Borough great Pinwill says he was surprised Port Melbourne let go Gary Ayres

Former Port Melbourne skipper Toby Pinwill says the club should immortalise outgoing premiership coach Gary Ayres at North Port Oval.

Gary Ayres and Toby Pinwill lift the 2017 VFL premiership cup.

Former Port Melbourne great Toby Pinwill says the club should immortalise outgoing senior coach Gary Ayres.

Pinwill said the two-time premiership coach stood as one of the most influential figures in the Borough’s long history and deserved some type of monument at the North Port Oval.

He said Ayres was behind only the legendary Norm Goss, after whom the grandstand is named, and in the same bracket as champion players Frank Johnson, Fred Cook and Bob Bonnett when it came to stature at the Borough.

“They should name something after him,’’ Pinwill said.

“I don’t think the Sandridge Centre (social club) has a name. It could be the front gates or the race or the changerooms. It doesn’t really matter what. Just something to immortalise his name would be fantastic.

“I don’t think you can understate what he’s done for Port Melbourne footy club. When I first started we were aligned with North Melbourne and were wishy-washy, didn’t really have an identity any more. Then he came along and changed all that.’’

Gary Ayres and Toby Pinwill embrace after the 2017 grand final victory over Richmond at Marvel Stadium.

The 2017 premiership captain will be part of a sub-committee that will oversee the process to replace Ayres and devise a five-year football strategy for the historic VFA/VFL club.

Pinwill said he had been surprised when the board chose not to reappoint Ayres.

He said Ayres’s long tenure at Port Melbourne was going to end at some stage but he could see no reason why it had to happen at the end of this season.

But he said he didn’t want to be seen to be critical of the club. And he urged disgruntled supporters to stick with the Borough.

“Any time that you’ve got a coach of the standard of Gary Ayres being moved on after being so successful is always a surprise, but the club is always bigger than one person,’’ Pinwill, who played the bulk of his decorated career under Ayres, said.

“Port Melbourne as a whole, with the people I’ve spoken to, has been a little bit surprised, because everyone sees what ‘Ayresy’ has done.

“He’s made a massive contribution. Not many in the history of the Port footy club have made more of a contribution… longest serving coach by a long way, at a time when the identity of the competition and Port Melbourne were in question.

“He’s come in and taken a standalone club from being borderline irrelevant to unbelievably successful. In terms of embodying what Port has been about for 140-odd years, he’s been huge, continuing that legacy. He’s one of the greats of all-time at the club.’’

Gary Ayres and Toby Pinwill on the premiership dais.

Ayres joined Port Melbourne in 2008 and in his 12 completed seasons the Borough have missed the finals only once, winning premierships in 2011 (as an undefeated team) and 2017.

This season they’ve tumbled to 22nd on the ladder with only one win.

Pinwill said he would have reappointed Ayres next year, backing him to improve the list and results.

He said the club hadn’t handled Covid well, with some players returning unfit, which could explain the long injury list this year. Pinwill also said he believed Port didn’t adapt quickly enough to new VFL list rules and let go “genuine’’ VFL players and replaced them with younger types who weren’t ready.

“Yeah, I would have gone with ‘Ayresy’ again,’’ he said.

“I just think with the competition being in a state of flux, having someone as solid as Gary Ayres, who knows what it takes to be successful and doesn’t bend his standards for anything… going forward, I think we’re going to have a young, developing group and I would have liked him there to instil those Port values to a new group.

“But I’m fairly biased, aren’t I, and thankfully I’m not charged with making those decisions.

“Like I said, it was going to happen. Nothing or no one lasts forever and when you’re dealing with iconic figures it’s always strange or awkward when the club decides to move on.

“It was always going to come and it was always going to feel weird to Port supporters and ex-players because ‘Ayresy’ has been such a huge contributor to the club. But hopefully the club can move forward. Maybe it will bring some fresh air into the place and we can rejuvenate and get back up to the top of the ladder.’’

Gary Ayres in the Port Melbourne huddle.

Ayres, 60, wants to keep coaching and has been sounded out by a string of local clubs.

Pinwill said he hoped Covid would relent and allow Ayres to have one more match as coach of Port.

He said supporters were desperate to farewell the 253-game coach.

Pinwill said he knew members remained angry about the treatment of Ayres but he urged them to adopt the attitude of Ayres himself.

“When I was talking to him last he was speaking in ‘we’ about the club, as in, ‘I hope we get the next coach right, we have to be around for another 100 years’,’’ Pinwill said.

“I love how the supporters appreciate what ‘Ayresy’ has done for the club and it’s better to think about that rather than worry or get fired up about the future. We’ve all got to get behind the club now and make sure the person who does come in is coming into a vibrant and supportive club. The best way to honour ‘Ayresy’ is to keep showing up at Port.’’

Pinwill, Port Melbourne CEO Paul Malcolm, football director and former player Adrian Bonaddio and Dan McConaghy (independent) are on the sub-committee to select the new senior coach.