Charles "Chook" Fraser
Fullback, Centre, Five-eighth
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 11 January 1893
- Birthplace:
- Balmain, NSW
- Nickname:
- Chook
- Debut Team:
- Balmain
- Date:
- 13 August 1910
- Opposition:
- North Sydney
- Venue:
- North Sydney Oval, Sydney
- Representative:
- New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- Balmain, Gundagai
Career
Milestones
- Premierships: 1915-17, 1919-20, 1924
- Kangaroo Tours: 1911-12, 1921-22
- Australian captain: Three Tests
- Rated No. 51 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
Playing
- First Class Games
- 277
- Points
- 604
- Tries
- 70
Biography
At just 163cm, an 18-year-old ''Chook'' Fraser was dwarfed by the big English forwards upon his Test debut in Britain and was forced to rapidly develop his evasive skills in order to avoid a pummelling.
Back in Australia, he represented NSW in 1912 and toured New Zealand with a NSW outfit (effectively the Australian team) the same year.
His versatility was a major asset to his Balmain club, who won five premierships in six years between 1915 and 1920, with Fraser a vital figure in each victory.
Fraser was one of the first chosen for Australia when Test football resumed after the war, touring New Zealand in 1919.
A year later he played all three Ashes Tests and made a second Kangaroo tour in 1921–22, captaining Australia after tour captain Les Cubitt was incapacitated.
He won a sixth premiership title with Balmain in 1924 (as captain) and played his final game for the club in 1926 after 190 first-grade games, a tally that stood as a premiership record until 1950.
After leaving Balmain, Fraser accepted a captain-coach position at Riverina club Gundagai, helping the club claim the famed Maher Cup in 1927. He retired following an injury in a trial match early in 1928.
“A phenomenal footballer, equally at home in any position in the backs.”
Norman ‘Latchem’ Robinson Balmain Patriarch
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11. Charles Fraser - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
Representative Career
State
International
Other Representative
Hall of Fame Members
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