Richmond CEO Brendon Gale is gearing up for his last year at Punt Road.
Falling just short of the AFL's CEO position at the end of Gillon McLachlan's reign - which was subsequently taken by Andrew Dillon - Gale looks like leaving to join the new Tasmania team.
According to veteran journalist Caroline Wilson, who spoke on Channel 9'sย Footy Classified,ย the man from Burnie is expected to head the 19th side as they gear up to join the league officially in 2028.
โI believe it's the end of an era for the Richmond Football Club - the end of the Brendon Gale era,โ Wilson said.
โMy understanding is that Brendon's departure is imminent. His contract clause says, I believe, that he needs to give the club six months notice to leave.
โI think (President) John O'Rourke and his Board will try and convince Brendon to stay a little longer, but I believe he will be CEO of Tasmania by the start of 2025.
โIn other words, this will be Brendon's last season (at Richmond).
โThe Tasmanian Board is very keen, Grant O'Brien and his team, to get Brendon on board at the start of next season.
โClearly there's an election at the moment, there's mess around the stadium, they want a key man in charge, as do the AFL to run the list management three years out, the start of a women's team two or three years out, the stadium issues, the government issues, commercial etcetera.
โIt's an enormous coup.
โIt's the best of three decades now at Richmond, 15 as CEO, 12 as a player. I'm not saying it's time and the Board certainly don't believe it's time and I think Brendon Gale has certainly addressed his plans with the Board while not actually announcing it.
โI understand he has a succession plan in place if his successor is internal, but the club will probably go to market as well.โ
"My understanding is that Brendon Gale's departure is imminent."
Caroline Wilson believes this will be the celebrated Richmond CEO's last season at Tigerland, with Gale set to join the Tasmanian team. #9FootyClassified | CH9 & 9Now pic.twitter.com/3X3reEhp63
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 11, 2024
Gale was an integral part of Richmond's dramatic turnaround which led to three premierships, including breaking a drought of 37 years, between 2017 and 2020.
The Tasmanian product also featured in the yellow and black from 1990 to 2001, which was followed by a stint as the chief of the AFL Players' Association from 2005 to 2009, before returning to Richmond in August of 2009.
Gale's anticipated exit will see yet another key figure depart from the club, having lost captain Trent Cotchin and club legend Jack Riewoldt to retirement, while premiership coach Damien Hardwick sought a move to the Gold Coast Suns.
