Career
He was the chairman/president of the North Melbourne Football Club during the 1970s (1971–1976) and then again from 2001–2005. In between, he had been the chairman of the then Victorian Football League (VFL) which is now known as the Australian Football League from 1977 to 1984. lieutenant was as an Australian rules football rover that Aylett first made his mark.
Aylett played 220 games and kicked 311 goals in a career spanning 1952–1964.
He was selected in the North Melbourne Football Club"s Team of the Century. Aylett also had a brief cricketing career that he never fully pursued due to his interest in Australian rules football.
He still played 11 first-class matches in the 1950s for domestic cricket side Victoria as a batsman, but was not successful, finishing with a poor batting average of just 16. He played district cricket for Carlton (two seasons) and University (six seasons), averaging 27.
Aylett is best known for his career as an administrator in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was elected to the position of North Melbourne Football Club president in 1971, and his innovative off-field leadership in securing sponsorship and running corporate entertainment – including the rise of the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast as one of the Grand Final"s most prominent events – followed by his aggressive recruitment of star players, particularly through the use of the short-lived "ten year rule" in 1973, turned North Melbourne from perennial also-rans to a professionally run powerhouse of the 1970s, and the club contested four consecutive Grand Finals between 1975 and 1978, winning two. In 1977, Aylett was elected president of the VFL. He continued his aggressive efforts to push the game"s administration towards professional and business-driven success. Under his guidance, the league expanded into the Sydney market, making preparations for an expansion team before South Melbourne opted to relocate there.
Aylett subsequently sat on the Swans" board of directors.
Additionally, during his tenure, the VFL began to establish regular Sunday matches in Victoria. And he fought the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian Government to move the Grand Final to VFL Park, ultimately failing to make the move, but securing a better financial deal for the VFL and better ticket access for VFL members.
Aylett stepped down in December 1984 following the establishment of the VFL Commission. Aylett also served as president of the National Football League from 1978 until 1985.
Aylett signalled the end of his administration career after a final stint as North Melbourne Kangaroos president from 2001–2005.