So when the young Docker was named on an extended Fremantle bench for round one, the dream looked close to being realised.
This was the moment that Dockers coach Ross Lyon decided to prank the Moama export.
‘‘There is a board in the meeting room that has the names of the 22 who are in the team with the emergencies on the side,’’ he said.
‘‘I was happy to even be in the 26 to begin with, but I looked at the board and my name wasn’t on either side, so I was a bit confused.
‘‘During the meeting, Ross put my magnet on the board and said I was making my debut. It was the most incredible feeling, something I am never going to forget.’’
After three years with Williamstown in the VFL, Schultz was finally getting his chance at AFL level.
‘‘It was a huge relief,’’ he said.
‘‘After a lot of years of trying to get to this level, a lot of hard work and commitment, to finally say that I am an AFL player is indescribable.’’
Schultz debuted in Sunday night’s contest with North Melbourne at Optus Stadium in Perth, achieving his AFL dream in front of a passionate home crowd of purple — and of family and friends.
‘‘I had my parents, sister and grandmother, my best mate and his family, as well as my old boss and his family make the trip over to watch,’’ he said.
‘‘I was living out my dream and getting to do it in front of the people who mean the most to me. It really doesn’t get any better.’’
Even though it was the realisation of a lifelong dream, Schultz admits the nerves hit him pre-match, before his captain gave him some calming words.
‘‘I was a bit nervous, but Nat (Fyfe) came up and told me to get a hold of my emotions and that it would make a lot of difference to me.
‘‘I did, but then we ran out into a stadium filled with purple and they came straight back.’’
If he was nervous, it was hard to tell.
Schultz finished the match with 17 disposals, six marks and two tackles in a strong debut.
But the key moment came in the third quarter, when Schultz slotted a set shot to kick his first AFL goal.
‘‘It’s the childhood dream to kick a goal in an AFL match, so to do it in my debut, that’s something I will never forget.’’
Schultz played a key role in a Dockers side that dominated North to the tune of 82 points — a result few were expecting and Schultz said that was important to the side.
‘‘We wanted this to be a statement match,’’ he said.
‘‘After what happened in 2018, we wanted to show the competition the kind of side that we can be and what we are capable of and we showed exactly that on Sunday.’’
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