Schaefer would exit the club and quit his role as COO following the sacking of Jason Demetriou, whom he was extremely close to. At the time of his departure, the club asked him to reconsider, but instead, he decided to leave.
Leaving behind a great legacy with the Rabbitohs, Schaefer was a vital piece in the front office as they contended for premierships and regularly made the NRL finals.
However, he has revealed that he decided to exit the club to seek a new challenge in his career, despite being touted as the eventual successor of Blake Solly.
“I have some exciting opportunities elsewhere in the game that I’m keen to pursue and with the club going in a new direction on head coach, I felt it was the right time to move on,” Schaefer told News Corp.
“I’m incredibly proud of my 10-year contribution to Souths as chief exective of Souths Cares and since 2019 as chief operating officer of the football club.
“I have worked with a great group of staff and players in my time, and we’ve had a great deal of on-field success including four preliminary finals and a grand final appearance.
“I’m particularly proud to have led the build of our new high-performance centre and the investment and expansion of our pathway’s programs.”
A former CEO of the Northern Pride – a team that competes in the QLD Cup – Schaefer was touted as an eventual successor of Solly down the track. He also worked for Cricket Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.
“I think it is a sad day for the club because his contribution over his decade here with Souths Cares and the football department has been exceptional,” Solly added.
“There is no way that the club would have got through the Covid pandemic without his hard work and innovation.
“He’s extremely well liked by everyone at the club, he’s got a great mix of skills and he will be missed by everyone here.”
Leave a Reply