Leonard George "Len" Gale (18 April 1897 – 25 June 1948) was an Australian rules footballer who played with

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL). Gale was one of many present and future footballers who fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He enlisted with the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...

on 24 April 1917 and on November of that year embarked for overseas deployment. After serving as a Gunner with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade, Gale returned home in 1919. His football career was delayed by the war, but he would make his VFL debut in 1920, as a 23-year-old. Gale, who worked as a potterer, played his football as a rover. He was a rover in Fitzroy's 1922 premiership team, but started the game in a

forward pocket In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the gro ...

. The following year he kicked 26 goals, to finish second in the Fitzroy goal-kicking. He would likely have kicked more if not for a six-week suspension that he received in round 16, for attempting to strike St Kilda's fullback Bill Cubbins. This cost him a spot in the

1923 VFL Grand Final The 1923 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 20 October 1923. It was the 26th annual Grand Final o ...

, which Fitzroy lost to

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...

. He looked to have played his last game for Fitzroy when he left for Horsham in 1924, as playing coach. However, Gale returned for the 1924 VFL finals series and appeared in two semi finals. He was then made captain-coach of

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest ...

in 1925. Gale served his country again in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, enlisted in 1942 and being discharged in 1944. He died on 25 June 1948 at St Vincent's Hospital, from injuries sustained in a

hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there may be a ...

accident the previous night in

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is a ...

.''The Argus'
"Accident Victim Identified"
26 June 1948, p. 3

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Len 1897 births 1948 deaths Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents Fitzroy Football Club players Fitzroy Football Club premiership players Echuca Football Club players Horsham Football Club players Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Road incident deaths in Victoria (state) Australian Army soldiers VFL/AFL premiership players