Jim Fraser

A recruit from Mansfield in Victoria's high country, Jim Fraser arrived at Carlton as a mature-age debutant with a distinguished military record. Before his VFL career began, Fraser served in the First World War and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, bringing a hardened edge to Princes Park in 1922. Standing at just 165cm, he was a diminutive rover and forward pocket, but his solid frame made him a difficult unit to move off the ball in contested situations. He made an efficient impact on the scoreboard, kicking 13 goals in his 14 games, demonstrating a natural goal sense to complement his work at ground level. Although his time at the top level was brief—spanning just the 1922 and 1923 seasons—Fraser is remembered as a courageous small man who successfully made the transition from the battlefields of France to the forward lines of the VFL.