A HOPEFUL Jay Schulz wants to be back playing in the AFL when the Power returns from its midyear bye in Round 15.
Speaking at a club community visit at Goolwa Primary School, the veteran forward said he was pushing to be recalled to Port Adelaide’s senior team against Richmond on Friday 1 July on the back of his return in the SANFL last weekend.
Schulz had previously played just one game for the year – in Round 1 against St Kilda – before being struck down by a back injury.
Selfie-bombing @Jschulz28's pic with @theTiser at Goolwa Primary School. Top work @KDangerMitchell! pic.twitter.com/MKCGx28yPj
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) June 21, 2016
However while the Power forward is looking ahead to a possible return, he says the Power isn’t looking beyond its next game after its loss to Fremantle last Saturday.
“We can’t look too far ahead, we don’t have the luxury of that [and] nor do we deserve to look too far ahead,” Schulz said.
“We need to focus week-by-week and try and play our best footy each week.”
“[And] I’ll be doing everything I can training-wise and preparing myself to come back into that side – I’ll leave the rest up to the coaches.”
Schulz says the bye affords the Power a chance to mentally reset ahead of its final nine games.
“It’s more a mental break as well as a physical break for the boys,” Schulz said.
“We try and come back as best we can, we try and not forget about what’s happened, but certainly give ourselves a bit of a freshen-up mentally as well as physically.”
“You don’t get to pick and choose when you get your bye, you just try to use them as best as you can to prepare for the second half of the year.”
Sitting two games out of the top eight, Port’s challenge is significant – now relying on West Coast to concede games to have a chance to claim a place.
Equally, the Power needs to win games, and the challenge of capturing the consistency it craves has proven difficult in 2016.
The challenge starts with night home games against Richmond and Hawthorn, followed by league benchmarks North Melbourne and the GWS Giants.
Schulz says the Power’s inconsistent performance has been as frustrating internally as it appears outside of the club.
“It’s as frustrating as it looks, and I can understand our fans and everyone else gets frustrated with the way we’re playing and our consistency over the season and the last 18 months,” he said.
“It’s frustrating for the fans, and it’s probably more so frustrating for the players.
“[The players are] trying their hardest to fix and come with the consistency of the way they play each week and they take great pride in their efforts and the way they play.
“They don’t want to fluctuate and be up-and-down, but unfortunately they have an opposition [to play] each week and sometimes that [losing games] can happen.
“I cannot say any more than the guys are trying their absolute best to fix what’s going wrong.”
Port Adelaide has upcoming home game against Richmond (Friday 1 July) and Hawthorn (Thursday 7 July) at the Adelaide Oval. Purchase your three-game membership for $100 here.
