The former Port Power player is the only ex-AFL player that a Canberra club was able to land during the off-season and he joins ex-St Kilda player Nick Heyne at the club at the Tricolours.

He played 21 games in six years with the Power, his career curtailed by stress fractures in his feet.

But Salter's fully fit and Rourke will use him up forward and through the midfield.

Last season he played for Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL, where he worked with former Ainslie players Robert Shirley and Tim Inkster.

But both he and his young family were looking for a change when Rourke called him from out of the blue.

When the Tricolours were able to get him a plumbing job, he was across the line.

"I think Canberra's real nice, I'll be pumping it up if anyone wants to ask me if they should live here," Salter said.

"Rourkey's already been on to me about that [bringing some mates here], already started that campaign."

Salter has heard about club patron Alan Ray, who died from pancreatic cancer last month aged 82.

Now he'll see Ray's name every time he goes to Ainslie to train or play after the Tricolours renamed their oval in his honour.

It's a fitting way to remember Ray, who played an integral part in Ainslie retrieving the oval from rugby union after it had been let go to the extent that it was infested with rabbits.

There wasn't much Ray didn't do for Ainslie.

He played 186 senior games, won four premierships and three best-and-fairests.

He was a committee member for the football and social clubs and mentored most of the current crop of key position holders.

Social club director David Lalor is one of them.

"He never sought the limelight," Lalor said.

"He was well ahead of his time in his ability to think of the future of our organisation and its role in the ACT community.

"He was very much community-minded in terms of what our club represents."

The first NEAFL game on Alan Ray Oval Ainslie will be between the Tricolours and Sydney Hills Eagles on Saturday at noon.