Club/s
Fitzroy
Years
1948-61
Games
213
Goals
19
Honours/Awards
Fitzroy Captain 1958-61
Fitzroy Team of the Century
Lions Life Member
Fitzroy Vice Captain 1957
Fitzroy Night Premiership Player 1959
Victorian State Representative (13 times)
If he was playing today he would be a combative inside midfielder. And at 185cm he’d be shorter than most. But Alan Gale was a ruckman. And one of the best.
So good, in fact, that he was selected as the #1 ruckman in the Fitzroy Team of the Century in 2001.
Originally from the Fitzroy Police Boys Football Club, he debuted as a 17-year-old, played 213 games over 14 seasons from 1948-61.
Known for playing some of his best football resting in defence, he played in each of Fitzroy’s five finals during his era, was the 4th of just 11 players to play 200 games for the club and is ranked 9th on the all-time Fitzroy games list.
Captain in his last four seasons from 1948, 12 times a Victorian state representative and equal 11th in the 1957 Brownlow Medal, he was runner-up in the club best & fairest no less than seven times.
He became something of a cult figure in retirement, serving 12 years as a television commentator and long-time colleague of the famous Mike Williamson, who died last month.
Almost as if to demonstrate his life-long passion for the Lions, he died after suffering a heart attack while addressing the Fitzroy players three days ahead of their Round 1 match in 1987.
Ranked sixth in all-time AFL games in jumper #33, he was one of a kind … and now a member of the Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame .. ALAN ‘BUTCH’ GALE.
