The love affair between St.Kilda and Gehrig!!

[yipper]

Not since the great Trevor Barker have I seen such a passionate player about his football club. Rob Harvey also has the same passion. Loewe, Spud and Burkey are also right up there.

When big Fraser played for the Eagles - he was a very much maligned player, even by his own supporters!! (think Blake, Fiora and Schwarta as comparison). He could seemingly do no right by them. Wouldn't matter if he played a decent game, it just wasn't ever good enough. As soon as he became a Saint, well, all that changed. He was instantly embraced by Saints fans - was it the mullet? Whatever it was they (we) took to him like a duck to water. And he reciprocated. He always gets a rousing roar from the St.Kilda end goals at the start of a game as he sprints down to the fence during his warm-up. This always fires him up - he loves it. The standing ovation he received at this years B&F has touched him more than he thought it would I reckon. He stated then how much he loved being a St.Kilda player - he is actually going to play for a fraction of his 07 salary in 08' Why? Because he wants to be part of some St.Kilda history - he is desperate. He did not want to play for any other team - only us!! Very similar to another greatly popular giant Saint - Big Carl. He only ever felt at home when he had a St.Kilda jumper on!!
It's a great story in today's business like AFL industry - a blioke who's passionate about his footy team - even at the elite level. I dips my lid to a fantastic Saint - the G'train. Kick a ton next year Frase!!

[B W and R all over]

Not since the great Trevor Barker have I seen such a passionate player about his football club.

Might be stretching it a bit there.
Glad to see him back but you'd have to agree he's had plenty of moments where he's looked disinterested to say the least.

[bigcarl]

I dips my lid to a fantastic Saint - the G'train. Kick a ton next year Frase!!

and bring home a flag for harvs

[The Peanut]

agree ... a true character in every way - love the big G.

[Armoooo]

Great Player, Great Character, Great Bloke.
The stage is being set for a big 2007, I would love to look back in September and recognize Fraser's comeback and Roo's B&F speech as the major turning points for our club.

[GrumpyOne]

Great Player, Great Character, Great Bloke.
The stage is being set for a big 2007,

Hopefully that extends to 2008 too.

[Armoooo]

Great Player, Great Character, Great Bloke.
The stage is being set for a big 2007,

Hopefully that extends to 2008 too.

Lol, you know what I meant!!
dam keys are too close together for anyone with stubby fingers

[saintspremiers]

With both him and Harvs playing on next year, it should help keep our membership above 30K.....of course, we need to play a hell of a lot better than 2007 otherwise it still may dip below 30.

[Sobraz]

I was more upset when Fraser called in quits than i have been with anyone else in recent times.. He gives his all, and we know it...

I cannot stand when saints supporters say he doesnt try and should be left at home for interstate trips etc... He is one bloke who should never be questioned..

He has mentioned in the media a few times that he is a saints man and a saints man only... loves the club, and i love him for it... back as my favourite player...

[midas_touch]

With both him and Harvs playing on next year, it should help keep our membership above 30K.....of course, we need to play a hell of a lot better than 2007 otherwise it still may dip below 30.

Yeah it would have probably added a thousand or two to the membership, compared to what it would have been if Gehrig didnt make a comeback.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

you talk to every westcoast fan and they will tell you they didnt like fraser cause he looked dissinterested all the time he had the skill and was a constant pick for the team but his demeaner is what made him have more knockers then fans . i think when he came to the saints he felt more relaxed and we learnt to love his quirks

i still have a giggle when i look back the the hack full forward WC have had when they had frase playing on the wing and then when we put him forward and hes a revelation !!

[casey scorp]

The love affair between St.Kilda and Gehrig!!

Better than a love affair between Gehrig and the Dutch girl!!

[Barney2]

Not since the great Trevor Barker have I seen such a passionate player about his football club. Rob Harvey also has the same passion. Loewe, Spud and Burkey are also right up there.

When big Fraser played for the Eagles - he was a very much maligned player, even by his own supporters!! (think Blake, Fiora and Schwarta as comparison). He could seemingly do no right by them. Wouldn't matter if he played a decent game, it just wasn't ever good enough. As soon as he became a Saint, well, all that changed. He was instantly embraced by Saints fans - was it the mullet? Whatever it was they (we) took to him like a duck to water. And he reciprocated. He always gets a rousing roar from the St.Kilda end goals at the start of a game as he sprints down to the fence during his warm-up. This always fires him up - he loves it. The standing ovation he received at this years B&F has touched him more than he thought it would I reckon. He stated then how much he loved being a St.Kilda player - he is actually going to play for a fraction of his 07 salary in 08' Why? Because he wants to be part of some St.Kilda history - he is desperate. He did not want to play for any other team - only us!! Very similar to another greatly popular giant Saint - Big Carl. He only ever felt at home when he had a St.Kilda jumper on!!
It's a great story in today's business like AFL industry - a blioke who's passionate about his footy team - even at the elite level. I dips my lid to a fantastic Saint - the G'train. Kick a ton next year Frase!!

