Brendon Gale’s pending departure from Richmond will officially bring to an end one of the club’s greatest eras.
Where do the Tigers turn next?Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane
HeraldSun
May 11, 2024 Richmond has already started sounding out potential replacements for Brendon Gale as it faces the impossible task of replacing a “giant of the club” amid a Punt Road transformation.
Gale on Friday announced he would leave the Tigers after 30 seasons at Richmond – including 15 years and a premiership dynasty as the club’s chief executive.
His ambitious declaration of three premierships by 2020 was considered laughable until it came true under his vision as Richmond became the first club to hit 100,000 members.
Now with financial security assured president John O’Rourke has already started assessing replacements as Gale prepares to leave at the end of the season at the latest.
As the Tigers prepare for a new era – with a new head recruiter, coach, possibly list boss and maybe without Dustin Martin – there are at least six contenders for Gale’s role.
O’Rourke said on Friday the club would hire a headhunting form but also look internally for a replacement.
He has already spent time having a series of coffee dates with potential contenders for Gale’s role.
A quartet of ‘Simons’ will all be scrutinised – ex-St Kilda CEO Simon Lethlean, ex-Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd, Richmond executive Simon Matthews and Cats chief financial officer Simon Kelleher.
All have claims for the role, while current Geelong and former AFL executive Marcus King could also be considered.
The AFL’s commercial boss Kylie Rogers was also seen as a potential candidate for Hawthorn’s vacant role last year.
She would like to one day be the AFL’s chief executive and a stint as an AFL club chief executive would give her the football aspect of her resume that would put her in position to succeed Dillon.
Lethlean was booted from St Kilda in a power struggle with Ross Lyon but has the right mix of commercial skills and football intelligence to be a good fit for Richmond.
The Tigers will desperately hope list boss Blair Hartley does not follow Gale to Tasmania given the loss this year of head recruiter Matthew Clarke to West Coast.
Former Pies football boss Graham Wright is seen as unlikely to return from his European summer holiday to Collingwood and would be a perfect choice as Gale’s football boss at Tasmania given his acumen and Tasmanian heritage.
So Gale will fulfil his duties until at least the end of the season and possibly later as he attempts to find the missing funding for Richmond’s latest Punt Road development.
Gale can set the vision for the new club alongside its board and try to broker a deal for the Macquarie Point stadium, with former Tigers spearhead Jack Riewoldt also working on the soul and culture of the AFL’s 19th franchise.
Gale said on Friday he would remain until year’s end to ensure a “smooth transition” after helping to break a 37-year premiership drought as part of the 2017-2020 trifecta of premierships.
“I think after 15 years and nearly 30 combined as a player it’s the right time,” Gale said.
“The club has an incredible depth of leadership, a great culture, we are renewing and investing in our list and renewing and investing in our facility and it’s the right time to freshen up and invest in new leadership. It’s the right time and it’s right for the club.”
O’Rourke hailed Gale’s imprint on the club and said the timing allowed Richmond to secure the best possible successor.
“We have been given time. We have well considered this so we will be very thorough in our search for a replacement,” O’Rourke said.
“We have a great management team here and Brendon has nurtured a great team so there are strong internal candidates and we are really going to encourage them to take part in the process but we are also obliged to look at the market.
“We will appoint a search firm from next week on. We will take our time and get the decision right.
“Brendon feels this is the right time. He feels the foundations of the club are very strong and it’s a good time to pass the baton. He is a giant of the club and a pivotal figure.”
Simon Lloyd. Picture: Michael Klein
Simon Lethlean. Picture: David Croslinghttps://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/brendon-gales-departure-from-richmond-signals-the-end-of-an-era/news-story/f5cfd66376db897eaf3da001a6f71302
