The AFL Coaches Association awards are a group of awards which have been presented annually since 2003, mainly to players and coaches in the Australian Football League (AFL), voted for by all AFL coaches.
28-443: Awarded annually since 2003. Each week, the senior coach of each AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the year wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded. Awarded since 2016. Each week during
56-482: A former VFL/AFL coach who has achieved "significant achievement and success". Awarded annually since 2009. Awarded to an individual who displays "respected and insightful coverage of AFL football at the professional level". All AFL coaches can nominate an individual. Awarded annually from 2003 to 2014. Awarded to an Australian rules support staff member who shows "outstanding contribution, innovation, [or] initiative in carrying out [their] duties". A representative team
84-632: Is awarded to the highest-ranked AFL development coach based on "their overall performance [that] year". Awarded annually since 2016. Awarded to an AFL coach who is "committed to developing themselves via study and travel". Awarded annually since 2014. Awarded to an AFL coach who has "shown exceptional commitment to their professional development". Awarded annually since 2003. In recognition of "an individual who has made an outstanding contribution" to Australian rules football. Renamed from Lifetime Achievement Award to Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Awarded annually from 2009 to 2018. Awarded to
112-549: Is no age or game limit. Awarded to the best player inside the first two seasons of their AFL careers based on the weekly AFLCA Player of the Year votes. Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches give three votes to the senior coach they adjudge to have performed the best over that season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes wins. Ken Hinkley , Luke Beveridge , John Longmire , John Worsfold and Mark Thompson are
140-899: The Australian Football League (AFL). He is currently the senior coach for the Montrose Football Club in the Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL). Ayres' playing career is honored by the existence of the Gary Ayres Award , an annual award given to the player judged best-afield by the AFL Coaches Association throughout each AFL finals series . Beginning his playing career with Hawthorn in 1978, he had an illustrious career spanning from 1978 until 1993, playing 269 games and booting 70 goals. He
168-426: The back pocket position. He was nicknamed " Conan " by fans in reference to his powerful upper-body physique. He used his body to good effect in body on body contested situations. Ayres' height and weight was 187 cm / 100 kg. Allan Jeans described Ayres as "a good driver in heavy traffic". In 2020, Ayres revealed that the circumstances that led to his retirement from his playing career with Hawthorn at
196-474: The Crows, the club struggled and finished eleventh with nine wins and thirteen losses at the end of the 2000 season . 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
224-773: The Dandenong & District Football League and three grades of football commenced in 1950. In 1997, the Eastern District Football League and the Knox Junior Football Association united to create the Eastern Football League. Following a restructure during 2018, the league now consists of five divisions, and 2019 had 45 clubs. Premier and First Division had 10 clubs each, Second and Third Divisions have eight clubs each, and Fourth Division has nine with
252-640: 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. 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, Ayres was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for contribution to Australian Football. In 2005, Ayres spent
280-586: The West Coast Eagles in the 1994 Grand Final , Ayres was appointed Geelong Football Club senior coach for the 1995 season after Blight handed the coaching reins to Ayres. In his first year and season as Geelong Football Club senior coach, Geelong lost to Carlton in the 1995 Grand Final by a margin of 61 points under Ayres, which was their fourth Grand Final defeat in seven seasons. In the 1996 season , Geelong under Ayres finished seventh with thirteen wins, one draw and eight losses, where they made it to
308-627: The admission of Croydon North-MLOC for 2019. After the conclusion of the 2019 season, on 15 October the league announced a re-branding to the Eastern Football Netball League, recognising netball as a key part of the league structure. On 3 June 2020, the EFNL cancelled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic . With the admission of Beaconsfield and Oakleigh District for 2022, there are now 48 clubs, including 12 in
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#1732798283292336-416: The end of a disappointing 1999 season where Geelong under 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, Ayres quit as Geelong Football Club senior coach to take the coaching position at Adelaide where Malcolm Blight had, again, just resigned. Ayres
364-412: 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. Team Individual After his retirement from his playing career, Ayres turned to coaching; starting as an assistant coach under senior coach Malcolm Blight at Geelong for the 1994 season . After Blight's resignation in 1994, following Geelong's defeat to
392-497: The finals series, the senior coach of each competing AFL club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game their team plays in, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the finals series wins. The award is named after Gary Ayres , a 5-time VFL/AFL premiership player and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee. Awarded annually since 2003. Unlike some other "best young player" awards, there
