Keith Schaefer
South Melbourne
AFL career
102 games22 goals
- Debut
- R1 1947 v ESS19 Apr 1947
- Most recent
- R12 1953 v COL18 July 1953
Stats
Bio
Recruited to the Lake Oval as a teenager, Keith Schaefer was a highly skilled centreman who rapidly established himself as a premier midfielder for South Melbourne during the post-war era. He made an immediate impression with his poise and ball-winning ability as a pivot, earning selection for Victoria in 1948 at the age of just 19. His individual excellence was formally recognised in 1952 when he won the club's Best and Fairest award, a significant achievement in a team that included Brownlow Medallist Ron Clegg.
Despite being in the prime of his career and having just passed the 100-game milestone, Schaefer left the VFL after the 1953 season to pursue captain-coaching roles in the country, a common path for elite players of the time seeking better financial rewards. He took up a post with Deniliquin and later Traralgon, but he maintained a strong connection to his old club. He eventually returned to South Melbourne to coach the under-age "fourths" team to a premiership in 1957, cementing his legacy as a dedicated servant of the Bloods.
Profile
- Born
- 20 Dec 1928
- Died
- 21 Aug 1976 (aged 47y 245d)
- Birthplace
- Melbourne, VIC
- Deathplace
- Mount Waverley, VIC
- Height
- 180 cm
- Weight
- 76 kg
Teams
Honours
- Sydney B&F1952
Bio
1 revisionRecruited to the Lake Oval as a teenager, Keith Schaefer was a highly skilled centreman who rapidly established himself as a premier midfielder for South Melbourne during the post-war era. He made an immediate impression with his poise and ball-winning ability as a pivot, earning selection for Victoria in 1948 at the age of just 19. His individual excellence was formally recognised in 1952 when he won the club's Best and Fairest award, a significant achievement in a team that included Brownlow Medallist Ron Clegg.
Despite being in the prime of his career and having just passed the 100-game milestone, Schaefer left the VFL after the 1953 season to pursue captain-coaching roles in the country, a common path for elite players of the time seeking better financial rewards. He took up a post with Deniliquin and later Traralgon, but he maintained a strong connection to his old club. He eventually returned to South Melbourne to coach the under-age "fourths" team to a premiership in 1957, cementing his legacy as a dedicated servant of the Bloods.