Alan Gale, also known as Butch Gale (8 September 1930 – 24 March 1987), was an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
er who played for
Fitzroy in the
VFL during the 1950s.
Career
Gale made his league debut in 1948, at the age of just 17, after being recruited from the Police Boys' football club. His early games suggested that he was little more than an honest trier.
[Full Points Footy (2008). . Retrieved on 11 May 2008.] However, as his career entered into the 1950s, Gale elevated his performances to a new, higher level. During this period, Gale finished runner-up in the clubs
best and fairest
In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...
award a record seven times, but never won, depriving him of an opportunity to be remembered as a great player on Fitzroy's honour board.
[
Some of Gale's best football came while resting in defence, and he would undoubtedly have made a fine key position defender had Fitzroy been able to spare him from the ruck.][
Gale captained Fitzroy from 1958 until his retirement in 1961.][Brisbane Lions (2008)]
''Fitzroy Football Club Honour Board 1897–1996''
. Retrieved on 11 May 2008. He also represented Victoria in interstate football, leading them in 1959. He was named in Fitzroy's official 'Team of the Century'.
Following his retirement, Gale became a commentator on HSV7
HSV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia. It is part of the Seven Network, one of the three main commercial television networks in Australia, its first and oldest station. It launched in time for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbou ...
, partnering with Mike Williamson and Ted Whitten
Edward James Whitten Sr. Order of Australia, OAM (27 July 1933 – 17 August 1995) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Footscray Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL).
Bo ...
on match commentary through the 1960s and 1970s. Gale collapsed and died of a heart attack while addressing Fitzroy players in the week prior to the opening game of the 1987 VFL season
The 1987 VFL season was the 91st season of the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). The season ran from 27 March until 26 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a 1987 VFL finals ...
.
Career highlights
* On 3 May 2001, Gale was named in Fitzroy's Team of the Century
In team sport, team of the century and team of the decade are hypothetical best teams over a given time period. For the century team, it can be either 100 years, or for a century (always the 20th). Similarly the team of the decade can be for 10 y ...
, as the ruckman.
* In 2007, The Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions are a professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that compete in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. Brisbane are the ...
recognised Gale as one of the ten greatest Lions players from the era 1957 to 1966.
Playing career:
* Fitzroy 1948–1961 (Games 213; Goals 19; Brownlow votes 30)[AFL Stats (2008)]
''AFL PLayers: Alan Gale''
Retrieved on 11 May 2008.
Player honors:
* 12th Brownlow Medal 1957.
* Fitzroy captain: 1958 to 1961.[
* Fitzroy Best & Fairest runner-up: 7 times
* Victorian representative: 12 games
]
See also
* Fitzroy FC honour roll
This is a list of coaches and captains of the Fitzroy Football Club, along with best and fairest award winners and leading goalkickers, for every year of the club's participation in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), Victorian/Australian ...
* Australian rules footballers with 200 games for one club
This is a list of players who have played at least 200 games for one club in the Australian Football League (AFL), previously known as the Victorian Football League (VFL). This list includes only senior home-and-away matches and finals; represen ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Alan
1930 births
1987 deaths
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
Fitzroy Football Club players
Australian rules football commentators
Australian television personalities
20th-century Australian sportsmen