The defining story of Leo Barry's crazy bravery features a fledgling version of the high-flying Swan, pedalling his tricycle maniacally across a Deniliquin verandah and right off the edge, seemingly neither caring about the consequences nor recalling them from his last crash to earth. Paul and Fiona Schulz have many similar, head-shaking memories of son Jay.

''As a kid he was always pushing the boundaries,'' Paul Schulz says. ''If you gave him a smack he'd look at you and say, 'That didn't hurt.''' Little Jay knew that touching the combustion stove was forbidden - and painful - but he'd do it anyway. ''He wouldn't say anything, he's always had a high tolerance to pain.''

Fortunately for Port Adelaide, Schulz has never stopped to contemplate cause and effect where his football is concerned, either. That he has rebounded from a marking contest collision his father feared could have killed him, to be a 2013 mark of the year finalist, is testament to his courage and incurable recklessness.

In round 12 last season, he ran back with the flight into an oncoming pack and wore teammate Justin Westhoff's raised knee right down the middle. Schulz was already playing with ribs badly bruised a fortnight earlier against Carlton, but after a thorough half-time examination - and with Port players dropping like flies - he went back on.