David Hale (footballer)

David Hale (born 22 May 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Hale was born in Hobart, Tasmania but moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland with his parents prior to his first birthday. He grew up in the Coolangatta area of the Gold Coast and attended Marymount College during his schooling years. In 2000, he began playing with the Coolangatta club in Division 2 of the state league where he was selected in the AIS/AFL Academy squad . In 2001, he switched to Broadbeach and represented Queensland at the under 18 national championships.

Hale was recruited from the Broadbeach Football Club. He represented the Queensland Scorpions at U16 and U18 state championship levels before being taken at pick 7 in the 2001 AFL Draft by the Kangaroos Football Club.

Hale spent the 2002 season playing for the Murray Kangaroos in the VFL before making his AFL debut for North Melbourne in Round 5, 2003.

In 2008 Hale lead the goalkicking for North Melbourne with 37 goals but Hale then seemed to fall out of favor with the coaching staff playing only 16 games in 2009 and 12 in 2010.

On 8 October 2010, David Hale was traded to Hawthorn in exchange for a 1st round draft pick.

His first season at the Hawks Hale played a predominantly forward role, providing a tall marking target, then he would provide relief to Bailey in the ruck. In 2012 with Bailey injured, Hale took the number one ruck mantle, rotating duties with forward partner, Jarryd Roughead. Hale enjoyed more time on the ball and used his mobility to have an impact around the ground. Bailey returned in 2013 so Hale again was 2nd mantle in rucking until Bailey would get subbed off and then he took the lead rucking spot.

Hale played in all three of Hawthorn's victorious Grand Finals from 2013 to 2015. Hale was substituted off for Matt Suckling late in the 3rd quarter of the 2015 AFL Grand Final; with abolition of the substitute rule at the end of the 2015 AFL season, this meant that Hale became the last player to be substituted out of the game. He announced his retirement on 6 October 2015.

On October 23, 2015 it was announced that he had joined Fremantle Football Club as an assistant coach alongside former premiership teammate Brent Guerra for the 2016 AFL season.