Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Bruce Schultz

Known as
Bruce Schultz

Born
13 March 1913

Place of birth
Royston Park, SA (5070)

Died
11 January 1980 (aged 66)

Place of death
Modbury, SA (5092)

Senior clubs
Norwood

State of origin
SA

Bruce Schultz


ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
NorwoodSANFL1933-19411246695.40
Total1933-19411246695.40

Norwood’s most prolific and celebrated full forward, with 669 goals in 124 matches between 1933 and 1941, Bruce Schultz was perhaps a touch unfortunate that his career coincided to a large extent with that of arguably the greatest full forward of all time, North Adelaide’s Ken Farmer. Nevertheless, Schultz’s ‘goals per game’ average of 5.4 compares more favourably with Farmer’s all time record of 6.3 than anyone else’s, and this alone bears stark testimony to his prowess. His half a dozen interstate appearances netted him 23 goals.

Quite thinly built and tall, Schultz was quick on the lead, a fine overhead mark, and - it almost goes without saying - an extremely accurate kick. He topped Norwood’s goal kicking on five occasions, and was the SANFL’s leading goalkicker in his final season when he ‘topped the ton’ for the one and only time in his career. His 100th goal that year actually came as early as round 13, but moments later he succumbed to a serious knee injury which put paid not only to his season and career, but also to his prospects of overhauling Farmer’s SANFL record tally of 134 goals in a season. Indeed, had Schultz managed to play the remainder of Norwood’s matches in 1941, and maintained his goals per game average, he would have stood a realistic chance of establishing a record that not even Scott Hodges, with his total of 153 goals in 1990, would have been able to overhaul.

Given all this, Bruce Schultz’s position at the goal-front in Norwood’s official ‘Team of the Century’ was, one ventures to suppose, as good as guaranteed.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy's SA Football Companion

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.