Schache grew up at Hopetoun, playing all his junior football with the Hopetoun Football and Netball Club in the now defunct Mallee league. 

He moved to Ballarat to attend boarding school at Clarendon College and played with the North Ballarat Rebels program for two years. 

Schache played five years with the North Ballarat Roosters in the Victorian Football League before returning to Hopetoun to play for the Southern Mallee Giants in 2017.

He was arguably the best player among a strong squad in the Giants’ second consecutive undefeated season that lead to their second Horsham District league premiership.

At 24, Schache is among a group of young men who, in the grand final against Harrow-Balmoral, fielded a team with an average age of 24.

That average age will drop with the departures of Kain Robins to coach Charlton in the North Central league and Luke Mahony and Shaun Monohan moving closer to Melbourne. 

Schache said coaching was something he had always strived for. 

“So I thought, ‘why not?’. The people are good around the club and I have really enjoyed my time here so far,” he said.

The 2017 premiership win against the Southern Roos was Schache’s first senior premiership and he said it was a memorable moment for him.

He said he wanted to ensure the Giants continued the form they had shown in the two previous seasons. 

This is Schache’s first football coaching role. 

“There are great people around the club and helping out, which makes it easier,” he said. “It helps that a lot of the players are locals from Hopetoun or Beulah.” 

Schache said the club would approach players to replace the three departures but said there was good potential in the Giants’ junior stocks.

“We have the likes of Jack Landrigan, Lou White, Andrew Phelan and Jack Ballinger all coming up,” he said. 

“They all played in the reserves grand final and really were the reason we won it.” 

Schache said his plan for 2018 remained under development – but the end goal was constant. 

“Our aim is an undefeated season and to keep the locals at the club,” he said. 

The club has also elected its new president in Brad Moore.

Moore said he was gearing up for his new role during his vice-presidency service across the past two years – but it still struck him when he was handed the presidency role. 

He said the club had a policy whereby the presidency role alternated between members from parent clubs Hopetoun and Beulah.