Mr. Fraser, 81, who together with his wife Tamie were special guests of the Spirit of Carlton at the 30-year reunion of the feted 1981 Grand Final team, famously hosted members of the committee, coaching staff and players, together with their wives and partners, at a dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence in the aftermath of both the ’81 and ’82 victories, in what was an unprecedented happening for any Australian sporting organisation.
“It’s 30 years since the team was hosted at The Lodge and I’d like to think that the team was getting closer to winning it again . . . well it is getting closer - much closer,” Mr Fraser said during a break in proceedings this afternoon.
“That was a great period in Carlton’s history,” Mr Fraser said. “They’d had their arguments in the late 1970s and it was a sad day when Alex Jesaulenko left, because he was a hero to all of us at one time, but they rose above it.”
Mr Fraser accepted the mantle of No.1 Ticketholder when Dame Pattie Menzies, the wife of former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies, relinquished the position. When pressed regarding the origins of his allegiance to all things Navy Blue, Mr. Fraser cited a true Blue pedigree.
“Why Carlton? Probably because of a friendship with Menzies and a friendship with Bob Santamaria, and they were both avid Carlton supporters as you know,” Mr Fraser said.
“I don’t live in Melbourne, I get busy doing all sorts of different things, I’ve travelled a lot and I just haven’t been around much in recent years. But I’ve always followed Carlton from afar, and I’ve always been a Carlton supporter. We’ve just got to fix Collingwood and that’s a work in progress.”
While pieces of cutlery and fine China might have mysteriously disappeared from The Lodge during the Carlton players’1981 visitation, Mr. Fraser said he had no hesitation in making good his promise to again host the team once they took line honours in ’82.
As he said: “I wasn’t a glutton for punishment. I enjoyed it”.
