Schultz was recruited by Footscray from country sideBoort, having previously played briefly with Caulfield Grammarians Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association. Schultz was considered a "gentle giant", known as much for his fairness as for his brilliance. An effective knock ruckman, he was acclaimed for good tackling, elegant marking and hard, fair bumping. Roy Wright, another "gentle giant" and Brownlow medallist, helped him early in his career: "after lining up on Roy Wright in one of my first matches, he came to the dressing rooms after the match and gave me a few hints on things I did and didn't do right". Compared with others of his day, Schultz had exceptional stamina and he seemed to be able to run just as quickly at the end of a match as he had at its beginning. Schultz won the Brownlow Medal in 1960 by one vote from 's Kevin Murray. He was Footscray's best and fairest player five times. Schultz played for Victoria 21 times, and was an All-Australian in 1961. In 1961, Footscray, playing a fast game using the soon-to-be-outlawed "flick pass", won through to their second Grand Final, this time against, who were playing in their first Grand Final. On a hot day, in front of over 100,000 spectators, the Hawks, dubbed Kennedy's Commandos for their fanatical approach to fitness, overran the Bulldogs in the second half to claim their first VFL premiership. Schultz played as an amateur. He played his entire VFL with the great Ted Whitten as his captain, and retired in 1968, aged only twenty-nine, to help manage the family grocery business. His younger brotherRobert, also from Caulfield Grammar School, played two senior games for Footscray in 1963.
Post-VFL Career
Fittingly for a man who was known for his fairness and never once reported, Schultz later served on the league tribunal. He once said, "I love nothing more than seeing someone shake another player's hand after a tough game – that's the ultimate in sportsmanship." In 1996 Schultz was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame with the following citation: In 2002, Schultz was named in the back pocket of the Footscray/Western BulldogsTeam of the Century. Schultz is still heavily involved at the Bulldogs, serving as a mentor to the playing group. He was given the honour of handing the Premiership cup to Easton Wood, Luke Beveridge and Robert Murphy after the Western Bulldogs won the 2016 AFL Grand Final.
