22 SATURDAY EXTRA SATURDAY APRIL 1 2017 BESTON ALLY Gallio still remembers his daughter Chloe’s anguished Wface. A nurse had wheeled Gal- lio, with an oxygen mask on and looking like he’d gone 12 rounds with Muhammad With, from left, , Davin Ferreira and Michael Ali, out to a hospital waiting room after GROUND Hagan, who were selected for the 2015 Allies squad surgery. His family has a tragic history: both his brothers, Ed and Albert, died from heart attacks, as did their mother, Valeria. Gallio’s father, Rino, also had a heart attack, but it was stomach cancer that claimed his life. Gallio, too, suffered a heart attack — across several days and throughout a foot- ball match seven years ago that he um- pired and somehow finished — but was fortunate to have survived. “I looked at Chloe and said, ‘I’m going to be OK’, and she just broke down and started crying,” recalled Gallio, AFLNT’s high-performance manager. “They cleaned me up, put me on some blood thinners and I have my checks every now and then, but nothing’s really changed. “My life is still footy, still family — but it makes you think, ‘What happens if…’.” Chloe, now 13, is Gallio’s sole child with partner Belinda Creer and they share a birthday, August 26. The softening of his voice and lowering football. He grew up in a hardy Italian to work hard and adapt to the AFL cli- During a Thunder training session of his guard are always sure-fire signs he is family in South Australia and was the mate. on the phone with either Chloe or Belinda. youngest of four children, including one He has implored players to heed that The 56-year-old has three other child- sister, Lorraine, and got away with plenty message at each of his stops — whether at ren — Kendyl, 28, Ashleigh, 27, and Clin- because of that status. Woodville-West Torrens, Glenelg, NSW/ ton, 24 — from a previous marriage. Gallio starred on the soccer pitch, rath- ACT Rams, , Thunder, Kendyl has a two-year-old daughter, er than the other football field, and was Federal or the NT Institute of Sport. Mackenzie. good enough to play for representative Retired AFL footballer Matthew Whe- Clinton impressed in seven matches sides. lan, who played 150 games for Melbourne this past NTFL Premier League season for It was only once he moved to Alice after being part of Thunder’s under-18 Gallio’s old club Southern Districts, with Springs for work as an electrician and program in 1997, is one of many to benefit his Crocodiles debut doubling as the first could not find a soccer competition that he from Gallio’s approach. time he played a senior match in front of turned to football — and carved out a 200- Whelan even sent Gallio a letter thank- his father. plus-game playing and coaching career at ing him after he was drafted two years Gallio and Creer are, in some ways, Mr Federal. later, with the contents focused on one and Mrs Territory Footy, such is the influ- Gallio wasn’t foreign to football, having particularly brutal running session on ence they wield and respect they have avidly supported North Adelaide from all- Marrara’s secondary oval. within the walls of the $15 million Michael time great and triple Magarey medallist “You might not be as talented as the Long Learning & Leadership Centre. Barrie Robran’s days. One match playing next bloke, but if you’ve got that 10 or 15 or Both shy away from the spotlight, but football was all it took to hook him. 20 per cent (extra) workrate, you become are go-to people for players and fellow “It was just the contact,” he said. “I had a really good player,” Gallio said. staff. It is not unusual for wellbeing coach a bit of white line fever when I played. I “Matty Stokes and Matty Whelan are Creer to field 2am phone calls. was a bit of a nutter, and I’ve got to admit two who really stand out to me. Both the They met in Adelaide more than two that. I suppose you’re in that Italian envi- Matts had to go through the SANFL to get decades ago, when Gallio was working for ronment.” to where they wanted to go. SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens. That aggressive playing style and repu- “They were both talented, but, man, Creer was taken by him when she tation almost cost him. Some AFLNT they used to work. You look at Daniel With Michael McLean, former NT Football Club coach watched from afar as he imparted wisdom board members baulked at hiring the wild Motlop. He had the talent, too, but he can to a group of players — doing so with a Italian they knew, but he still secured the do the things he does because he worked hand on their shoulder. job as the Territory’s Football Foundation at it.” “You could see how much he cared regional development manager in the Red Family, football and heartbreak. They about them as people,” Creer said. “So as Centre. are the themes of Gallio’s life, without tell- little as I know about footy, I thought that Carlton premiership coach David Par- ing the full story. was pretty cool. That memory is as clear as kin, a close friend of Gallio’s and one of his Chloe’s arrival, after a 36-hour labour, day.” early mentors, also told him he was too made him a father for a fourth time — Gallio credits Creer with getting him emotional. more than a decade after Clinton’s birth back on the straight and narrow after His approach has evolved since then, — and came with its own challenges and some personally “dark times” he stopped but that side of him has never gone com- joy. short of expanding on. pletely. People quickly learn not to cross His other children live interstate, while He has done the same for many way- him and he doesn’t suffer fools. his only living sibling, Lorraine, and her ward young footballers over the years. New NT Thunder coach Andrew husband and three kids, live in Melbourne. Being a football talent manager, as Hodges played under Gallio as an up-and- Gallio ventures down south plenty for long-serving Territory football figure coming Territory footballer. football reasons, but admits he doesn’t see Peter Atkinson points out, is no longer just “He was hard, but fair. We weren’t as much of his sister as he should. about what happens on the field. scared of him — we just respected him,” “Belinda and Chloe understand and “They make a fantastic couple. They’re Hodges said. “He just demanded that you support me implicitly,” he said. both really honest and go out of their way do the right things, on and off the field. “The other three kids don’t see me to help others,” Atkinson said. “It was never just about on-field per- much, even though we live in the same “He does things for players that never formance with Wally; it was also about country now. get recognition and, in some cases, is making sure you were a good person off “I don’t actually see Lorraine a lot, and taken for granted, but he’s special and the the field.” it’s bad. You get too busy and it becomes Consoling Kenrick Tyrrell after Thunder’s loss to the Territory’s been lucky to have him.” Gallio estimates recruiters spend al- too hard, but you need to make time. Lions in the 2012 Grand Final Gallio’s life and sporting path were not most half their time evaluating what type “The birth of children and sadness of always going to include Australian rules of person players are, and their willingness family passing away teaches you lessons.”

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