Simon Fraser

Born into a prominent Australian family as the son of a senator and the future uncle of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, Simon Fraser was a sportsman of rare versatility who played VFL football largely as a prelude to Olympic glory. Educated at Melbourne Grammar, he first appeared for Essendon as a talented teenager, booting eight goals across two seasons before his studies took priority. His transfer to University in 1909 coincided with his time at Melbourne University, where he studied mining engineering and captained the college boats. While his 23-game football career was modest, playing primarily as a forward, his athleticism was world-class; he went on to row for Australasia at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and became a pioneer of Victorian ice hockey. Tragically, Fraser’s life was cut short at just 32 during the Spanish flu pandemic, leaving behind a legacy as one of the era’s most gifted all-rounders.