West Perth full forward Ross Ayre spent his first four years at the club as heir-in-waiting to star incumbent, Ray Scott, who kicked 901 goals for the Cardinals in a 198 game league career. Recruited from the Mt Hawthorn Metropolitans Juniors, where he had come under the able tuition of legendary West Perth coach, Joe Brooker, Ayre was a natural full forward, who, despite standing just on six foot with his boots on, ticked all the boxes as a spearhead. A thumping kick of up to seventy yards, he was quick on the lead and a reliable mark, with a penchant for taking the “daisycutters.”   “Bruce Faulkner and myself had fashioned ourselves a little oval in the bush, and we would practice Bernie Naylor's kicking style for hours,” Ross recalled.In unalotted territory, Ayre had no thoughts of playing anywhere other than Leederville, and his loyalty to the Cardinals was to become a feature of his career. Lining up with the reserves in 1955, Ayre received an early call-up to the league side after Scott was involved in a work accident and missed three matches. As replacement full forward, he booted four goals against Subiaco, a few more in the East Fremantle game, but failed to flatter against the double teaming of Brian Ashbolt and Tommy Davis when the Cardinals met Perth. From that time on, it was to be a waiting game for Ross, until the departure of Scott after the 1957 season. His ability did not go without notice, however.During Ayre's time as reserves full forward, he received a visit from West Perth President, Dick Fletcher. “West Perth were chasing South Melbourne's 1949 Brownlow Medallist and 1951 runner up, Ron Clegg, as coach, and evidently the Victorian club was keen for a swap for me to become part of the deal,” Ross said. “Although there were considerable hurdles involved in Western Australian players being cleared by the WANFL to move interstate at the time, I was assured that it had received the all clear.”       “It was a bolt from the blue to me, I was happy playing at Leederville, had just met my future wife, and had no desire to go anywhere, so I stayed put.” Ayre's league career kicked off when the loss of Scott saw him finally become a regular goalsneak in the league side in 1958. Heading the West Perth goalkicking list that year with 68 goals,including a bag of twelve against Subiaco, he gained selection in the WA side to go to Brisbane for the Centenary Carnival, only to hurt his knee in a game against Swan Districts at Bassendean, leaving him with no option but to withdraw from the squad.  He recalls an early game against South Fremantle toughman, Ray Richards. “I took a mark, and Ray knocked me to the ground and proceeded to walk up my body until, on reaching my head, he stopped and said: “Now kick the bloody thing.”  Kicking the 1959 season off in dazzling style, Ayre was looking good for the WANFL goalkicking award before an incident against East Fremantle in round fourteen cost him seven weeks of football and disrupted West Perth's finals hopes. “Jack Clarke dropkicked me over the fence,” he laughed. “Jack accidently kicked me just above the knee, and landed me on my back. I wasn't right again till the first semi final, where I sat on the bench, and we lost.” Despite the setback, Ayre kicked 67 goals for the season.  It was to be a different story the following year, when a seven goal display from Ayre, playing on regular State fullback, John Watts, was a big factor in the Cardinals win over East Perth by thirty two points. It wasn't enough to earn the full forward a Simpson Medal, however, a lion hearted display from ruckman Brian Foley clinching the award.  Ross Ayre's football fortunes took a dip in 1961. A policeman, he was transferred from Central to Traffic Branch, which necessitated a four am knockoff on Saturday mornings. “It wreaked havoc with my football preparation, and my form as a result went downhill,” he said. Changed back to Central later, the move had a positive effect on his game, but there were darker clouds on the horizon. “The club swapped coaches,” Ross explained. “I was seen as too short to play full forward.” Although topping the goalkicking again with 36 goals, it was to be Ayre's last season at West Perth. At a still young twenty six, the four time leading goalkicker retired from the league scene after seven seasons and ninety eight league appearances. Spending the next season as captain coach of Avon Association club, Meckering, Ayre, still young enough to pursue a league career elsewhere, but smarting from the rejection of the club he had shown loyalty to, was in a period of reflection, unsure as to where his future lay. His form for Meckering, who he took to a flag, and the Avon Association side, for whom he booted fifteen goals in one game, provided the answer, and the summer of 1964 saw him at Perth Oval.Playing in an intraclub scratch match for the Royals, Ayre had eight goals on the board in twenty minutes, opposed to a hapless Victorian fullback, when East Perth coach, Jack Sheedy, took him from the ground. “You've done enough, you're in next week,” he muttered.  But it wasn't to be. West Perth wouldn't entertain any clearance thoughts for Ayre, so it was a premature end to the full forward's league days. So it was that Ross joined Norm Smith, Ernie Cooley, Don Byfield, Bob Bolton, and Cliff Hillier in their weekly trek to the Midland Association, where he played with Moora Warriors while the others joined other sides such as Bindi Bindi. In 1965, Ayre played in the Sunday League with Osborne Park, enjoying a premiership under the coaching of Bill Leuzzi in a two season stint before a change in employment sent him to Newman. Ross had resigned from the Police Force to pursue his trade of electrician, and had secured employment at the mining town as an electrical inspector with Mt Newman Mines. His services were quickly snapped up by the Port Hedland Panthers, and it was there that he played out the remainder of his football days. Ross reckoned the Perth duo of Ashbolt and Davis were the hardest to beat, while the names of Don Marinko, Brian France, Ron McBride, and Eddie Wylde were prominent in discussions of best players at West Perth.   He told us of a clash with Perth ruckman(and fellow policeman), Charlie Skehan. “I was on a half forward flank, and was having a birthday on Ken Armstrong,” he said. “I was then sent to centre half forward, where Charlie sidled up to me, and, as I took a mark, whacked me one. As I took umbrage to the attention, the crowd joined in, looking for a punch up between two coppers.” A fair cricketer in his youth, Ross played in the lower grades with North Perth, before umpiring for the WACA. Since retiring from football, Ross Ayre has been a tireless worker for the community. A long time State Emergency Service volunteer, where he ran a training course on cliff rescue, he has had a twenty year involvement with community service organisations, such as the Head Injured Society in Alfred Cove, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and was a volunteer driver for the City of Stirling.A dyed in the wool Eagles supporter, he has had to forgo his ten year membership to pursue another great love of he and wife Erica: caravanning.  He and Erica have two boys and a girl, with five grandchildren, although this writer disputes the count; it sounded more like twenty five when I was there. Ross Ayre gave the West Perth Football Club great service, at a time when he would have been excused for chasing more opportunity elsewhere. It was to his credit that his loyalty to the club won out over the chance of greater personal glory, but it's a shame that loyalty wasn' t reciprocated in later years. The man himself has no regrets, he is a West Perth man through and through, and loves the club and all those he played with.