Footscray Western Bulldogs club great John Schultz has died aged 85

BULLDOGS great John Schultz has been remembered as the man who lit up the MCG on the most important day in the club’s history, with the man known as ‘Gentleman John’ dying aged 85.

Schultz, who has battled illness in recent months, is a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The former champion ruckman was one of the Bulldogs’ greatest players and was renowned for his integrity and fairness.

He played 188 VFL games for the club – then known as Footscray – and won the 1960 Brownlow Medal.

He also represented Victoria 24 times, won All-Australian honors in 1961 and won five club best and fairest awards.

Schultz was the Bulldogs’ best player in their losing 1961 grand final and was named in the club’s Team of the Century.

He later mentored the Bulldogs’ playing and training groups and was the club’s ambassador.

Schultz memorably presented the AFL Premiership Cup to Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge and players Bob Murphy and Easton Wood following the club’s 2016 grand final victory.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the league was “deeply saddened” by Schultz’s death and offered his condolences to his family.

“John was a great, great player … but he was always someone with a smile and a kind word for every occasion,” Dillon said.

“He was a regular at the Brownlow Medal as one of our older greats and took great pleasure every year at the Hall of Fame to welcome the new inductees and congratulate them on their careers and achievements, while always modestly turning the conversation. from his own great career.

“John was one of the few great links our game still had with the 1950s and 1960s and retained an incredible enthusiasm for football, the players, the supporters and the excitement of a match day.

“His smile on Grand Final Day in 2016 when he handed over the Cup lit up the whole ground and we send our best wishes to his family, his many friends and everyone at the Western Bulldogs.”