Josh Fraser

[akneal]

Not sure if this is the place to put it but i will anyway.
It may be old news now but just found out from an EXTREMELY reliable source(Very high up person in collingwoods coaching/officials ranks) That Josh Fraser and Malthouse had some strong issues.

Many of you will remember the 07 prelim when we lost to the cats by 5. Well it happened that that night we were without a ruckmen as Fraser was out. During that week Fraser went up to Malthouse and said i cannot play as i have a sore back (WHich apparently every player plays in this case) Maltouse then said he had to and they needed him. Fraser refused to as he said he was to sore and didn't play. As they lost by 5 points Malthouse simply never forgave Fraser and they had a very bitter relationship from then on.

Anyway. Its old news but maybe some may be interested

 

[spenze]

Not sure if this is the place to put it but i will anyway.
It may be old news now but just found out from an EXTREMELY reliable source(Very high up person in collingwoods coaching/officials ranks) That Josh Fraser and Malthouse had some strong issues.

Many of you will remember the 07 prelim when we lost to the cats by 5. Well it happened that that night we were without a ruckmen as Fraser was out. During that week Fraser went up to Malthouse and said i cannot play as i have a sore back (WHich apparently every player plays in this case) Maltouse then said he had to and they needed him. Fraser refused to as he said he was to sore and didn't play. As they lost by 5 points Malthouse simply never forgave Fraser and they had a very bitter relationship from then on.

Anyway. Its old news but maybe some may be interested

If it is true, you could understand the issue Malthouse would have had being that it was one game from a final

 

[akneal]

If it is true, you could understand the issue Malthouse would have had being that it was one game from a final

I guarantee you it is true. Would love to give you the source but you can understand that i can't.

 

[spenze]

I guarantee you it is true. Would love to give you the source but you can understand that i can't.

Look, that's fine and understand I take everything on here with a grain of salt but jeez you'd be filthy as a club, not just a coach if he didn't play with a sore back. It is usually the other way round that injured players declare themselves fit when they aren't

 

[Rustin Cohle]

On one hand, if this is true it is incredibly soft from Fraser and not too surprising.

However, given the fact that Malthouse basically drove him into the dirt by playing him as the number one ruck as a skinny kid I can see why Josh would be pissed off with him. Fraser had so much potential as a floating forward/wingman and the club destroyed it by playing him into the ground against big bodied ruckmen.

 

[AM]

If a coach has strong issues with a player it's always preferable that it's with a fringe player.

 

[brendan84]

If Fraser played they would have lost by more.

 

[Atomboy]

Mick must hate Prestigiacomo just as much for doing exactly the same thing then ??

 

[LBJ6]

Didn't Malthouse praise Presti for voluntarily pulling out of the 2010 GF team? Double standards?

 

[WWSD]

Josh Fraser actually showed real sportsmanship and had the guts to face Malthouse and tell him i can't play due to a sore back, Malthouse is an idiot for forcing someone to play when they are injured.

 

[The Chiefton]

Until we hear from both parties then it's hard to hang anybody out to dry.

I know that Fraser had hamstring tightness and a sore back after the West Coast game, told to me by none other than Guy Richards (ironically).

Didn't Josh Fraser have pretty good years in 2008 and 2009?

Seems strange that he'd want to stay or even that Mick wanted him there.

 

[kidkenobi]

Ottens completely dominated that game as well, just about dragged Geelong over the line.

 

[blaze036]

sore back? take a pain killing injection and / or man up depending on how bad it is

 

[Gaben]

If Fraser played they would have lost by more.

I was going to say the same thing, but I looked and Chris Bryan and Guy Richards rucked for Collingwood that night. Josh Fraser was bad, but those two were on another level.

 

[Fastback]

It's not like Mick to hold grudges..

Can't imagine Fraser not wanting to play in a final if he honestly thought he could, even with pain killers.

I've done a back where it's impossible to support your core unless you're seated or lying flat, heals in a few days but at it's worst you are basically immobile...would be worse for taller people I'd imagine.

 

[jonbe54]

Mick must hate Prestigiacomo just as much for doing exactly the same thing then ??

NSIS???

 

[Gigantor]

Impossible for anyone to judge - back pain can be absolutely debilitating, where it's difficult to move, let alone play a game of footy at AFL level.

