AFL FOOTBALLERS FROM THE YORKE PENINSULA - Jay Schulz
Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
In a series of articles, YPCT sportswriter Peter Argent chats to each of the former local junior footballers who are currently on AFL lists and playing at this highest level of our national code. This week he speaks with Richmond big man Jay Schulz.
Image Twenty-three-year-old Jay Schulz (he turns 24 in April) has just completed his seventh AFL pre-season, noting a strategic change in the type of training the Tigers coaching staff is putting the squad through.
“There has been a focus on repeat speed training and power-based exercises,” Schulz explained, talking about the 2009 pre-season.
“They were pretty intense sessions but not as long as in previous years, and then when we did the endurance running the playing group handled it a lot better.
“Interestingly, we didn’t go on a pre-season camp this year.”
Schulz’s pre-season was interrupted slightly with a strained posterior cruciate ligament taking him away from the main training for six weeks, but, pleasingly, he was still able to return to a running program after just a week.
After playing the majority of his career as a key forward, Schulz has been used across the back half from last season and sees most of his football in the defensive area this year.
“The coaching staff believes I read the game reasonably well, and my kicking skills are solid enough to frequently hit targets in front of me,” Schulz said.
“We have a good group working together in defence, but they also suggested I can be thrown forward as a pinch hitter or even relieve Richo (Matthew Richardson) on a wing.”
Schulz, who played 18 games last winter, believes 2008 was his most consistent year, and his football is getting to the stage where the difference between the peaks and troughs are a lot less dramatic.
“These days if I’m not having a big impact, I won’t be completely ineffective,” he said.
“I’m pretty lucky to be still around the club and am glad the Tigers had faith in me.
“Hopefully, I can take another step up in my game this year.”
On Richmond’s ambitions for the 2009 winter, Schulz explained the philosophy at Punt Road is to improve on the previous year. As they finished in ninth position in 2008, he suggested the club would have underachieved if they don’t play finals this year.
His personal ‘09 goals are pretty simple.
“I want to play every game I’m fit and available for, and be perceived as an automatic selection by the coaching staff,” he said.
“As all our group is fighting fit, it will be pretty tough for spots, so I’ll need to perform well week in, week out.”
Since his move into the back line, Schulz paid a compliment to the Tigers’ defensive coach, former Kangaroos premiership defender David King.
“Kingy is a vibrant character who is very black and white about his beliefs and strong with his praise.
“It has been a challenge playing in defence, and I’ve had to learn different skills.
“Kingy has been good, educating me about whether to play inside or outside my opposing forward, depending on whether I’m playing on a big or a small.”
Schulz spent 10 days on Yorke Peninsula over the festive season — pleasingly, because harvest was completed he was able to spend time at the family shack, grabbing a feed of fish and crabs as well as finding heaps of scallops.
Finally, on the Tigers’ recruitment of former West Coast Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins, Schulz has nothing but praise.
“So far he’s been great, slotted into our system very well. While he’s come back on a modified program, he’s as fit as a fiddle.
“He was a champion for the Eagles before things went south and we’re looking for him to have a strong impact, if he reproduces some of that form.”
For Schulz, who achieved his 50 AFL game milestone early last year and now has 67 senior games to his credit, this is another important year.
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