At age 33, it seemed like a chance at Super rugby had passed him by. Even the man himself thought it was never going to happen.
How much so?Well, when Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph rang him to offer him a Super rugby lifeline, Ainley thought it was a team-mate having a joke.
''To tell you the truth, I thought I had missed the boat four or five years ago. But Jamie gave me a ring a couple of weeks before the end of the season. I thought it was one of the boys ringing me, joking,'' he said.
''But I was over the moon. I had to do it. I have wanted to do this for years. The last decade, really. It was a no-brainer.
''I had a good job in Nelson. I was contracting, managing a couple of sites. But I had a real good boss. A real good footy man. He said I had to take the offer or he'd fire me.''
So, Ainley and wife Michelle and children Emilia (4), Kaiya (2) and Baxter (1) have made the trip south to pastures new.
Though Highlanders training had only just started, Ainley, a 1.97m lock, said he had already noticed the step up from the provincial level.
''It is more intense. It is more honest and there is no hiding. Everything is full-on.
''We have got everything here - the doctors, the physios, the gym. There is everything here to make you play to the best of your ability. So if I am not playing to my best, it is my fault, as they provide everything for you.''
Ainley will face some tough competition for a place. Tasman team-mate Joe Wheeler had a breakout year last season, as did Tom Franklin, while new recruit Mark Reddish is working his way back from ankle surgery and is keen to make a successful transition from the Hurricanes.
But it really is quite simple for Ainley, who has played more than 50 games for Tasman.
''I want to play. We have got some bloody good locks. But my position is probably the same as everyone else's. There is some real competition for players. It is really tough. But I want to play.''
Ainley was born in Auckland and played for North Harbour through the age grade sides.
Once he finished university with a bachelor of science degree in geography, he took off to Italy to play for four years.
Then he came back to New Zealand and ended up in Marlborough, the season before Tasman came into existence.
He played in the inaugural years for Tasman, at the same time heading back to Italy to play in the off-season. He ended the Italian connection but in 2010 headed for Japan to play for Mitsubishi for three seasons.
Ainley said it was enjoyable but different.
''They train hard. Not as much hard but long. Really long. For example, the pre-season over there, we went away to two fitness camps that went for a week each.
''You had two sessions of three hours each of fitness. There were no games. It was on the line, running, round the track. Then there was a pre-season camp - there was a scrum camp for five days.
''It was just long and continuous.
''At the scrummaging camp there was no coaching done. You would just get another scrum against you for two hours solid. There was a couple of times you would go against a scrum that was clearly better than yours and you would get hammered. But that is just the way it is.''
He returned to Nelson last year and has been a big part of Tasman's success over the past couple of years.
He said Tasman's success had been through sheer hard work.
''A lot of it is a good bunch of lads. It is the same as this team. There are no real superstars. No-one thinks they are bigger than the team. They just want to get on and get stuck in and do the hard yards and work for each other.
''It is simple and sounds basic, but it has not always been the way.''
