Why Fraser’s no-strings audition suits him and the Blues
At 44, Josh Fraser is the same age as great Ron Barassi, who was coaching at North Melbourne in his final season; By this stage Barassi had been senior coach at Carlton and North for 15 seasons, winning four titles from eight grand finals.
In Fraser’s race, Mick Malthouse coached two clubs for 14 seasons. Chris Scott, who had a short and sharp apprenticeship at Fremantle, was in his 10th season at Geelong when Fraser turned 44.
Fraser is not a young coach per se. This Carlton team he has managed is the fourth team he has coached, including coaching Carlton’s VFL affiliates, the Northern Blues/Bullants and the Blues duo, as well as Collingwood’s VFL team (2023-24).
The decision to eschew the Carlton senior coaching role, which Fraser took on as a caretaker, was a shrewd, if uninspiring, decision.
It worked for Carlton, allowing chief executive Graham Wright and football boss Chris Davies to begin the search for their next coach without the complication of an internal candidate desperate for the job.
The Carlton coaching position is indeed open. Had Fraser indicated his willingness, as James Hird did on the day it was revealed that Brad Scott had been sacked, it would have had the potential to deter other quality candidates.
Fraser still has the option to change his stance and get on the field if he wishes. Far from losing his luster by retreating, he has gained credibility in the AFL coaching market.
Comparing Carlton’s search for a coach to a tournament, Fraser would go straight into the semi-finals if he changed course. It is possible that the club will persuade him to join the process late.
But assuming he sticks to his career game plan and remains as manager (striker) at Carlton, Fraser would certainly be a desirable candidate for the next club or clubs looking for a head coach.
Moreover, it is no longer correct to describe him as an “untested” coach.
His 14-game stint is much longer than the standard for night guards coaching the rest of the season.
We were able to discern the essence of Steven King’s style – bold, outspoken, willing to make tough decisions early (see Steven May) – relatively early in his first year as Melbourne helmsman.
Fraser’s features? His communication is clear and he seems calm. Not once in his eight games as coach has he shown the frustration or anger that many senior coaches find difficult to contain.
However, he was 7-1 on a club that was 1-8 when he was given the wheel. There is little reason for agitation.
Fraser, who was drafted No. 1 in 1999 and had 200 caps at Collingwood (plus 18 caps for the Gold Coast after missing the 2010 flag), has demonstrated leadership abilities in his playing career. But as his friend and former Collingwood football boss Neil Balme recalls, his measured and reasonable nature did not mean he had a coaching job.
“Josh was definitely a player who knew the mechanics of the game well and was a natural leader,” said Balme of Ruckman.
“It was a bit too logical at the time for anyone to think he would become a senior coach.
“Fortunately, the game and the players now prefer his personality style for coaching. This is a bit unexpected but certainly a pleasant surprise for me.”
A Collingwood employee from the time when Fraser managed the VFL team described him as a relaxed coach who wanted the players to enjoy the game and was excellent at assessing players’ strengths and shortcomings.
A Collingwood insider who has seen Fraser up close said he initially lacked confidence in addressing the team but quickly overcame this reluctance.
“(He) spoke so well to finally be able to say what was needed to get teams up and running and everyone loved him and played for him. [He] “He always sought out the opinions of his assistant coaches to make sure he didn’t miss anything and was very meticulous about studying opposing teams.”
Influential British/Canadian author Malcolm Gladwell once described teaching and NFL quarterbacking as jobs where success is difficult to predict. According to Gladwell, the best way to evaluate a teacher is not through academic results or resumes, but by witnessing what the teacher does in the classroom.
By that “try before you buy” measure, Fraser could be an excellent senior coach.
But interim coaches differ from teachers in that they always take the role from someone who was not previously successful. So the honeymoon of the trial period can be cheating.
As David Teague found at Carlton, the interim coach can first succeed and then flounder when given the full role. Or they can just keep winning like Paul Roos did. Most are quickly directed back to the back row.
The Blues and Fraser were right to be cautious about his prospects as a senior coach.
The coach’s “Honeymoon Frase” – the ABC’s Corbin Middlemas’s memorable description of Fraser’s streak – could end against the Hawks, whose class and method (in the wet) highlighted the gap between Carlton and the flag contention.
But there will be more talk about whether Carlton will be drafted in to coach should the Blues topple Fraser’s former team.
Regardless of whether Carlton and Fraser stick to their plans and restrict him to maintenance duties only, the first player selected in the draft 27 years ago will be among the first to hit rival clubs’ whiteboards in future coaching drafts.
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Jake Niall is a Walkley-winning sports journalist and The Age’s chief AFL writer.Connect with: X or email.
