Fraser Gehrig

Gehrig grew up in Wodonga, Victoria and attended high school at Catholic College Wodonga. Gehrig held the school’s athletics 100m record for more than 20 years.

Gehrig's 250th game came against Carlton in round 17, 2007. Again, the Saints emerged victorious.

Immediately before St Kilda's last game of the 2007 season, on 1 September, Gehrig announced his retirement to the team. Unusually he waved to the dedicated fans in the cheersquad when he came on the field and then played well in a tight contest against Richmond. In the dying seconds of the match Gehrig took a strong mark in St Kilda's forward line and kicked his 540th career goal, one of five that day, to secure the win. Gehrig was chaired off the ground by St Kilda players Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke, bare-chested after giving his famous number nine jumper to a young female fan in the stands.

Gehrig signed a one-year deal at the end of the 2006 season and was again a prolific goal-kicker for the Saints, booting 59 goals from 20 matches.

Gehrig was also charged with the unlawful assault of a woman in an alleged incident during Grand Final week in 2006. Gehrig, with Steven Lawrence and former Brisbane Lions captain Michael Voss, were all charged over a fight in a St Kilda hotel.

Gehrig played his 200th game in 2005, kicking eight goals against opponent Leo Barry, to help St Kilda to a 43 point win over Sydney. He kicked a total of 36 goals playing against Sydney.

Gehrig became a powerful and dominant force in the goalsquare and weighed in at 109 kilograms. He quickly became a prolific goalkicker, booting 55 goals in 2003 and 103 in 2004. A large pitch invasion by fans occurred following his 100th goal. Gehrig won back-to-back Coleman Medals in 2004 and 2005 and was named at full-forward in the All-Australian team in 2004.

Gehrig was close to retirement at the end of the 2003 season but then coach, Grant Thomas, managed to convince him to play on.

Some of Gehrig's onfield incidents earned him penalties, with suspensions mainly for striking incidents against opposition players (once in 2003, twice in 2004, once in 2005 and once in 2007). As well as this, in the "Sirengate" match in 2006, Gehrig conceded five consecutive free kicks whilst scuffling with Fremantle's defenders, three of which were converted into 50-metre penalties, which led to his direct opponent, Michael Johnson, walking the length of the field to give Fremantle a 33-point lead. Gehrig was benched after the indiscretions but it also appeared to be the turning point in the match as St Kilda eventually only lost by one point in controversial circumstances.

Gehrig made his debut with the Saints in 2001. After initially playing at full-back in his first year at his new club, Gehrig finished second in the St Kilda best and fairest award. He switched to the full-forward position in 2003 and this move coincided with St Kilda's rise up the ladder, finishing 10th in 2003 and playing in finals matches in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Gehrig had a season on the half forward line in 1998, but struggled with injury and form over the following two years and was traded to St Kilda at the end of the 2000 season. West Coast received David Sierakowski and 2000 AFL Draft selection number 18 (Daniel Kerr) from St Kilda in exchange for Gehrig.

Gehrig struggled to break into a powerful Eagles lineup during his first few years at the Western Australian club, but he stepped up in 1997 and won selection in the All-Australian team in a forward pocket.

Fraser Gehrig (born 3 March 1976) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL) .