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2005:
The lanky Fraser battled hard all year, and never once gave in –
and was very good up forward in the win over the Bulldogs in round
17. Struggled against Hille in the round 20 clash with Essendon.
2004:
The number one draft pick in 1999, Fraser was hailed as the great
white hope for the Magpies future.
At the beginning of 2000, Coach Mick Malthouse stated that Fraser
was unlikely to get much game time for the year. But come round
22, Fraser had played 21 matches and been a solid contributor in
almost every one of them.
Fraser’s AFL career started in the 3rd round of the Ansett
Cup 2000. At Waverley Park against Fremantle, Fraser gave Magpies
fans just a preview of what was to come. Fraser’s real AFL
debut came in round 1 against Hawthorn.
As the Pies thumped the Hawks, Fraser showed his talent playing
up forward and in the ruck. Also making their debut that day were
Ben Johnson and Leon Davis. All three players have had a major role
in the Magpie renaissance.
2001 was a year where Fraser made his mark on the competition. Fraser
took big marks, kicked big goals and showed real leadership beyond
his years. His best game came against West Coast at Colonial Stadium
in round 12. Fraser scored four goals in a best on ground display.
But his season was not without controversy.
In the ANZAC Day blockbuster against Essendon in round five, Fraser
made two very costly mistakes in the first quarter. The first mistake
was when Mark McVeigh dribbled the ball into the goal square, where
Fraser was all on his own. Instead of picking the ball up, Fraser
let it bounce into his hands. However, the ball continued to roll
on its merry was through the goals without Fraser touching it.
The second mishap came when in the back pocket; Fraser chipped the
ball to Glenn Freeborn across goal. The ball sailed over Freeborn’s
head and into the hands of Essendon’s Justin Blumfield. These
mistakes would prove costly, as the Pies went down by nine points.
On the eve of the 2002 season, Fraser was diagnosed with Osteitis
Pubis and was tipped to spend a long time on the sidelines. But
Fraser carried the injury for most of the season but performed below
par. In the Qualifying Final against Port Adelaide, Fraser only
had one possession and was very close to being dropped for the Preliminary
Final.
But Malthouse kept him in the side, and the move paid off when Fraser
played a part in the Preliminary Final with two goals, while in
the Grand Final, Fraser scored three goals in one of his best matches
for the club.
2003 was a landmark year for Fraser, who finished fifth in the best
and fairest. After a slow start to the season, Fraser won back the
number one ruck position after Steve McKee, who had done so well
the previous year, lost his spot as the ruck rules were changed.
Fraser was one of the key players in the charge to the Grand Final,
with his ruck work outstanding.
On a disappointing Grand Final day, Fraser was the only shining
light. Up against the huge Clark Keating and Jamie Charmann, Fraser
not only held his own but broke even with the huge Lions.
2004 was interrupted by injury for Fraser, who after a bright start,
injured his hamstring on ANZAC Day and missed the next three weeks.
Upon return, Fraser starred against Melbourne, up against the AFL’s
premier ruckman Jeff White, Fraser beat him, but it wasn’t
enough to beat the Demons, who won by nine points.
The next week against Sydney, Fraser held up the forward line with
his strong marking and willingness for a competition. But once again,
then Pies went down in a close one losing by six points.
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