A toast to Fraser Gehrig

[mad-saint-guy]

It's interesting seeing the number of references to his ability in the weight room.

I've heard from a bloke who played with him at the Saints that his functional strength was actually very poor. I don't know if he had a weak core or what, but apparently his visual/physical size didn't translate into the footy field - he reckoned at training that players who were leaner than him would be able to outposition and outmuscle him fairly easily on the field.

I mean I doubt he was "weak" by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to how big he looked. He had a lot of size that he couldn't use to his advantage on the field surprisingly

This is very true. I loved watching Gehrig play and he's one of my all time favourites, but his greatest strength was his explosive speed rather than ability to monster defenders. He had a massive upper body but wasn't particularly strong through the core or legs so could be pushed off balance in contests fairly easily. He made up for his high center of gravity by taking short, fast steps when wheeling around opponents to stay balanced. But he was so fast and the giant upper body allowed him to get that initial push off the defender when starting a lead. It was ultimately his diminishing pace that saw his comeback fail - opponents were able to keep up with him and Frase wasn't that good in a one-on-one marking contest.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

The man was awesome, just something about him which made him hard to dislike, wicked player too.

 

[westie]

Ultimately, The point I'm trying to make, that nobody has yet to agree or disagree with, is Fraser didn't always fly flag/make a physical stand for teammates when he needed to.

You seem somewhat obsessed with this 'flag-flying" thing.

 

[Matt Stevic]

Ultimately, The point I'm trying to make, that nobody has yet to agree or disagree with, is Fraser didn't always fly flag/make a physical stand for teammates when he needed to.

The particular club he played for doesn't exactly have too many flags to fly...

 

[FootyJunkie]

tight shorts

 

[jjsmitty8]

I was just talking to someone about the big G-Banger the other day. Didn't Fev start a game at full back against him one day and he bagged like 5 in the first quarter? Or am I off with the fairies and making s**t up?

EDIT - can't find anything on it, maybe this never did happen. I was sure it did though lol, maybe not the goal tally, but at least the match up?

 

[crasha301]

I was just talking to someone about the big G-Banger the other day. Didn't Fev start a game at full back against him one day and he bagged like 5 in the first quarter? Or am I off with the fairies and making s**t up?

EDIT - can't find anything on it, maybe this never did happen. I was sure it did though lol, maybe not the goal tally, but at least the match up?

It does ring a bell.

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I was just talking to someone about the big G-Banger the other day. Didn't Fev start a game at full back against him one day and he bagged like 5 in the first quarter? Or am I off with the fairies and making s**t up?

EDIT - can't find anything on it, maybe this never did happen. I was sure it did though lol, maybe not the goal tally, but at least the match up?

Yep, I believe it was in round 10, 2004. Seriously funny stuff to watch

 

[sainterryan]

I remember going to Vic Park with a pies supporting mate to watch West Coast vs Pies I think it was one of the last games there. Fraser was playing at full forward for the eagles and he kicked a point or a goal can't remember, as the pies supporterers were trying to give him a hard time he stood in the square with both hands on his ass spreadinging his checks towards the pies cheer squad was very funny but nearly incited a riot.

 

[King_Steele]

I was just talking to someone about the big G-Banger the other day. Didn't Fev start a game at full back against him one day and he bagged like 5 in the first quarter? Or am I off with the fairies and making s**t up?

EDIT - can't find anything on it, maybe this never did happen. I was sure it did though lol, maybe not the goal tally, but at least the match up?

 

[westie]

Entertaining player, s**t bloke when he pissed on a girl off a balcony.

You've got that all wrong. He pissed on your team! (Please see above)

 

[aussierulesrules]

A bit of talent in that team! Midfield of Harvey, Hayes, Dal Santo, Ball, Thompson and Powell and a forward line of Riewoldt, Gehrig, Milne, Hamill, Koschitzke and Guerra (who'd kicked 7 the previous week)!

Almost topped the double-ton in that game (196).

 

[westie]

A bit of talent in that team! Midfield of Harvey, Hayes, Dal Santo, Ball, Thompson and Powell and a forward line of Riewoldt, Gehrig, Milne, Hamill, Koschitzke and Guerra (who'd kicked 7 the previous week)!

Almost topped the double-ton in that game (196).

Yeah, and I still can't work out why we didn't get anywhere!

 

[joop]

A bit of talent in that team! Midfield of Harvey, Hayes, Dal Santo, Ball, Thompson and Powell and a forward line of Riewoldt, Gehrig, Milne, Hamill, Koschitzke and Guerra (who'd kicked 7 the previous week)!

Almost topped the double-ton in that game (196).

I still feel that team was stronger than our09/10 grand final teams.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Yeah, and I still can't work out why we didn't get anywhere!

I think it's safe to say that the fact we hadn't played finals for 6 years made it a hell of a lot harder to win the flag that year (although if Frase hadn't kicked his 100th goal when he did in the prelim- causing a crowd invasion that killed our incredible momentum in that game- we might have won it anyway) and then the following year significant injuries just before and during the finals probably killed our chances.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I still feel that team was stronger than our09/10 grand final teams.

I have no doubt and we batted a heap deeper in particular.

If our 2004/2005 team had the finals experience and the lack of injuries that the 2009/2010 team had I find it hard to imagine that they wouldn't have won a flag and possibly won it by a lot.

 

[Plugger35]

I remember seeing big Frase in action at Subiaco a few times when we played West Coast and Freo and he would prowl around behind the goals like a caged tiger doing stretches etc, it also avoided the niggling tactics of the fullbacks that were playing on him trying to suck him into giving away free kicks.

He looked totally disinterested in the game until we sent a ball inside 50 and then he would sprint like a coiled spring to mark the ball and would just manhandle any defenders that got in his way with his strength, he also had a deadly left boot in front of goals.

He wasn't quite as good or intimidating as Plugger but he was the next best thing I've seen to him, and like Plugger he became a cult hero for Saints fans and to fans from all clubs.

 

[ParaBellum]

Caused me to experience an extraordinary range of emotions as a player.

Was a bit of throwback footballer, both in looks and style- if he had played 20 years ago, I reckon he would have been talked about in the same vein as Plugger or whoever else.

He did play 20 years ago

 

[jjsmitty8]

Delivering with the goods!

 

[TheGreatBambino]

You seem somewhat obsessed with this 'flag-flying" thing.

Another saints supporter that knows I'm right but won't admit it.

 

[TiAn_]

Incredible athlete, rivalled only by Kingsley Hunter.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Incredible athlete, rivalled only by Kingsley Hunter.

No doubting his athletic abilities, iirc he ran a sub 10.20 100mtrs in his younger days, so I wouldn't be comparing him to Kingsley Hunter.

 

[Sydney Kicker]

No doubting his athletic abilities, iirc he ran a sub 10.20 100mtrs in his younger days, so I wouldn't be comparing him to Kingsley Hunter.

10.20 - no way. That would win nationals in some years. Maybe 11.20.

 

[TheGreatBambino]

10.20 - no way. That would win nationals in some years. Maybe 11.20.

Yea 10.29 was the quickest time in the country in 2014

 

[Sydney Kicker]

Yea 10.29 was the quickest time in the country in 2014

Actually just checked the Australian all time list. Only 10 Aussies all time have gone under 10.20! The list goes down to 10.49 and my quick read suggests the number of AFL/ex AFL players on the list is 0.