” he said.

Expressions of interest close on July 3.

Anyone interested in an inspection can contact CRE Brokers director Phi Mammolito on 0438 371 094.