Richmond chief executive officer Brendan Gale is set to put paid to speculation that he had been poised to succeed Gillon McLachlan in the game's top job.
The 53-year-old has held high office at Punt Road since 2009 and to the relief of the Tiger Army, the 224-gamer is set to sign a new three-year deal to remain in the role.
While the former ruck-come-forward is yet to ink any parchment at Tigerland, the other half of the club's much-vaunted administrative team claimed that an agreement had already been made.
โBrendon has indicated heโs going to continue, so Iโm finishing up his contract now,โ Richmond president Peggy OโNeal explained to The Age.
This proposed recommitment comes in the wake of loud conjecture that Gale would eventually outgrow his Richmond roots before taking up residence at AFL House.
In June of this year, Garry Lyon adamantly stated that he believed Gale would take over the competition's reigns once Gillon McLachlan had called time on his tenure.
โ(Brendon Gale) is the next CEO of the AFL. Iโm declaring it,โ Lyon said onย SEN Breakfast.
โIf you were to lock me (into a date), I would say 2023.โ
This theorizing also ramped up again in July when it was raised that McLachlan had reportedly been approached to play a leading role in Brisbane's hosting of the 2032 Olympic Games.ย
Having followed in his grandfather's footsteps, Gale started his tenure with the Tigers in 1990 after being taken with the 27th pick of the 1987 draft.
Although premiership success eluded him during his 11-seasons as a player, the Tasmanian has since overseen a trifecta of trophies entering the club's previously dusty cabinets.
Still, according to his partner in premiership success, it hadn't always been smooth sailing for Gale during his early days after trading studded boots for a suit.
โThe first couple of years I remember when he was CEO, he just looked terrified the entire time because we were just in such bad shape and he had a lot of things to do," O'Neal revealed.
โItโs a big step up from the AFL Playersโ Association because he went from that to becoming CEO of a club that needs a lot of work but he is very committed and heโs been a great leader for us.โ
2022 will be Gale's 14th season in his current position, and should the entire three-year term of this new deal be seen out, the beloved life member will overtake Maurice Fleming (1940-1954) as the longest-serving administrator to have ever held the role at Richmond.
