24 Facts About Gary Ayres

Gary Ayres is currently the senior coach for the Montrose Football Club in the Eastern Football Netball League.

Gary Ayres won the Norm Smith Medal twice, adjudged best on ground in 1986 and 1988 and is one of only four players in the history of the AFL to do so.

Gary Ayres captained the Hawks in his final two years from 1992 to 1993.

Gary Ayres played most of his football in defence, particular the back pocket position.

Gary Ayres was nicknamed "Conan" by fans in reference to his powerful upper-body physique.

Gary Ayres used his body to good effect in body on body contested situations.

In 2020, Gary Ayres revealed that the circumstances that led to his retirement from his playing career with Hawthorn at the end of the 1993 season, was after a disconnect with senior coach Alan Joyce and his frustration after being dropped to the reserves side.

In 1999, at the end of a disappointing 1999 season where Geelong under Gary Ayres finished eleventh with ten wins and twelve losses and after the board of Geelong Football Club, that was led by CEO Brian Cook, refused to offer him a contract extension beyond the 2000 AFL season, Gary Ayres quit as Geelong Football Club senior coach to take the coaching position at Adelaide where Malcolm Blight had, again, just resigned.

Gary Ayres was replaced by Mark Thompson as Geelong Football Club senior coach.

Gary Ayres coached Geelong Football Club to a total of 116 games with 65 wins 50 losses and one draw to a winning percentage of 56 percent.

Gary Ayres replaced Malcolm Blight, this time as Adelaide Football Club senior coach at the end of the 1999 season and coached Adelaide from 2000 until 2004.

Gary Ayres, however guided the Crows to the final series in the next three seasons in 2001,2002 and 2003, including reaching the elimination final in 2001, where they were eliminated by Carlton, the preliminary final in 2002, where they were eliminated by the eventual runners-up Collingwood and the semi finals in 2003, where they were eliminated by the eventual premiers Brisbane Lions.

However, during the 2004 season, the club with Gary Ayres found themselves struggling again where Adelaide sat twelfth on the ladder with four wins and nine losses after Round 13,2004.

Gary Ayres then walked out of the club's office without shaking hands or responding to media enquiries.

Gary Ayres was replaced by assistant coach Neil Craig as caretaker senior coach of Adelaide Football Club for the remainder of the 2004 season and was eventually employed full-time senior coach.

When Matthew Knights was appointed as senior coach of Essendon at the end of the 2007 season, Knights vowed to modernise the club's support staff, Gary Ayres subsequently lost his position as assistant coach.

In 2008, Gary Ayres was appointed senior coach of the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League.

Gary Ayres is the longest-serving coach in the club's history.

Gary Ayres has coached Port Melbourne to two premierships and three minor premierships, which included the club's perfect 2011 season, in which the club won all 21 of its premiership matches.

Gary Ayres then led the club to another premiership in 2017.

Gary Ayres left the Port Melbourne Football Club at the end of the 2021 season, after he served as senior coach of the club for a total of fourteen years.

Gary Ayres came to this decision after being overlooked for re-appointment as senior coach for the 2022 season, when the club decided not to renew his contract as senior coach, when it expired at the end of 2021.

On 24 October 2000, Gary Ayres was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for contribution to Australian Football.

In 2005, Gary Ayres spent the year in the media on Fox Footy Channel.