HEART & SOUL
Paul Gallen. Cronulla legend. He played 348 games for the Sharks, represented NSW 24 times and donned the famous green and gold jersey of Australia on 32 occasions. At one time, he was mentally broken and depressed, and then went on to win a premiership that was Cronulla’s first ever, experiencing the best the game has to offer.
The lowest point of his career came towards the start of 2013, when his beloved Cronulla Sharks were pulled into the infamous ASADA scandal for the first time: “I will never completely forget the torment, and I never want to experience the indescribable feelings of uncertainty, disgust, emptiness and anguish ever again.”
The highest point of his career came when he delivered Cronulla its first ever premiership after 50 years of existence as a club: “One moment I’m crying, and then the next moment I’m embracing a team-mate.”
The man affectionately known as “G-Train” has had quite the life outside of footy as well. When he was just 13, he was kicked out of his mother’s home for his appalling behaviour after his parents separated. He worked at Red Rooster and as an apprentice plumber before he made it into the big league. And now he has a beautiful family and wife of his own, as well as a new life beyond retirement.
The moment touched on in , his new autobiography, where Gallen’s son, Kody, presents his dad with his 300th game jersey, symbolises what a family oriented man Gallen is. In , you certainly get to understand Gallen not
