Bruce Schultz (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Schultz was an Australian rules football
er who played with Norwood
in the South Australian National Football League
(SANFL). He also played Sheffield Shield cricket
for South Australia
and grade cricket at East Torrens.
Schultz is the full-forward
in Norwood's official "Team of the Century" and holds the club record for most goals kicked, at 669. His best match tally of 19 goals, which included two posters, was achieved in his penultimate game. He scored 10 or more goals in a game on 12 occasions and averaged 5.4 goals a game, which for comparison is more than prolific VFL/AFL
forwards Gary Ablett, Jason Dunstall
and Tony Lockett
managed in their careers. On the six occasions he represented the South Australian interstate team, he kicked 23 goals.
Tall and thin, Schultz was a strong aerialist and started out at Norwood in 1933. He topped Norwood's goal-kicking in both 1934 and 1935 but over the next three seasons was surpassed as his club's main forward by R. J. Brown.
His father, Julius, had represented the state as a first-class cricket
er and he followed in his footsteps in the 1936/37 Sheffield Shield season when he was called up to the state squad. An all-rounder
, Schultz was a right handed middle order batsman and right arm fast-medium bowler
. He made his first-class and Shield debut at the Adelaide Oval
, against New South Wales
. Batting at seven, he scored 30 in the first innings and bowled first change, taking the wickets of Harold Mudge and captain Alan McGilvray
for figures of 2/29. In the second innings he added another 28 runs, after being promoted one place up the order, but was only required to bowl two overs as South Australia sealed a 109 runs win. On Christmas
, just a few days later, Schultz was picked for his second and final match, against Queensland
at the same venue. He was used at six in both innings and scored 41 and 33. After not being required to bowl in the first innings, he bowled a couple of overs and ran-out future Test wicket-keeper Don Tallon
as Queensland fell 112 runs short in their chase. In both of his matches, Schultz had the honour of bowling with Shield legend Clarrie Grimmett
.
In 1939, he was back to his best for Norwood and kicked 98 goals for the season, with another 90 coming in 1940 when he was club captain. On both occasions he finished the year as the leading goal-kicker at Norwood. Despite his high numbers it still wasn't enough to top the league, with North Adelaide great Ken Farmer
being in his prime.
Schultz finally got the better of Farmer in 1940 when he kicked exactly 100 goals for the year and won the league's goal-kicking award
. He reached the milestone in Norwood's round 13 clash but moments after kicking the two goals he required, had to be taken off the field with a severe knee injury which ended his career. Before the injury he had been on track to beat the then season record of 134 goals by Farmer. He was nonetheless the first ever Norwood player to kick a century of goals and it remained their highest season tally until Neville Roberts kicked 111 goals in 1983.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played with Norwood
Norwood Football Club
Norwood Football Club, nicknamed, Redlegs, is an Australian rules football club belonging to the South Australian National Football League in the state of South Australia...
in the South Australian National Football League
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....
(SANFL). He also played Sheffield Shield cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
and grade cricket at East Torrens.
Schultz is the full-forward
Full-forward
Full-forward is a position in Australian rules football and Gaelic football with a key focus on kicking goals.Leading full-forwards of the Australian Football League are usually among those awarded with the Coleman Medal for the most goals in an AFL season....
in Norwood's official "Team of the Century" and holds the club record for most goals kicked, at 669. His best match tally of 19 goals, which included two posters, was achieved in his penultimate game. He scored 10 or more goals in a game on 12 occasions and averaged 5.4 goals a game, which for comparison is more than prolific VFL/AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
forwards Gary Ablett, Jason Dunstall
Jason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
and Tony Lockett
Tony Lockett
Anthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
managed in their careers. On the six occasions he represented the South Australian interstate team, he kicked 23 goals.
Tall and thin, Schultz was a strong aerialist and started out at Norwood in 1933. He topped Norwood's goal-kicking in both 1934 and 1935 but over the next three seasons was surpassed as his club's main forward by R. J. Brown.
His father, Julius, had represented the state as a first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
er and he followed in his footsteps in the 1936/37 Sheffield Shield season when he was called up to the state squad. An all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, Schultz was a right handed middle order batsman and right arm fast-medium bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
. He made his first-class and Shield debut at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
, against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. Batting at seven, he scored 30 in the first innings and bowled first change, taking the wickets of Harold Mudge and captain Alan McGilvray
Alan McGilvray
Alan David McGilvray AM MBE was an Australian cricketer who played several first-class seasons for New South Wales in the mid-1930s before becoming the doyen of Australian cricket commentators...
for figures of 2/29. In the second innings he added another 28 runs, after being promoted one place up the order, but was only required to bowl two overs as South Australia sealed a 109 runs win. On Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, just a few days later, Schultz was picked for his second and final match, against Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
at the same venue. He was used at six in both innings and scored 41 and 33. After not being required to bowl in the first innings, he bowled a couple of overs and ran-out future Test wicket-keeper Don Tallon
Don Tallon
Donald "Don" Tallon was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953...
as Queensland fell 112 runs short in their chase. In both of his matches, Schultz had the honour of bowling with Shield legend Clarrie Grimmett
Clarrie Grimmett
Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett was a cricketer; although born in New Zealand, he played most of his cricket in Australia. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper.Grimmett was born in Caversham a suburb of Dunedin,...
.
In 1939, he was back to his best for Norwood and kicked 98 goals for the season, with another 90 coming in 1940 when he was club captain. On both occasions he finished the year as the leading goal-kicker at Norwood. Despite his high numbers it still wasn't enough to top the league, with North Adelaide great Ken Farmer
Ken Farmer
Kenneth William George "Ken" Farmer was an Australian rules football player in the South Australian National Football League during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s...
being in his prime.
Schultz finally got the better of Farmer in 1940 when he kicked exactly 100 goals for the year and won the league's goal-kicking award
Ken Farmer Medal
The Ken Farmer Medal is named in honour of the Australian rules footballer , North Adelaide Football Club full forward Ken Farmer. The medal is awarded to the SANFL's top goalkicker at the end of the minor round of matches each season and was instigated in 1981.- Ken Farmer Medallists :- Leading...
. He reached the milestone in Norwood's round 13 clash but moments after kicking the two goals he required, had to be taken off the field with a severe knee injury which ended his career. Before the injury he had been on track to beat the then season record of 134 goals by Farmer. He was nonetheless the first ever Norwood player to kick a century of goals and it remained their highest season tally until Neville Roberts kicked 111 goals in 1983.