Schammer rose to prominence in 2002 by winning the prestigious Larke Medal for the best player at the AFL Under 18 Championships.

Playing 17 games in his debut season, including the club's historic first final against Essendon, he quickly announced himself to be a player of the future, and earned a nomination for the Rising Star award.

[1] He backed it up with a strong 2004 season that saw him poll 12 Brownlow Medal votes, despite suffering a shoulder injury mid-year.

Having moved into a defensive role in 2006, he played in 24 of Fremantle's 25 games in 2006, before he was missed the first half of the 2007 season due to suffering a burst appendix and a subsequent bowel blockage during his recovery period.

[2] He only missed one game in 2008 and in 2009, during the most consistent season of his career, he signed a two-year contract extension.