Donald Wilfred Gale was born at Elliott in 1935, the son of Jack Gale one of the greats of coastal football with Yeoman and Wynyard.
Jack joined joined Richmond in 1923 and 1924 returning to coach Wynyard in 1925, 1926 and 1928 before turning to umpiring for six years.
In 1947 and 1948 Don made the north west schoolboy teams. At St Virgils college in Hobart he starred and in 1952 signed with Yeoman in the Darwin Football Association.
Wynyard grabbed him in 1953 and VFL talent scouts heard about him and he went to Victoria signing with South Melbourne.
Wynyard cleared him but the TFL would not and Don had to sit out the season before returning to Wynyard.
In 1956 he went back to Melbourne but again the TFl had other ideas and he was forced to play a frustrating season in the Sunday Amateur League competition while waiting in vain for a clearance to South Melbourne.
In 1957 he returned to Tasmania and signed with TFL club Hobart and was selected in the TFL combined team but injury sidelined him.
He returned to Wynyard in 1958 and earned selection in the NWFU team and the Tasmanian team for the 1958 carnival.
He was selected as a back pocket in the All Australian team, the only coastal player other than Latrobe's Darrel Baldock
to receive the honour.
In 1961 he coached Burnie to runner up and the following season coached the team to a premiership before retiring at the comparatively young age of 27.
He played just over 200 games; 120 with Wynyard, 20 with Hobart, 40 with Burnie, 7 with Tasmania and about 20 with the NWFU.
He is also the father of two former AFL players Brendon
and Michael.
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Don Gale - A Tasmanian Football Legend
