Laurence Schache
Personal information
Date of birth (1967-10-17)17 October 1967
Place of birth Hopetoun, Victoria
Date of death 5 October 2002(2002-10-05) (aged 34)
Place of death Adelaide, South Australia
Original team(s) Essendon
Draft No. 1, 1990 mid year national draft, Brisbane Bears
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 91 kg (201 lb)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1988 Sturt (SANFL) 28 (63)
1989–1990 West Torrens (SANFL) 32 (73)
1991–1992 Brisbane Bears (AFL) 29 (64)
1993–1994 Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) 34 (78)[1]
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1992.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Laurence Schache (17 October 1967 – 5 October 2002) was an Australian rules footballer, playing in the Australian Football League (AFL) with the Brisbane Bears and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) with Sturt, West Torrens and Woodville-West Torrens.

Early life

Born in Hopetoun, Victoria, Schache was zoned to the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League. He played in the minor grades at Essendon as a forward with some success, which included a haul of 25 goals in an under-19s match against Sydney in round 22, 1985,[2] but he never managed to play a senior game for Essendon.

Schache moved to Adelaide in 1988 to play for Sturt,[3] before moving to West Torrens in 1989.

AFL career

Schache was drafted by Brisbane as the number one choice at the 1990 Mid Year AFL National Draft and made his AFL debut for the Bears against Geelong in round 4, 1991.[4]

Schache played 17 games for Brisbane in 1991, winning the club's leading goalkicker award in his first season with 47 goals, including a best return of six goals against Adelaide in round 14. Schache had a less successful year in 1992, playing 12 games for 17 goals, and subsequently was delisted by Brisbane at the end of the season after 29 games and 64 goals.[5]

Schache returned to South Australia in 1993 to play for the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles (West Torrens having merged with fellow SANFL club Woodville at the end of 1990). Schache played in the Eagles's first premiership but injured his knee the following year, forcing his retirement.[3]

Death

Schache briefly coached Latrobe Football Club in Tasmania before returning to Adelaide, where he was diagnosed with amyloidosis in July 2002.[5] Initially told he had five years to live, Schache collapsed and died at his home, three months later.[5] He was 34 and left a widow and two children.[3]

Family

His son Josh is also an Australian rules footballer, playing for the Melbourne Demons. Josh was the No. 2 selection in the 2015 AFL draft.[6]

References

  1. ^ Capel, Andrew (10 July 2015). "Possible No. 1 draft pick Josh Schache following in the footsteps of his late dad Laurence". News Corporation. The Advertiser. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  2. ^ Rodgers, Stephen, Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1991, Ringwood, VIC: Viking O'Neal, p. 679
  3. ^ a b c Burtenshaw, D. (2002) "Premiership hero Schache dies", Adelaide Advertiser, 7 October 2002.
  4. ^ AFL Tables, "Laurence Schache – Statistics" http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/L/Laurence_Schache.html Accessed 6 June 2008.
  5. ^ a b c Hurrell, B. (2002) "Laurence Schache – footy star, loving husband and dad. He was too young to die.", Adelaide Advertiser 9 October 2002
  6. ^ Callum Twomey (25 June 2015). "Possible No.1 draft pick Schache keen to 'finish off' his late dad's work at Brisbane". Australian Football League. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
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