Jay Schulz says he wasn’t good enough to keep his spot at Richmond Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
June 26, 2014 9:00PMDAMIEN Hardwick’s first deal as Richmond’s new coach was to trade away the player leading this year’s Coleman Medal.
Port Adelaide’s Jay Schulz has an extraordinary 43.10, is in career-best form and will probably put Richmond to the sword in a fortnight’s time.
But for all those livid Richmond supporters out there, Schulz’s message to the Tiger army is simple — I just wasn’t good enough.
The 29-year-old spent seven years at the Tigers living in Matthew Richardson’s shadow, eventually traded for Mitch Farmer and pick 72 (Ben Nason).
He told the Herald Sun yesterday angry Richmond fans should realise there were swings and roundabouts in every trade.
“Richmond supporters say, I wish you had stayed, but at the time I wasn’t playing good or consistent football. Richmond had every right to move me on. You have to explain to the supporters — remember how I was playing. They had every right to put me up for trade.
“I wasn’t a good enough player for them to warrant them keeping me. It is perfectly fine and fair enough to them.
“They gave me seven years to try to get my footy right and I wasn’t able to do it.
“It was probably best for me to have a change, a bit of a kick up the butt and a last chance.”
So what happened?
Schulz matured, worked with a sports psychologist on discovering the belief he was good enough, and honed his set-shot routine.
He would kick only 64 goals in his first two seasons at Port Adelaide after 58 in 71 games as a pick 12 at Richmond, but since then has season hauls of 42 and 49 before this year’s dominant performance.
Few supporters know Port Adelaide tried to lure the Woodville West Torrens player home at the end of his fifth season at Richmond.
“It was almost done in the last five minutes of trade week and then I stayed with the Tigers for a couple more years.
“(At the end of 2009) I sat down with Dimma when he was appointed coach and he said, “We are open to trades and you might need a change”. He said, “I had a change myself and it might be better for you as well”.
“Since then I have got a bit older, a bit better, learnt a bit more and matured a bit more.
“All my numbers say I am in career-best form, which is really nice, to be getting towards the end of my career and playing really good footy.”
His 8.2 against the Western Bulldogs included several nerveless shots from tight angles, with Schulz mastering a routine four or five years back over five months of summer.
He jogs in, kicks off the eighth or tenth step, concentrates only on ensuring a straight ball drop (he misses left if he drops it inside) and doesn’t even watch the goal as he kicks.
Schulz leads the Coleman Medal by five goals from Jarryd Roughead (38) and Jack Riewoldt (37).
Yet he says his eyes are firmly fixed on a greater prize.
“I know it will sound pretty general but to be perfectly honest I haven’t thought too much about it. I am a forward and I am paid to kick goals. It is something I have to do. I have kicked more than last year so it’s nice.
“But finals and a premiership are at the forefront of my mind, not trying to win a Coleman Medal.
“That’s all I am playing for this year and we have got a really good chance to be able to contend for one.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/port-adelaide-sharpshooter-jay-schulz-says-he-wasnt-good-enough-to-keep-his-spot-at-richmond/story-e6frf3e3-1226968023658