Gale empathises with suffering fansBy Mic Cullen
Wed 10 February, 2010NEW RICHMOND CEO Brendon Gale has only been in the job for a few months but has already had some passionate Tigers supporters giving him a mouthful about the performance of the team, and he wasn't even running the show when the Tigers last played a game.
Gale took over in September from outgoing CEO Steven Wright, assuming control of a club that had won just five games for the year despite being strongly tipped to play finals after a strong finish to the 2008 season.
With membership numbers down, Gale was among a group of high-profile Tigers who were set the task of calling some 2009 members who were yet to sign up, in the hope that a personal plea would get them back on board.
But for some, it was the chance to have their say on the year gone, and Gale said he felt for the long-suffering supporters as he felt the brunt of their wrath.
"It's actually been a really inspiring exercise [calling up members] - you're out on the front-line," Gale said. "I've copped a few earfuls, but I'm really overwhelmed by the passion and loyalty, I'm overwhelmed.
"I do have empathy [with them], because I want what they want.
"We're a club with such a strong history of success that we define our success in terms of premierships. We haven't won one since 1980, so clearly we've been unsuccessful, but I think our people, their expectations remain high, they maintain the rage."
The 41-year-old said consistency of performance - from the field to the front office to the back office - was key to the Tigers regaining the respect that had dwindled over the last 30 years without a flag, and that harnessing the passion of Tigers supporters was also an imperative.
Gale - who is a life member at the club after playing 244 games in the yellow and black - moved to Punt Rd after a stint as the CEO of the AFL Players' Association, and said running a football club was a vastly different proposition to looking after the welfare of players.
Gale said while there was a higher level of accountability at the AFLPA, being responsible for the players that he represented, running a football club meant you were responsible for the hopes of 500,000 supporters and more than 40,000 members.
"When you're a player you think that footy is about running out each week and playing footy, but you realise when you get a job in administration that the playing experience is the most important part of the footy club, but there's so many other aspects of the club that are very important," Gale said.
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