New Collingwood forward Lachie Schultz says he is “home” at the Magpies as he eyes success with the reigning premiers following his surprise trade move from the Dockers.
Schultz, 25, shocked Fremantle with his request to move to Victoria at the beginning of the trade period last month after he had turned his back on free agency at the end of 2021 to commit to the Dockers.
The pressure forward, who kicked 63 goals across the 2022-23 seasons, said he was excited to be in Melbourne closer to friends and family following the move.
Schultz is from Moama on the Victoria-New South Wales border and played in the VFL for Williamstown before he was drafted to the Dockers as a 21-year-old in 2018.
“This is home for me – to be able to get home to friends and family, and my partner Maddie is also from here, so for us both to be able to come home is a great opportunity,” Schultz said on Friday.
“It feels very cool actually, it’s a little bit surreal but it’s a privilege, I’m very happy to be here.
“It’s a great club, a great history … it’s a special time to be involved in the club and obviously the supporter base is the best in the AFL and the most passionate fans in the AFL, so that was a massive incentive to come across.”
Schultz said Fremantle’s semi-final loss to Collingwood in 2022 had stuck in his mind after experiencing the Magpies crowd at its most fanatic and one-sided in a packed MCG.
“I remember the Collingwood chant really clearly, there was about 93,000 people (there) and 92,000 were Collingwood fans,” he said.
“The brand of footy the Pies play, I’m pretty excited to be involved, I’m really looking forward to it.”
Schultz was away travelling in Tanzania when his trade went through and did not learn of the move until hours after.
He is expected to slot straight into the Magpies’ forward line after Jack Ginnivan (Hawthorn) and Taylor Adams (Sydney) both departed during the trade period.
“(I will) try and bring my brand to the forward line and hopefully have an impact straight away,” Schultz said.
“I base my game on my pressure, I think (it’s) where everything starts, for me it’s something I can control the whole time.
“If I can have a good pressure game … it sets me up with everything else, the offensive side comes from that.”
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