Charles Fraser

Pivotal figure in the history of the Balmain club had his grounding in Australian Rules before switching to league. The pocket-sized fullback (5’4” or 1.63cm) was just 18 year old when he was a late selection to tour with the 1911-12 Kangaroos (Fraser replaced ‘Dally’ Messenger and is still the younger player, at 18 years 301 days, to play Test football). He played in 20 matches in England and made his debut in the First Test. Three years later Fraser took on the English again, playing five-eighth in the final two Tests of the 1914 Ashes series. A member of the great Balmain sides that won six premierships (1915-17, 1919-20 & 1924), including the undefeated 1915-16 seasons, Fraser toured NZ in 1919 and played in the series against the Lions in 1920. Australia won the Ashes for the first time on home soil and, the following year, Fraser was selected as vice-captain of the 1921-22 Kangaroos. Deputising for injured captain Les Cubitt ‘Chook’ Fraser led Australia in all three Tests against England - some ten years after he made his Test debut. Tragically, he broke his leg in the third and deciding match of the series and the Ashes were lost. After playing in a 'Kangaroos v. Rest of Australia' promotion in 1922 Fraser was granted a testimonial year in 1923. The first Balmain player to play 150 first grade games Fraser captained Balmain to the win the 1924 premiership before leaving Sydney in 1926 with a record number of first grade games to his credit. In 1927 he led Gundagai to victory in the Maher Cup competition before retiring the following year when injured in a trial match. He returned to the Tigers as coach in 1932 and passed away – a legend in the Balmain district and in the game itself - in 1981. In 2006 Charles ‘Chook’ Fraser was inducted into the RL Hall of Fame.