Fraser was well respected and revered at the Eagles. They didnt want him to go. In his later days there, he was playing forward kicking up to 5 goals a game. He was in my opinion one of their better players. Not in the same mould as Fiora and Blake. I am not knocking those 2, just that you cant put those 2 no where near the quality Frase is.

[yipper]

Not since the great Trevor Barker have I seen such a passionate player about his football club. Rob Harvey also has the same passion. Loewe, Spud and Burkey are also right up there.

When big Fraser played for the Eagles - he was a very much maligned player, even by his own supporters!! (think Blake, Fiora and Schwarta as comparison). He could seemingly do no right by them. Wouldn't matter if he played a decent game, it just wasn't ever good enough. As soon as he became a Saint, well, all that changed. He was instantly embraced by Saints fans - was it the mullet? Whatever it was they (we) took to him like a duck to water. And he reciprocated. He always gets a rousing roar from the St.Kilda end goals at the start of a game as he sprints down to the fence during his warm-up. This always fires him up - he loves it. The standing ovation he received at this years B&F has touched him more than he thought it would I reckon. He stated then how much he loved being a St.Kilda player - he is actually going to play for a fraction of his 07 salary in 08' Why? Because he wants to be part of some St.Kilda history - he is desperate. He did not want to play for any other team - only us!! Very similar to another greatly popular giant Saint - Big Carl. He only ever felt at home when he had a St.Kilda jumper on!!
It's a great story in today's business like AFL industry - a blioke who's passionate about his footy team - even at the elite level. I dips my lid to a fantastic Saint - the G'train. Kick a ton next year Frase!!

Fraser was well respected and revered at the Eagles. They didnt want him to go. In his later days there, he was playing forward kicking up to 5 goals a game. He was in my opinion one of their better players. Not in the same mould as Fiora and Blake. I am not knocking those 2, just that you cant put those 2 no where near the quality Frase is.

Fraser has said that, although he enjoyed his time at the Eagles - he never really got embraced by their fans similar to the way Blake, Fiora etc are treated. It was not a comparison of ability - heavens no. Fraser is a champion of the game and a man mountain.

[signed sealed sainter]

Not only his contribution on the field he's done plenty of things for charities too. Dad works for sacred heart mission and he says Gehrig goes down there regularly to help these people. Cheers for the G-Train!

[Solar]

Reminds me alot of harvey in the way that he is a quiet footballer, not a lenny hayes etc. who wears his passion on his sleave. We also have to remember that he played with many injuries, which meant he sometimes went missing during certain games.

Awesome guy, got real leadership and is a fantastic clubman. Agree with the OP

[stinger]

Gehrig's return to AFL ranks was only ever going to stop at St Kilda

Len Johnson | November 28, 2007

NOT for Fraser Gehrig the nervous wait to see whether his name would be called in the national draft.

The un-retired St Kilda spearhead did not attend the draft, was not yet even back in the country and had no doubt he would wind up with his beloved Saints — if he wound up anywhere at all, that is.

Having established he was serious through a series of phone calls between Moorabbin and Switzerland, St Kilda took Gehrig at pick 57, fearful that had it waited any longer, another club might pre-empt it.

According to Gehrig, who revealed the story behind his return to the AFL exclusively yesterday in The Age, the Saints needn't have worried.

"I didn't speak to any other club, and if I was a person from another club, I wouldn't have recruited me, either," he told a news conference yesterday.

That wasn't because he couldn't play — 255 games and 540 career goals attest Gehrig can do that. No, it was because he is 31 (32 next March) "and my heart is at St Kilda, not anywhere else".

"I've been at St Kilda seven years and this is the only club I want to play for. If any other club had been silly enough to pick me up, they would have been wasting a pick."

Gehrig has re-signed to a one-year contract.

[golden hawk]

i knew hew was thinking of going for a while but could not tell you i also hoped he'd change his mind but he left but i am happy to see him back again as i know he loves his footy very much and i said as much to him when i sent a get well card to him [ he played us 2 weeks latter had crushed us i i should have waited till after our game ] so i take credit for him playing well after i sent the card .

i think he must of felt he needed a break and relised when he got that break that playing footy was what he wanted to do and that he was not ready for that break , i will send my best wishes in the christmas card he will get soon from me .

i am glad no one else picked him up as i could not see him playing for anyone else other then st kilda

[Oh When the Saints]

Terrific post yipper.

Big Frase is one of the most passionate people left in footy, and it's great to have him at the club.

[linz]

A real bonus to have him back. He's also keen on Lyon as a coach & I've got no doubt training services will handle him better this year. I don't know whether he will be doing multiple sprints up & down the ground from
full-forward to the half-back flank every quarter though.

We'll see

[HarveysDeciple]

The thing that always annoyed me is when people accused Fraser of being disinterested on the field.

Fraser has never once given less then 100% for the club on the ground and that has included playing with some injuries that would stop most other footballers from taking the field.

People who make such accusations are nothing short of stupid.