The Gale move leaves a number of other club bosses,including Sydney chief Tom Harley,in the AFL’s sights as it searches for a new head of football – a job soon to be vacated by AFL CEO-elect Dillon. Ameet Bains (Western Bulldogs) and Simon Garlick (Fremantle) have also been linked to the role,but neither have been offered the job.
Dillon would not comment on his new executive team,but a new head of football could be unveiled as early as next week.
Gale has chosen to remain at Richmond to oversee the appointment of a new senior coach,expected to be announced by the start of October. Tigers president John O’Rourke said in a recent interview that he did not believe Gale should leave Richmond for a role other than that of a chief executive.
O’Rourke was also determined to retain Gale to lead the funding search and launch of the large-scale redevelopment of Punt Road.
The Gale decision could also lead to Tasmania moving to appoint him as chief executive by the end of next year. The team’s first chairman,Grant O’Brien,met Gale in Melbourne last week along with a number of famous native Tasmanian football names including Jack Riewoldt,Peter Hudson,Rodney Eade and Scott Clayton.
O’Brien has said the fledgling club would search for an experienced CEO,mindful of the Gold Coast experience. The Suns launched with all the senior roles taken by less experienced personnel as compared with Greater Western Sydney,which did the opposite.
Although the Tasmanian blueprint involved the appointment an interim CEO until the football team’s build was further advanced,the availability of Gale and his stated passion for Tasmania could see the team’s new board led by O’Brien change that strategy and bring forward the appointment from 2027 to the start of 2025. Both Gale and O’Brien grew up in Penguin in the state’s north.