Jay Schulz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Schulz
Schulz (left) with Port Adelaide in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Jay Schulz
Date of birth	(1985-04-18) 18 April 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	South Australia
Original team	Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)
Draft	No. 12, 2002 National Draft
Position(s)	Forward
Career highlights
4× Port Adelaide leading goalkicker: (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) 2004 AFL Rising Star: nominee

Jay Schulz (born April 18, 1985) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He was known as a strong marker and played as a forward. Jay played for the Richmond Tigers from 2003 to 2009. Later, he joined the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for Port Adelaide from 2010 until 2016.

Early Life and Football Journey

Jay Schulz grew up in South Australia. He went to Concordia College in Highgate. He also played football for his school team. Jay was part of the Central Yorke Cougars Football Club.

When he was 17, Jay played for the All-Australian under-17 team. They played against Ireland in the International Rules series. Jay was named the best player for Australia during this series. He even won the Ron Barassi Medal for his great performance.

In the 2002 National AFL Draft, Jay was picked as the 12th player overall. He was first drafted by Adelaide. However, he was soon traded to the Richmond Tigers. This trade involved other players and draft picks.

AFL Career Highlights

Playing for Richmond: 2003–2009

Jay Schulz made his AFL debut in 2003. His first game was against Essendon. He had a promising start to his career at Richmond. In 2004, he kicked 6 goals in a game against the Brisbane Lions. This impressive game earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination.

The year 2005 was tough for Jay. He broke his ankle twice, which meant he could only play 4 games. In 2006, he started well but then hurt his shoulder. He missed several months of play. Jay returned later in the season and kicked 3 goals against Collingwood. He showed his versatility by playing in different positions. He kicked 16 goals in the last 9 games of that season.

In 2007, Jay started the season strongly. He kicked 9 goals in the first 4 games. He finished the year with 14 goals from 12 games. There was talk of him moving to Port Adelaide. He wanted to return to his home state. However, Richmond decided to keep him on their team.

Jay had his most consistent season at Richmond in 2008. He played mostly as a centre half-back. He also moved forward to kick goals when needed. He even led Richmond's Best & Fairest award early in the season. In one game against Hawthorn, he had a career-high 29 disposals and 17 marks. After this strong year, Jay signed on with Richmond for two more years. His 2009 season was affected by injuries and average form. He played in both the backline and forward line.

Playing for Port Adelaide: 2010–2016

On October 8, 2009, Jay Schulz was traded to the Port Adelaide Football Club. This happened shortly after Damien Hardwick became Richmond's coach. At Port Adelaide, Jay was given the number 28 guernsey.

He played his first game for Port Adelaide in Round 1 of the 2010 season. He showed how tough he was by leaving the field twice due to the blood rule. Jay played the first three games as a forward. He showed good goal sense and defensive pressure. He kicked 3 goals in those three games. He then missed a game due to a minor knee injury.

Jay returned in Round 5 and continued to contribute. He kicked 2 goals against St Kilda. His best game came in Round 13 against North Melbourne. He kicked 7 goals in that match. This was one of the highest goal hauls for a Port Adelaide player. In Round 18, he took 6 contested marks and kicked 4 goals. This helped Port Adelaide win by 8 points against Hawthorn. He finished the season as Port Adelaide's leading goal-kicker with 33 goals. He also received 5 votes in the Brownlow Medal.

In 2011, Jay was voted into the Leadership group. He suffered a serious knee injury in Round 1 against Collingwood. He returned to play in Round 7. Jay equaled his career best of 7 goals in Round 15 against the Brisbane Lions. He finished the season with 31 goals.

In 2013, Port Adelaide made the finals for the first time since 2007. Jay had his best season, kicking 49 goals. He became Port Adelaide's leading goal kicker for the third time. He often kicked more than two goals per game. In his first final against Collingwood, Jay kicked three goals. This helped his team win by 24 points. Port Adelaide then moved on to a semi-final. Jay also worked hard up the field, getting more disposals. This made him more noticeable to fans.

In Round 14, 2014, Jay Schulz kicked a career-high eight goals against the Western Bulldogs. This tied the record for most goals kicked in a single game by a Port Adelaide player. He also kicked seven goals and two times six goals in other games. Jay finished the year second in the Coleman Medal.

His 2015 season was solid. He kicked 44 goals. He had a strong period from rounds three to five. In those weeks, he kicked four, five, and five goals. These were important contributions to close wins for his team.

In August 2016, Port Adelaide announced that Jay's contract would not be renewed for 2017. This meant he would leave the club.

Kicking Technique

Jay Schulz was well-known for his accurate goal kicking. He shared that his success came from a very detailed routine. He used the same step-by-step process for every set shot at goal.

Personal Life

Jay Schulz now runs a kicking academy. He enjoys life back in Adelaide with his partner, Laura. In March 2023, Jay and some other former AFL players raised concerns about player safety. They highlighted the importance of managing head injuries properly during their playing careers.