420-703: The following clubs - Croydon, Ferntree Gully, Kilsyth-Monbulk, Ringwood B and Warrandyte. The Croydon Mail Football League was established in 1945 and consisted of the following clubs - Bayswater, Boronia, Croydon and Kilsyth. It appears that the League's name was changed to the Croydon District Football League in 1948 and stayed this way in 1949 too. In 1950 the league became known as the Croydon-Ferntree Gully Football League, when Ferntree Gully left
448-448: The only coaches to have won the award more than once, with two each. Awarded annually since 2003. At the end of the season, all AFL coaches and players rate their club's assistant coaches out of ten, with ten being the highest score. Assistant coaches' scores are then averaged, and the coach with the highest score wins. Awarded in 2012 and 2013 and then reintroduced annually from 2022. Based on 50-50 input from both players and coaches, it
476-500: The preliminary finals, the senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives three votes to the other coach they consider to have performed best throughout the season, two to the second-best, and one to the third-best. The coach with the most votes from this process wins. Gary Ayres Gary James Ayres (born 28 September 1960) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in
504-423: The qualifying final losing to North Melbourne . In the 1997 season , Ayres guided Geelong to finish second on the ladder with fifteen wins and seven losses, but however lost to North Melbourne again in the qualifying finals and were eliminated by the eventual premiers Adelaide in the semi-finals. In the 1998 season , Geelong with Ayres struggled and finished twelve with nine wins and thirteen losses. In 1999, at
532-560: The remainder of the 2004 season and was eventually employed full-time senior coach. In 2006, he returned to coaching as assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club under senior coach Kevin Sheedy . 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, Ayres subsequently lost his position as assistant coach. In 2008, Ayres
560-503: The rest of the 2004 season, he told the Adelaide board that if he could not coach the following year, he would leave immediately. He then walked out of the club's office without shaking hands or responding to media enquiries. Ayres coached Adelaide to a total of 107 games with a 55–52 win–loss ratio to a winning percentage of 51.4 percent. He was replaced by assistant coach Neil Craig as caretaker senior coach of Adelaide Football Club for
588-424: The semi finals in 2003, where they were eliminated by the eventual premiers Brisbane Lions . However, during the 2004 season , the club with Ayres found themselves struggling again where Adelaide sat twelfth on the ladder with four wins and nine losses after Round 13, 2004. When told he would not continue as senior coach for the 2005 season, Ayres quit midseason. Though he had been given the opportunity to stay for
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#1732798283292616-414: The senior coach of each AFL Women's club gives five votes to the player they consider to be best on ground in the game in which their team plays, four to the second-best, and so on to one for the fifth-best. The player with the most votes at the end of the season wins. The award has different rules to many "best and fairest" awards, as player suspensions are disregarded. Awarded each season since 2019. After
644-614: The year in the media on Fox Footy Channel . Prior to that he also had a stint on Seven 's Talking Footy . Eastern Football Netball League The Eastern Football Netball League (known previously as the Eastern Districts Football League and later the Eastern Football League ) is an Australian rules football and netball league, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne . The Eastern Districts Football League
672-572: Was appointed senior coach of the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League . He is the longest-serving coach in the club's history. 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. Ayres then led the club to another premiership in 2017. Ayres left
700-514: Was established on 15 February 1962, but its origins can be traced back to the Reporter District Football League established in 1903, with the following clubs - Bayswater, Box Hill, Canterbury, Ferntree Gully, Mitcham and Ringwood. The following football associations all played there part in the now Eastern Districts Football League. The Ringwood District Football Association was established in 1922 and consisted of
728-604: Was part of a total of 5 premiership teams – 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1991. He 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. Ayres captained Victoria against Tasmania in the 1989 State of Origin contest. He captained the Hawks in his final two years from 1992 to 1993. Gary played most of his football in defence, particular
756-403: Was replaced by Mark Thompson as Geelong Football Club senior coach. 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. Ayres once again 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. In his first season at
784-577: Was selected by the AFLCA in 2015 and 2016. In its first year, in what was described as "ditching traditional positions in favour of modern tactics," in each position on the field (decided by analysts), the highest-scoring player from the Champion Player of the Year Award voting was chosen. In its final year, a more traditional team line-up was selected. Awarded each season since 2018. Each week,
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