Charles "Chook" Fraser
Fullback, Centre, Five-eighth
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Birthplace:
- Balmain, NSW
- Date of Birth:
- 11 January 1893
- Nickname:
- Chook
- Debut Team:
- Balmain
- Opposition:
- North Sydney
- Date:
- 13 August 1910
- 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
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmain | Premiership | 1910 | 1926 | 185 | 54 | 165 | - | 492 |
| Balmain | City Cup |
1913
1920
1923 |
1918
1921
1924 |
19 | 4 | 5 | - | 22 |
| Gundagai | 1927 | 1927 | - | - | - | - | - |
Representative Career
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate series | Queensland |
1915
1919 |
1915
1921 |
5 | 2 | 4 | - | 14 |
| New South Wales | Touring teams |
1912
1914
1920 |
1912
1914
1920 |
5 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | |
| New South Wales | New Zealand and Queensland | 1921 | 1921 | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| New South Wales | Tour matches | 1912 | 1912 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests |
1911
1914
1919 |
1911
1914
1922 |
11 | 2 | 1 | - | 8 |
| Australia | Tour matches |
1911
1919
1921 |
1912
1919
1922 |
42 | 6 | 18 | - | 54 |
Other Representative
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis | Newcastle |
1911
1915 |
1911
1915 |
1 | - | - | - | - |
| Metropolis | Country | 1912 | 1913 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Kangaroos | The Rest of NSW | 1917 | 1917 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Best | Next Best | 1918 | 1918 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| Sydney | England | 1920 | 1920 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Kangaroos | Rest of Australasia | 1922 | 1922 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
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