James Gale

I'm your host, Robert Tran, that guy over there.

The asset, James Gale.

And I would like to be publicly congratulate you, James, on a well-deserved World Series championship by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Look at you with your gear on already.

That's an overhaul.

Yeah look this season we've also got a sporting director James Gale that's come in and it's taken a huge responsibility with that and it's taken a whole lot of load of work off me as well because the previous season I was doing quite a bit of it but having input in the type of player based on the game style and the structures we're going to have yeah I had that input and had a good look at the players and But it did take a lot of work off me, but it didn't stop you from, you know, the amount of tape and videos you've got to watch and interviews and interviewing players maybe a second and a third time because you want to also bring in the right characters and the right personnel that are going to also fit in with the culture that we're trying to build because we started something really good, I believe, last season and we need to keep building on that.

The gap between Australian football or soccer, what we call soccer, and the European football, How do you bridge that gap? Why is the space so big? The Australian football is – we're not a renowned football country, but why can't we just compete with any of those even lower-level European teams?

You want me in here for the next

If you're joining us for the first time, I'm your host Rob Bertrand.

Joining me over there, that guy, the asset, James Gale.

James, how are you?

Doing well.

I think for Smitty to go to America was a great thing for the club to show that we're bringing through coaches and to bring Jono's appointment just brings a new energy and a new life to the women's program, a different voice, a different way of thinking about things.

But the most important thing, as you alluded to, was the appointment of James Gale.

And the reason for that is we wanted to move away from a coach-driven model and focus more on a club-driven model.

And what I mean by that is coaches are going to come and go, players are going to come and go, but what can't come and go is the identity and the way that we want to play.

James Gale's appointment was super important

to start to solidify exactly the way we want to play across all the programs, the men's team, the women's team, and the B team.

And so that started with the appointment of Jono, and then that worked then into what we did in the off-season for the men's team.

So you've seen a big shift in terms of the players who have come in both programs, but we're really confident now with the appointment of James Gale that we're really clear on the way that we want to be known as a football club, but...

In terms of the front third, Marko Ilic, Virgili Postolachi, can you talk us through how you went about finding those players, and what you expect them to bring to the field here at Suncorp?

Yeah, look, um, James Gale did a lot of hard work behind the scenes as sporting director to, to find those guys, and using his contacts to, to try to find this sort of talent.

And I think, look, um, when you look at Ilic, he's very quick.

He's very dynamic.

You've changed your coaching staff this year as well.

New assistant coach, new backroom staff.

Also James Gale as sporting director.

What's it been like to have that new coaching staff from your perspective? Fresh ideas around the place?

Hope you guys are doing well this evening.

If this is your first time joining us, and I hope there's a few of you out there, I'm Rob Bertrand, and that guy over there, the asset, James Gale.

James, how are you, my friend?

I'm doing well.