This weekend in the Round 4 Division Three match against Macquarie University, Fraser ‘Frog’ Nixon, plays his 200th open-age game for the Pennant Hills Demons.
Since playing his 150th game in season 2019, Fraser has played most of his footy in the third grade side. He has always been a highly capable player. Since his transformation to a forward in 2016, Fraser has kicked 168 goals (and counting). He is a canny forward using his strength and good hands to excellent effect. He has a good understanding of the forward craft.
Season 2016 was a remarkable season for Frog personally. Unaccustomed to playing as a forward, he demonstrated his excellent versatility as a player, kicking 51 goals that season, finishing second in the Division Three competition and 8 goals ahead of teammate Josh Mott who finished third in the competition with 43 goals of his own. What a ‘dynamic duo’ they were, kicking 94 goals between them. Frog, who is all hips and thighs, is renowned for his body-work against the opposition and is adept at moving his opponents under the ball. His best performance was 8 goals against Holroyd-Parramatta at the Goanna’s home ground Gipps Road Oval. He rounded out the 2016 season as third grade’s Most Consistent player. He was Best Team Man in 2017 and then MC again in 2019.
In 2018, in a strange twist of fate, despite having played the whole season in the Reserves, including the Qualifying Final, he missed selection for the Reserve Grade Grand Final. His spot was taken by young gun Harry Maguire who was available for selection due to the Premier Division side not making finals. Frog was, however, an automatic selection for the Division One side.
In a low scoring match, Fraser kicked one of the Demon’s eight goals in the Division One Grand Final. In the final moments of the third quarter, Frog marked a Nick De Gorter ‘rain-maker’ at about 25 metres out and kicked the team’s crucial 5th goal after the siren, ensuring that the Demons had the momentum coming into the final term. Penno was still 11 pts behind Sydney University at the start of the fourth quarter, but the momentum created by Frog’s goal enabled the Demons to run over the top of the Students who were kept scoreless in the final term. Penno eventually won by 8 pts and the Demon’s Adam Smith was adjudged Best on Ground in the Grand Final.
After the Division One victory, Penno Reserves made it two flags for Penno, also beating Sydney University, this time by 15 pts. Penno’s Kieran Wright was BoG and young gun Harry Maguire kicked 1 of the Demons 7 goals. 5 years later Big H won the 2023 Phelan Medal.
The Men’s Division Three side has made an excellent start this season, winning its first two games and is currently top of the competition ladder. Fraser opened his goalkicking account last weekend with 4 goals against Southern Power. He will be an important player for the Division Three team this season.
At 31 years of age and now a father of two young children, Frog’s continuing passion for footy and the club is clear to all. Fraser is the older brother of Adam (162 games) and the son of the Club’s honorary photographer, David Nixon. David was the recipient of the President’s Award last season for his services to the Club. His photos feature regularly in the club’s social media posts.
On behalf of everyone at Pennant Hills we wish Frog Nixon the best of luck for his 200th game milestone match and congratulate him on this magnificent achievement!
Go Penno!
