Schow started his career at Queanbeyan, in the Canberra Australian National Football League.
[3] A defender, Schow joined Collingwood in 1951 but had to wait until the 1952 VFL season to make his league debut, in the club's round 10 win over South Melbourne at Lake Oval.
[3][4] During the game he suffered a bruised thigh, which ruled him out of contention for Collingwood's next fixture.
[5] He didn't get another chance at senior level and instead played in the seconds for the rest of the season.
[7] He was captain-coach for three years and steered them to a grand final in 1961, which they lost narrowly to Ainslie, by eight points.