Schaefer was born close to Königsberg in the East Prussian town of Pillau, Germany (now Baltiysk, Russia).
During the latter stages of World War Two, his family evacuated to Bremen in the west. Manfred, at 11 years old, and the family moved to Australia in 1954.
Schaefer’s outstanding physical health was sometimes linked to his work as a milkman, which required him to bring fresh milk to suburban homes each morning.
The tough central defender began his football career in 1960 with Blacktown, a team from west Sydney that competed in New South Wales’ second level.
He joined Budapest Club, a first-division team that 1965 changed its name to St. George-Budapest SC, in 1963.
Together with other legendary Australian football players from the era, such as Attila Abonyi and Johnny Warren, he played there until 1975, winning the state championship in 1967, 1971, 1974, and 1975, which was the sport’s pinnacle accomplishment at the time since there was no national tournament.
Manfred Schaefer wife: Was Manfred Schaefer married?
The name of his wife is not known at the moment.