North Melbourne has appointed James Gallagher as its new General Manager of Strategy and Legal.
Gallagher joins the club after spending six years at the AFL Players Association, first as Senior Legal Counsel and then as General Manager of Legal and Player Affairs from 2018.
His appointment follows other recent key additions to North’s off-field staff, including Kevin White and Daniel Cross in the high-performance department, and Dan McPherson as General Manager of Football Performance. Gallagher fills the role vacated by Laura Kane, who has accepted a role in the AFL’s restructured football operations team.
Gallagher will play a key role in shaping North Melbourne’s on- and off-field organisational strategies and will oversee legal and regulatory matters impacting the club.
North CEO Ben Amarfio says Gallagher will be a valuable addition to the club’s executive team.
“His understanding of the industry, deep insights of the player cohort, strong relationships with player managers and our own frequent dealings with James convinced us that he was the perfect fit for our executive team. He has impressed us at every turn,” Amarfio said.
“He’s got a great pedigree having come from a family steeped in South Australian footy and he’s gone on to build a wonderful reputation at the PA in his own right.”
Some of Gallagher’s key achievements while at the AFLPA include negotiation of the past few collective bargaining agreements, especially through the Covid-affected 2020 season and the development of the Players’ Injury and Hardship Fund. In a previous role, he was also heavily involved in negotiations on the redevelopment and move of AFL matches to Adelaide Oval.
Gallagher said he had loved his time at the AFLPA, but the idea of working with a club on the way up was too good to pass up.
“Like a lot of people in the footy industry, I was impressed with the on-field developments at the club in the second half of this season,” he said.
“And the things that are happening off the field at North Melbourne are every bit as exciting.
“The breadth of the role was certainly attractive so I’m looking forward to working with Ben and the team.”
Gallagher’s first day at Arden St will be on November 8.
