EFNL 2025: AFL great Gary Ayres opens up on coaching future after calling time at Montrose

The curtain is set to fall on one of local footy’s highest-profile coaching tenures. Gary Ayres opens up on his decision to step down as Montrose coach, and what the future holds ...

Montrose coach Gary Ayres will step down at season’s end. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

THE curtain is set to fall on one of local footy’s highest-profile coaching tenures.

AFL great Gary Ayres has revealed his coaching future remains unclear following his decision to step down from Eastern league Division 1 club Montrose at season’s end.

The five-time Hawthorn premiership star said his call followed ongoing discussions with president Matt Jones, after initially committing until the end of 2026 at the end of last year.

“The president and I have been having discussions for the best part of four months, and I always said to Matty that clearly the president and coach has to be aligned on the direction of the footy club,” Ayres said.

“Last Thursday week I said how it would look going forward for me, and I said to Matt that I won’t be coaching at Montrose in 2026.

“Was it a surprise to Matt? Probably not to be honest, because we’d always had discussions to see where we were at the halfway point of the year.

“I came to that decision and then we spoke to the club last Thursday … there certainly was an opportunity for me to continue on next year.”

Ayres lifts a second cup with Port Melbourne in 2017. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Ayres, who signed as coach in August 2021 ahead of his maiden season in ’22, said of his decision: “As I addressed the group on Thursday night, I said the charter was to go about developing our youth and then try to get some A-grade recruits to complement those coming through.

“I probably feel right at this point in time that the youth development is going fine, it’s just a case of trying to get those recruits that’ll complement them, and I feel that’ll probably take a little while.”

He added: “As I said to the guys on Thursday, my standards and philosophies on footy are built around success, expectation, commitment and sacrifice … at this level there is a bit of a difference in commitment and sacrifice with guys that play at this level, going away mid-year.

“They always say that’s what it is, but in some instances, pretty important players have got weddings, holidays, (and) it could be the difference between making finals.”

Ayres has led the club to three consecutive finals campaigns – breaking an eight-year drought in 2022 – before a preliminary final berth in ‘23.

Dealt a host of key departures at the end of 2024, including ex-AFL Tiger and leading goalkicker Ryan Garthwaite, captain Ben Dessent and No. 1 ruckman Charlie Rosetti, the young Montrose outfit currently sits in the top five with a 4-5 record after a 47-point win over Bayswater last Saturday.

Seven home-and-away games remain.

“I feel that we started to develop clearly with a rush in ’22 and that carried on to ’23 – a kick or two off a grand final, then in ’24 we had personnel leave,” Ayres said.

“If you look at our side on Saturday, 15 (of the 22) were 23 or under. It’s a very, very young group.”

Ayres’ three-decade coaching stretch has taken in 10 seasons and more than 200 games at the top level across Geelong and Adelaide – including a grand final in 1995 – before two premierships with VFL club Port Melbourne in a record 14-season stint.

Ayres revealed of his coaching future: “I don’t know what it’s going to look like, to be honest.”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead to say, ‘Do I?’ or ‘Do I not?’,” he said.

“At this stage I’ll finish up at the end of the year and we’ll see what’s out there, I guess.

“I am 64 and I know age is only a number, but I’d probably have to be the oldest coach in that competition by far.

“I’ve done it for 30 years straight pretty much when you think about it – obviously I started with Geelong in 1994.

“I’ve always never wanted to overstay my welcome and I don’t want to potentially go out feeling like I don’t have that passion or energy.”