RECRUITED in 1987 ‘by Cameron Schwab as a priority pick in the Goulburn Valley region’, John Ahern has been a constant presence around the Melbourne Football Club ever since that time.
His connection to the red and blue has ranged from playing in Under 19s in 1987 to today.
In his role as manager of The Wharf Hotel and connected sponsorship of the Melbourne Football Club, Ahern has been mixing football and pubs together from very early days.
In doing so, he joins a grand assembly of red and blue linked publicans, ranging from ‘Checker’ Hughes and ‘Shane’ McGrath in the early days, through to the likes of Garry Lyon, John Northey and - of course - Ron Barassi.
While he may have played just the two senior games in 1989 - wearing No. 47 - courtesy primarily of ‘my body starting to fall apart at a young age - I’ve had a hip replacement and some operations on my other hip’, Ahern’s is a wonderful story of the close knit player group of the late 1980s.
He lived in a billeted home with Stephen Tingay, then ‘going to a house where Graeme Yeats’ mum would cook us some meals … there was Andy Lovell, Matthew Mahoney, Steve Tingay and myself in the house. It was close to Junction Oval, and I’ve been good friends with all of those people for a long time … those friendships have been forged from being fortunate to be involved in the Melbourne Football Club.’
A great admirer of Tingay in his playing days, Ahern feels privileged to have seen some of the best in action, and to have played alongside legends such as Jim Stynes.
There have only been a few deviations from the pub-football mix for Ahern.
First there was a year at teachers’ college in 1989, and ‘in 1990 I did a bit of work with Danny Hughes, chasing a lawnmower. We were still in that stage where training was at 5 o’clock, and it was three nights and the Sunday training after the game.’
Following his time at Melbourne, Ahern went to North Melbourne for a year, then Port Adelaide for another year, before coaching in country Victoria, at Hamilton and Mortlake.
‘I really enjoyed that, the people and the way that the footy club is the centrepiece of the whole community’.
At the same time, he was gaining experience working in local pubs, with the creation of the Hamilton Sporting Club being his first major project.
After this, Ahern travelled to London, and ‘worked over there running a pub near the Chelsea football ground … that really got the tastebuds going for pubs. I came back to Australia in 2000, and managed the Skinny Dog in Kew. From there I managed the Flower Hotel in Port Melbourne, and I was also at the very end of managing David Schwarz and Paul Hopgood’s pub - the Crockford Bay. From there I got my own venue, called Aqua Nightclub … got in and out of that. Then I got into Watermark Bar at Docklands, and now I’ve got Campari House in Hardware Lane, The George Hotel in Perth, The Byrneleigh Hotel in Perth, and we’re currently building another one in Perth at the moment, plus The Wharf Hotel here, and River’s Edge Events, which is next door.’
While there is a distinct risk that Ahern may forget the odd venue or two in his roll call one day, there is no chance that his enthusiasm will wane. ‘The pubs are what I do, and I really enjoy them … the complexities of the pub make it very interesting, and I enjoy it. There are a lot of hours in running pubs.’
The connections between The Wharf Hotel and Melbourne have come at the right time. With the venue being built from scratch, and the precinct having a marketing budget, Ahern’s presence has guaranteed the links.
‘There’s a dollar for dollar from the venue, and the precinct, which combines to make the sponsorship … it’s identified the precinct, and it’s identified the pub, so there’s a synergy between myself being a part player, and wanting to give back to the Club in some way. They’ve been very good to me, and given me a chance to make friends, and it opens a door.’
Opening on 8 October last year, The Wharf Hotel is settling into itself well, and has been a gathering place already in Season 2011 for Melbourne supporters.
Having dealt with Peter Maynard in his role as the Club’s General Manager - Commercial Operations - and this year having the chance to attend more games partly due to the sponsorship, Ahern is reminded yet again of the opportunities that have come his way as a result of being involved in the Club.
‘I was fortunate that at the end of the 1989 season, we went over to Toronto and London, and I was involved in the exhibition matches … gave me the opportunity to travel to Canada and London, and as a young person, that was phenomenal. I roomed with Rod Grinter, and we’ve been fortunate to stay friends since then. Then Peter Maynard’s originally from Shepparton, and I used to watch him play football as a young bloke.’
While his direct involvement in the game may have passed, Ahern has also taken part in a tour to Ireland organised by former Melbourne recruiter, Jim Durnan, a non-playing member of over 35s outfit known as the ‘Wombats’.
He took on assistant coaching duties at Sandringham alongside Andy Lovell, but now is content to spectate alongside another past playing friend, Paul Hopgood, delighted at the re-energising of the past player group.