Anyway - it's ancient history - all I know is that Fraser and Brennan have been disappointing pick ups for the Suns.

 

[jonbe54]

Impossible for anyone to judge - back pain can be absolutely debilitating, where it's difficult to move, let alone play a game of footy at AFL level.

Anyway - it's ancient history - all I know is that Fraser and Brennan have been disappointing pick ups for the Suns.

I've pinched a nerve in my lower back a couple of times and wound up bed ridden for days, it can absolutely f@ck you up.

Those of you with low opinions on Fraser outside the club know nothing, he was recruited as a young skinny kid and forced into the first ruck position straight away with virtually no support or rest for his entire career at the Pies. Malthouse basically destroyed him bit by bit, forcing him to ruck against grown men with much bigger bodies. It's no wonder he's a crock now in his later career. A sad, sad waste of a promising forward/wingman.

 

[Smoky]

I had strong issues with Josh Fraser too...

He was softer than my futon.

 

[Sunny_]

Fraser actually hasn't been a bad pick-up for the Suns. He's been pretty much what Power/Brogan have for the Giants. Big senior body to help protect the young rucks as they come into their own.

Smith and Hickey in particular has come on extremely quickly, which they attribute to having Fraser around. He may not be the best physically or be playing seniors anymore, but he has the game experience to help bring the young rucks up to speed.

I believe he's going to be retiring at the end of this year and moving into a ruck-Coach position somewhere.

 

[jonbe54]

Fraser actually hasn't been a bad pick-up for the Suns. He's been pretty much what Power/Brogan have for the Giants. Big senior body to help protect the young rucks as they come into their own.

Smith and Hickey in particular has come on extremely quickly, which they attribute to having Fraser around. He may not be the best physically or be playing seniors anymore, but he has the experience to Coach the young rucks how to do it.

I believe he's going to be retiring at the end of this year and moving into a ruck-Coach position somewhere.

Glad he was able to contribute for you guys sunny, much maligned bloke, even with his own supporters.

 

[akneal]

Mick must hate Prestigiacomo just as much for doing exactly the same thing then ??

Fraser was our only ruckmen. We had cover for presti and he said to malthouse that he was not the best person to play the role. Very different

 

[Auger Martel]

Interesting, I knew as soon as they got Jolly his papers were pretty much stamped, but I never would have thought it would have gone further back than that.

Fraser is finished, he will surely retire at the end of this season. The truth might come out after that when he is able to speak freely.

The alleged GF withdraw aside, while a lot of people have picked on him in the past and he is no star, he was a good servant for the Pies. They got 200 games out of him and prior to Jolly, he was their only real ruckman (Excuse me, the person standing up at the back of room about to say "Cameron Wood", please sit down before you embarrass yourself. Thank you.) to hold up the fort for them.

 

[L_W_P]

Kind of a shame really.

He was holding up the number 1 ruck spot in a time when we didn't have the centre circle. As a result he had the likes of Everitt, Alessio, Jason Ball, Michael Gardiner, Jeff White etc all smashing into him week after week with no respite then look at a guy like David Hille (taken pick 40 the same draft Fraser was #1) who had Alessio, John Barnes, Paul Salmon for a year.. Alot of cover and experience to help educate him and protect his body as a junior.

Fraser has played 13 years at the top level and managed to notch up 200 games for the club that drafted him number 1, a more than respectable career in anyone's eyes. Sadly though most people will look back and wonder what could've been if the Pies had taken a little more care with his development in those first 2-3 years.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

Interesting, I knew as soon as they got Jolly his papers were pretty much stamped, but I never would have thought it would have gone further back than that.

Fraser is finished, he will surely retire at the end of this season. The truth might come out after that when he is able to speak freely.

The alleged GF withdraw aside, while a lot of people have picked on him in the past and he is no star, he was a good servant for the Pies. They got 200 games out of him and prior to Jolly, he was their only real ruckman (Excuse me, the person standing up at the back of room about to say "Cameron Wood", please sit down before you embarrass yourself. Thank you.) to hold up the fort for them.

Guy Richards? Chris Bryan? Oh, right.

Fraser actually played some pretty good footy at times for Collingwood, a shame he was forced to carry the ruck division from such a young age which really limited his career.