Brendon Gale

Brendon Gale (born 18 July 1968) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

As a qualified lawyer, he practised law with a commercial law firm for some time after his retirement from football, and then was CEO of the AFL Players' Association from 2005 to 2009. In 2009, he began what would become a successful 15-year stint as CEO of Richmond, overseeing three premierships. In 2024, it was announced that he would be leaving Richmond to become inaugural CEO of the incoming Tasmania Football Club.

Early life and education Brendon Gale was born on 18 July 1968. He grew up in Burnie in Tasmania and attended Marist Regional College.

He studied at Monash University in Melbourne, graduating with Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Arts degrees.

Playing career Gale played for the Richmond Football Club from 1990 to 2001 as a centre half-forward and later ruckman. For five seasons he played alongside his older brother, Michael, who transferred from the Fitzroy Football Club at the end of the 1993 season. Brendon was appointed vice-captain of the club between 1994 and 1997. Their father, Don Gale, was a champion Tasmanian footballer who became the first player from the NWFU to achieve All Australian selection. Their grandfather, Jack Gale, played three games for Richmond in 1924.

For a period during his playing days Gale played guitar in a small band called Trial By Video, which included other footballers Mark Zanotti, Tony Woods, and Paul Bulluss.

Post-football career After his AFL playing career, Gale practised law with commercial law firm King Wood Mallesons, and then was chief executive officer of the AFL Players' Association from 2005 to 2009.

Other activities Gale is a director on several boards, and advocates for diversity. From 2009 until 2013, he was on the board of the Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and has been involved in the "Male Champions of Change" program. Players Nic Naitanui, Eddie Betts, Stephen Coniglio, and Rory Sloane were featured, as well as Gold Coast Suns football club coach Stuart Dew, and staff leaders Peggy O'Neal, Damien Hardwick, and Gale.

Statistics Player statistics for Brendon Gale:

244 !! 209 !! 147 !! 1975 !! 1215 !! 3190 !! 1383 !! 231 !! 1832 !! 0.9 !! 0.6 !! 8.1 !! 5.0 !! 13.1 !! 5.7 !! 0.9 !! 7.5