Josh Fraser was still coming to terms with the death of his father when he guided Carlton to an extraordinary win over reigning premiers Brisbane on Sunday. Bill Fraser died on Thursday morning, a loss that was not widely known when the Blues took the field, as Josh looked to keep the attention on his team and received strong support from fans and players.
Tributes after Bill Fraser’s death
Josh’s wife, Kylie, paid an emotional tribute to Bill on Instagram, describing him as an incredible man and “a devoted family man”. She wrote: “There are no words to express how much we will miss him. While our hearts are broken, we take comfort in knowing he is now at peace and no longer in pain.”
Bill led a varied life as a carpenter, a detective in the homicide squad and a farmer. Kylie said he took greatest pride in his children Josh and Courtney and, more recently, his grandchildren Ted and Emmy. The couple’s son Ted also posted a short tribute on Instagram stories, writing: “Rest easy Pop. I love you.”
Bill ran a cattle farm in Mansfield, Victoria. After Josh was drafted to Collingwood with the No.1 pick in 1999, he often spoke about his love of country life and would travel home once a week to spend time with family.
Fraser’s call on the permanent role
The 44-year-old remains undecided about formally applying for the full-time Carlton job, but his position has softened since he was initially ruling himself out. After the win over Brisbane, Fraser said: “This week I’ll come to a decision.” He added: “My aim at the start of this was to help the club move forward.”
“I feel like in this process, I’m learning so much about myself. I’m almost convinced that you’re never a finished product in terms of being ready,” he said. “But I’m open-minded how I keep getting better with this and make a decision soon.”
Carlton’s coaching search continues
Interviews have begun at Ikon Park, with St Kilda assistant Corey Enright and Fremantle’s Jaymie Graham mentioned as leading candidates. The Blues’ recent form has energised long-suffering supporters, with the side beating both of last year’s grand finalists in an unexpected run.
Carlton football boss Chris Davies said Fraser should put his name forward. “It’s fair and reasonable to say that after 10 weeks, he has a better understanding of where he’s at ... we think he should put his hand up,” Davies told SEN radio.
