 In 2008, Ayres was appointed senior coach of the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League.Ayres has coached at Port Melbourne continuously since then, with his current contract set to expire at the end of 2017, and 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.