NICKNAME/S: The Croatian Sensation

BIO: Frank Drmic was born in Melbourne (VIC) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Dandenong basketball program. Drmic received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1994. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1994, 1995).

FAMILY: Frank’s brother, Anthony Drmic also played 261 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Frank Drmic made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Magic at 18 years of age. He scored nine points in his first game.

Entering the NBL Frank Drmic had already received comparisons to Andrew Gaze despite being only 18 and yet to play his first professional game. He played 22 games during his rookie season, averaging 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists and despite receiving minimal game time during the playoffs, he was a part of the Magic’s 1996 championship winning team.

1997
After capturing the NBL championship in 1996, the South East Melbourne Magic retained most of their championship-winning roster for the 1997 season, making only minor adjustments. Import guard Brian Tolbert was brought in to replace departing Billy McCaffrey, while promising 18-year-old rookie Frank Drmic (8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) filled the role vacated by retiring defensive specialist Darren Lucas. These subtle changes didn’t disrupt the team’s momentum, as the Magic delivered their best regular season in club history, finishing atop the ladder with an impressive 22–8 record.

Balance and depth defined the Magic’s approach, with five players averaging double-digit scoring and only four points separating their top scorer from the fifth. Veteran forward Tony Ronaldson (16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) led the team offensively, supported closely by rising stars Sam MacKinnon (15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists) and Chris Anstey (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.8 blocks), whose defensive presence was critical in the frontcourt. Mike Kelly (12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals) continued to anchor the backcourt, earning his second consecutive NBL Best Defensive Player award. Coach Brian Goorjian was rewarded for his expert handling of the roster with the league’s Coach of the Year honour.

As the top seed, South East Melbourne earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and matched up against the fourth-placed Perth Wildcats, who had dispatched Brisbane in the previous round. In Game One in Perth, Anstey (19 points, 16 rebounds, 5 steals) and Ronaldson (18 points) lifted the Magic to a 92–82 victory. Returning home, the Magic intensified their defensive pressure in Game Two, overwhelming Perth 96–69, with MacKinnon (21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) leading the charge. The victory propelled the Magic into a Grand Final rematch against their fierce rivals, the Melbourne Tigers.

The 1997 Tigers squad presented a significant challenge, having set a franchise record with a 13-game winning streak following the mid-season addition of Marcus Timmons. By the start of the Grand Final, this streak had stretched to 15 wins. Melbourne immediately asserted dominance in Game One, routing the Magic 111–74 behind outstanding performances from Lanard Copeland (29 points, 4 rebounds), Marcus Timmons (24 points, 9 rebounds), and Andrew Gaze (23 points, 9 assists). Melbourne’s defensive pressure limited Anstey to just 6 points.

Coach Goorjian adjusted strategically in Game Two, starting veteran John Dorge to bring increased physicality and give Anstey more freedom. The decision paid off, as Anstey responded with his best playoff performance to date (21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks), guiding the Magic to a tough 84–78 victory, ending Melbourne’s remarkable 17-game winning streak and forcing a deciding Game Three.

The decisive Game Three began as a close contest, but a pivotal second-quarter surge from the Tigers proved decisive. Despite Ronaldson’s valiant 26-point effort, Melbourne successfully neutralised Anstey (8 points), cruising to a 93–83 victory and securing their second NBL championship. Copeland once again led the Tigers in scoring with 26 points, earning Finals MVP honours after averaging 27.6 points and 3.3 rebounds at a 56% clip for the series.

However, Melbourne highlighted the impact of forward Warrick Giddey, whose influence went far beyond his statistics (0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block). Giddey made three crucial plays down the stretch—a hard foul that broke MacKinnon’s nose, a decisive block on Frank Drmic, and a powerful mid-court screen on Mike Kelly—which collectively swung the momentum and secured Melbourne’s championship.

1998
1998 saw Frank Drmic average 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds and play a key role in helping the Magic to a first place finish in the regular season with a 26-4 record. The Magic received a first round bye in the play-offs before meeting the Brisbane Bullets in the semifinals. The Magic would defeat Brisbane 106-98 in game one and 90-84 in game two to see them reach the NBL Grand Final. The Magic would face the Adelaide 36ers in the championship deciding series and lose a narrow game one 93-100 before the 36ers dominated them in game two 90-62 to win the title.

1998/99
In 1999, Drmic averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, and helped guide the Titans to a third place finish in the regular season with a 16-1 record.

1999/00
In 2000, Drmic averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds, and helped guide the Titans to a fourth place finish in the regular season with a 20-8 record.

2000/01
In 2001, Drmic averaged 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, and helped guide the Kings to a fifth place finish in the regular season with a 17-1 record.

2006/07

Frank Drmic played eight seasons across four NBL teams. This included the South East Melbourne Magic, Victoria Titans, Sydney Kings and South Dragons. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 255 NBL games.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Dan Boyce (837 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.