VFL: Gary Ayres, Port Melbourne to part ways after 14 seasons

Two-time Borough premiership coach and Hawthorn legend Gary Ayres will leave the VFL club after being overlooked for reappointment.

Gary Ayres is exultant as he lifts the 2017 VFL premiership cup.

Gary Ayres’ long tenure as coach of VFL mainstay Port Melbourne will finish at the end of the season.

The Borough board has decided to let go the two-time premiership coach, who was coming out of contract in October.

Ayres learned of his fate in a meeting with club officials this morning.

The former Hawthorn champion and Geelong and Adelaide senior coach had met CEO Paul Malcolm and president Michael Shulman two weeks ago and Shulman raised the idea of Ayres taking up a role as head of football, overseeing the men’s and women’s programs.

He declined, saying he wanted to continue to coach, preferably at Port Melbourne.

Gary Ayres at the Port Melbourne huddle.

When Leader reported the situation there was an angry backlash from a group of supporters on social media.

One called Ayres the “fabric of our football club’’.

Port’s decision to move Ayres on ends the longest coaching reign in the club’s history and one of the most successful coaching tenures in the VFA/VFL.

Ayres has guided the Borough since 2008, a period taking in 253 matches, premierships in 2011 and 2017, and finals appearances in 11 of his 12 completed seasons.

Their only finals miss came in 2015, but, stuck in the lower rungs of the ladder, they will be watching on this year.

“I’ve still got a passion to coach, and my preferred option would be to coach Port Melbourne,’’ Ayres said this week amid speculation about his future.

“I’m up for the challenge. I’ve always been up for the challenge. It’s been a case of one-year contracts for a while and I keep backing myself to get the job done.’’

Ayres has coached Port Melbourne in 253 matches, for 163 wins, 88 losses and two draws.

Crossing from Essendon and taking over from Saade Ghazi at the end of the 2007 season, he had immediate success, lifting the Borough to the 2008 grand final.

They made the preliminary final the following year and in 2011 achieved the rare feat of going through the season undefeated, a premiers-and-champions performance crowned with victory over great rival Williamstown.

It was the club’s first flag since 1982.

Port made the grand final again in 2012, falling to Geelong.

Gary Ayres early in his time at Port.

The second premiership came in an enthralling decider against Richmond, when Ben Lennon took a kick after the siren to win it for the Tigers. He missed and Port won by four points.

The Borough also made the 2019 preliminary final.

But this stop-start season they’ve been hit hard with injuries and fallen to 22nd on the ladder.

Ayres said during the week that he was confident Port could quickly turn around its fortunes next year.

In a statement this afternoon, Shulman and football director Adrian Bonaddio said the club faced a number of challenges towards the end of the 2021 season.

“These include COVID-19, the new men’s competition which is very competitive, ongoing success in the women’s competition and a complex commercial landscape which currently includes ground redevelopment to enable us to remain an elite community club with “state of the art” facilities.

“The board of directors have a responsibility to secure the future of our club, regardless of the challenges facing it.

“Given the above, we are developing a five-year strategic plan to invigorate and renew our operation from top to bottom, and ensure we remain the benchmark performer in the current men’s and women’s competitions and an ongoing significant community association.

“A key component of this process is to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to implement this strategy.

“The club has been completing a thorough review of its football operations, the outcome is that we shall be accepting applications for the position of VFL men’s head coach for season 2022 and beyond.

“Gary Ayres, our current senior men’s coach, has been informed of this review and is currently assessing future options. Gary’s succession has been discussed with him over a number of years.’’

They acknowledged the “extremely valuable contribution he has made to our club over a long period of time and look forward to everyone supporting him and our men’s team as he coaches the remainder of the season.’’

The board is establishing a sub‐committee to appoint a head coach and oversee a three-five year strategy for the football department.

Malcolm will head the sub-committeee and it will include past players.