Medal win for Fraser

Busselton footballer Mitchell Fraser has been named East Perth Football Club’s fairest and best player, winning the FD Book Medal in one of the club’s closest counts in years.

Fraser received 35 votes to win, only one vote ahead of retiring big man Paul Johnson.

“It took me by surprise,” Fraser told theTimes .

“I thought Paul Johnson had it in the bag, so I definitely did not expect to take it out.”

The 22-year-old started playing for the Rovers Junior Football Club in Busselton before moving through the East Perth development ranks in under-14s, 15s and 16s.

Playing from colts through to league with the Busselton Magpies, Fraser set himself the goal of reaching the WAFL by the time he turned 18.

The young gun moved to Perth, where he played colts with East Perth Royals for a year, before starting reserves in 2012 and breaking into the league team in 2013.

“By round 18 of reserves and the day after my (19th) birthday I got called to play league,” he said.

“It was a pretty exciting time for me. I had always had that goal to play league in Perth.”

Fraser said he played a few average games in the midfield before being moved to the back line.

“It all happened from there,” he said.

The property evaluator, now based in Perth, said he hoped to stay in the league side and become a 100 and 150-game player.

“Hopefully one day I’ll be holding the premiership cup,” he said.