Fraser has been stranded on 199 AFL games since the round 12 draw against Melbourne.
He has toiled away for Collingwood’s VFL team while Darren Jolly and Leigh Brown have shouldered the ruck work.
Malthouse said he would be keen to promote him but admitted concern that he might have lost some touch.
“The longer you are down there, it gets harder," Malthouse said. "With any sort of luck Josh down the track hopefully we’ll get him his 200th. The danger with that is he’s been down there for a long time.
“I reckon kids are the ones who if you’re not playing them regularly I don’t know if they can go into a finals series without games because the intensity is enormous now compared to what it was three or two years ago.”
Fraser’s chance looked to have come when ruckman Darren Jolly hobbled off at the 17-minute mark of the final term and immediately iced his leg. But Malthouse said he had no concerns over his No.1 ruckman.
“I don’t think he’s injured," Malthouse said. "If you went out there now everyone would have an ice pack on their leg.
"If a player’s injured he won’t play but I can assure you (that he has played) 150, 160 straight I don’t think he is going to give up his position that easily. If he’s right, he’s right, we’re not going to play around with form."
Malthouse said the lack of intensity at VFL level was highlighted by Paul Medhurst’s performance in the win over Essendon on Friday night.
Medhurst also hadn’t played at senior level since the Melbourne draw and responded with eight touches and one behind.
The coach said his lack of exposure to the top level showed.
“I thought he played like a VFL player coming up to play AFL football," Malthouse said. "I’ve said it all year, he typifies the level of skill which is not necessarily greater than VFL but the level of intensity is massive and if you’re out of it too long and that is my fault, he’s probably been out of it for too long.
"He’ll need time to reacquaint himself with that sort of intensity. Paul understands that."