Ahern’s is a busy life, but there is no doubt that the best is yet to come when this season closes, with his marriage to Tai in October.
His connection to the red and blue has ranged from playing in Under 19s in 1987 to today.
In his role as manager of The Wharf Hotel and connected sponsorship of the Melbourne Football Club, Ahern has been mixing football and pubs together from very early days.
In doing so, he joins a grand assembly of red and blue linked publicans, ranging from ‘Checker’ Hughes and ‘Shane’ McGrath in the early days, through to the likes of Garry Lyon, John Northey and - of course - Ron Barassi.
While he may have played just the two senior games in 1989 - wearing No. 47 - courtesy primarily of ‘my body starting to fall apart at a young age - I’ve had a hip replacement and some operations on my other hip’, Ahern’s is a wonderful story of the close knit player group of the late 1980s.
He lived in a billeted home with Stephen Tingay, then ‘going to a house where Graeme Yeats’ mum would cook us some meals … there was Andy Lovell, Matthew Mahoney, Steve Tingay and myself in the house. It was close to Junction Oval, and I’ve been good friends with all of those people for a long time … those friendships have been forged from being fortunate to be involved in the Melbourne Football Club.’
A great admirer of Tingay in his playing days, Ahern feels privileged to have seen some of the best in action, and to have played alongside legends such as Jim Stynes.
There have only been a few deviations from the pub-football mix for Ahern.
First there was a year at teachers’ college in 1989, and ‘in 1990 I did a bit of work with Danny Hughes, chasing a lawnmower. We were still in that stage where training was at 5 o’clock, and it was three nights and the Sunday training after the game.’
Following his time at Melbourne, Ahern went to North Melbourne for a year, then Port Adelaide for another year, before coaching in country Victoria, at Hamilton and Mortlake.
‘I really enjoyed that, the people and the way that the footy club is the centrepiece of the whole community’.
At the same time, he was gaining experience working in local pubs, with the creation of the Hamilton Sporting Club being his first major project.
After this, Ahern travelled to London, and ‘worked over there running a pub near the Chelsea football ground … that really got the tastebuds going for pubs. I came back to Australia in 2000, and managed the Skinny Dog in Kew. From there I managed the Flower Hotel in Port Melbourne, and I was also at the very end of managing David Schwarz and Paul Hopgood’s pub - the Crockford Bay. From there I got my own venue, called Aqua Nightclub … got in and out of that. Then I got into Watermark Bar at Docklands, and now I’ve got Campari House in Hardware Lane, The George Hotel in Perth, The Byrneleigh Hotel in Perth, and we’re currently building another one in Perth at the moment, plus The Wharf Hotel here, and River’s Edge Events, which is next door.’
While there is a distinct risk that Ahern may forget the odd venue or two in his roll call one day, there is no chance that his enthusiasm will wane. ‘The pubs are what I do, and I really enjoy them … the complexities of the pub make it very interesting, and I enjoy it. There are a lot of hours in running pubs.’
The connections between The Wharf Hotel and Melbourne have come at the right time. With the venue being built from scratch, and the precinct having a marketing budget, Ahern’s presence has guaranteed the links.
‘There’s a dollar for dollar from the venue, and the precinct, which combines to make the sponsorship … it’s identified the precinct, and it’s identified the pub, so there’s a synergy between myself being a part player, and wanting to give back to the Club in some way. They’ve been very good to me, and given me a chance to make friends, and it opens a door.’
Opening on 8 October last year, The Wharf Hotel is settling into itself well, and has been a gathering place already in Season 2011 for Melbourne supporters.
Having dealt with Peter Maynard in his role as the Club’s General Manager - Commercial Operations - and this year having the chance to attend more games partly due to the sponsorship, Ahern is reminded yet again of the opportunities that have come his way as a result of being involved in the Club.
‘I was fortunate that at the end of the 1989 season, we went over to Toronto and London, and I was involved in the exhibition matches … gave me the opportunity to travel to Canada and London, and as a young person, that was phenomenal. I roomed with Rod Grinter, and we’ve been fortunate to stay friends since then. Then Peter Maynard’s originally from Shepparton, and I used to watch him play football as a young bloke.’
While his direct involvement in the game may have passed, Ahern has also taken part in a tour to Ireland organised by former Melbourne recruiter, Jim Durnan, a non-playing member of over 35s outfit known as the ‘Wombats’.
He took on assistant coaching duties at Sandringham alongside Andy Lovell, but now is content to spectate alongside another past playing friend, Paul Hopgood, delighted at the re-energising of the past player group.
Ahern’s is a busy life, but there is no doubt that the best is yet to come when this season closes, with his marriage to Tai in October.
