Gary Ayres, Gary Ablett, Peter Knights... it's a real constellation of stars... Ken Piesse selects his favorite 10 footballers from Gippsland way:

With finals fast approaching, the big match feats of bush champions like Gary Ayres will no doubt take centre stage again this year.

Few Gippslanders have as proud a record, especially when it counts most, in September.

Ayres was the first to win two Norm Smith Medals for being best afield in Victorian Football League Grand Finals.

Recruited from Warragul as a half-forward in 1978, he was to play in defence in four Hawthorn flags in the ‘80s and another in 1991, in the one and only AFL Grand Final held at VFL Park, Waverley (remember Angry Anderson in the Bat-mobile at half-time!)

With his true-trunk legs and ruthless approach, Ayres became known as ‘Conan' after the Barbarian.

While other Gippslanders, most notably Gary Ablett snr., may have been more spectacular, no-one had the Ayres focus or habit of being at his absolute best for big games.

Legendary coach Allan Jeans called Ayres ‘a good driver in heavy traffic'. Another ex-Hawk leader Alan Joyce said there was ‘no stronger or tougher man in football.'

Now coach at Port Melbourne (VFL) after previous big League stints at Geelong and with the Adelaide Crows, Ayres has an instant authority and a rare rapport with young players.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be in the rooms pre-match for a big game at North Port and Gary's gee-up just seconds before the players made me want to run out there with the rest of them.

‘Are we on? he roared. ‘ARE WEE ONNNN?'

It was good old fashioned fire and brimstone stuff and it worked, Port defeating Williamstown in a close encounter.

Conan is one of many favourites of mine from the Gippsland/La Trobe Valley regions. The area is so big that I wanted to have a second set of favourites, having already covered the La Trobe and Bass Valley/Ellinbank regions on this website earlier in the year.

By having a ‘second dip' at one of the most productive of all footballing nurseries, it also gives me a chance to talk about Gary Ablett snr., the most exciting footballer I have ever seen. Gary may not have won as many games as the two best footballlers of my time in Wayne Carey and Leigh Matthews, or indeed current current champ Jonathan Brown, but he was absolutely devastating at his best and one player worth travelling miles to see. He'd originally played in the seniors at Drouin at 16.

I'm also able to mention, in detail, Maffra's spectacularly successful coach Wayne Butcher, the only country coach I know to win premierships at firsts and reserves as well as thirds and fourths level.

Wayne won three flags in four years as Maffra's No.1 team coach. One year they went through undefeated and in the next were upset in the Grand Final after 45 consecutive wins.

Wayne's record was two from two as reserves coach, a Grand Final appearance in his only year with the thirds and a flag and a runner-up in two years with the fourths. Wayne had something special and all those who played under him were privileged.

My favorite 10 players from Gippsland way are again dominated by those who regular travelled up Highway 1 and into Melbourne town, but they also include some very special local legends like Russell Northe from Traralgon, who like Ayres was a premiership specialist, albeit at local level.

My personal favorite Top 10 are:

Gary, Geoff & Kevin Ablett: Gary was the youngest and most dynamic of the clan, who once kicked nine goals on Grand Final day yet still played in the losing side! Geoff Ablett won three Grand Final sprints and played in Hawthorn's 1976 and 1978 flags and Kevin could be just as brilliant, one of his most remembered actions being when he stole Bruce Doull's headband during a night match at Waverley 30 years back!

Gary Ayres: Keenest readers will have picked up by now that I also had Gary in my La Trobe list too, but I know you won't mind. He was the champion's champion, particularly good in September.

Greg & Paul Dear: Greg, a No.1 ruckman played in three Hawthorn flags in four years and missed selection through injury in '91. Paul played and was best afield. I particularly liked Paul's nickname: ‘Pumpka" as in Pumpkin-head! The brothers were originally from Churchill.

Peter Knights: The Rolls Royce of centre half-backs and still involved in footy at his old club Hawthorn and also as the VCFL's senior team coach. Was as spectacular a mark as Gary Ablett and was just three votes from a Brownlow in 1976, a year interrupted by injury. He played in three Hawthorn flags and would have had a fourth in 1971, but for a knee injury. An absolute star. Originally from Longwarry.

Justin Leppitsch: A three-time Brisbane premiership key defender, the first in 2001 at full-back and the next two in 2002-03 at centre half-back, he was from Berwick.

Jim ‘Frosty' Miller: A legend of the old rough and tough VFA, after initially trailing at Carlton, Frosty was a special talent who won the Association goalkicking four times in the ‘70s with Dandenong. He stayed in footy, too as a long-time country coach. Was originally from Garfield.

Russell Northe: Eight best and fairests and seven premierships, all at Traralgon, is an imposing record in any Hall of Fame gathering. Northe wasn't the fastest or the best kick or mark, but he had a habit of consistently finding the ball upwards of 25 times most matches and sharing it expertly with free-running teammates.

Barry Rowlings: Quality midfielder and person, who somehow was allowed to leave Hawthorn and ended up playing in Richmond's last flag in 1980, having been a part of the Hawks' 1976 triumph. Was from Moe

Peter Russo: Son of a gun, originally from Pakenham, he was a star at particularly Hawthorn and St Kilda, his brilliant field kicking and ball sense an asset in a champion team which was the most feared of all in the ‘70s and '80s. Was known as ‘Felix' after his Dad, who also played League footy with the Sainters.

Michael Tuck: Berwick's most famous footballing son, whose high-pedigree boys Shane and Travis now play in the big-time (their Mum, Faye is Gary Ablett's sister). With 426 games, Mick was durable and unbelievably successful with six flags. He finished in the club's top three best and fairest voting on 10-11 occasions, for eight seconds and a couple of thirds!

By Ken Piesse

Article first appeared vcfl.com.au August 16, 2010

· Ken Piesse's latest book Brad Hodge the Little Master was launched last Friday in Melbourne at the Kelvin Club. It is available for $20 post-free from cricketbooks.com.au