NICKNAME/S: Frols

BIO: Harry Froling was born in Townsville (QLD) to Shane and Jenny Froling and began playing basketball as a junior with the Townsville basketball program. Froling received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2014. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

FAMILY: Harry Froling is the son of Shane Froling who played 271 games in the NBL. Harry’s brother, Sam Froling also played 162 games in the NBL. Harry’s mother Jenny was a four-time champion in the WNBL. His sisters, Alicia and Keely, have also played together in the WNBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Harry Froling made his NBL debut with the Townsville Crocodiles at 17 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Entering the 2015/16 NBL season, the Townsville Crocodiles faced immense uncertainty due to front office changes and financial limitations. These issues made recruiting players challenging, with key talent such as Todd Blanchfield, the reigning NBL Most Improved Player, leaving for Melbourne United. Head coach Shawn Dennis worked to fill the roster by signing affordable players, focusing on young talent and veterans who had been overlooked by other teams. Notable additions included Luke Schenscher (via Adelaide), Corey Maynard, and Mitchell Young (both via Cairns), while NBL MVP Brian Conklin returned as captain, joined by incoming import Jordair Jett.

The season started with two losses to Melbourne United (84-99) and New Zealand (81-89), but Townsville bounced back with back-to-back wins over Sydney (80-77) and Perth (66-63) on the road, despite winning only three away games the previous season. However, the Crocodiles’ form dipped, and by the end of October, they had the worst record in the league (2-9), including a 31-point loss to Melbourne. Matters worsened when Conklin was involved in a controversial incident, where his elbow broke Perth Wildcats guard Damian Martin’s jaw during a win over the Wildcats (89-77). Despite calls for a lengthy suspension, the NBL cleared Conklin of any wrongdoing. However, two weeks later, Conklin was suspended after another elbow incident involving Mitch Creek in a heavy loss to Adelaide (65-89).

By November, Townsville sat at the bottom of the ladder (4-10), leading the team to part ways with Conklin due to what the club described as “sub-par performances.” Conklin, who averaged 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, later shared on social media that financial constraints were the real reason behind his release. His replacement, Omar Samhan (13 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks), joined the team a week later.

Schenscher struggled with injuries (averaging 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds), and Townsville brought in Harry Froling (1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds) as an injury replacement. Jett (15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals) found his stride in the second half of the season, while Mirko Djeric (5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) delivered his best season. Townsville showed grit, winning half of their remaining games (7-7), including a memorable victory over Adelaide in one of the most thrilling finishes in team history.

Despite finishing with an 8-6 home record, the Crocodiles managed only three road wins and ended second last on the ladder (11-17). Jett earned the Kevin Sugars Medal (club MVP), while head coach Shawn Dennis was named NBL Coach of the Year. Nicholas Kay (10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) won Rookie of the Year, and Clint Steindl (12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) was awarded Most Improved Player.

Townsville’s future in the NBL remained uncertain despite league assurances, and ultimately, financial struggles led to their exit from the competition. Kay and Mitchell Norton signed with Illawarra, Young joined Brisbane, and Steindl and Djeric pursued opportunities overseas. Schenscher retired, and coach Dennis transitioned to coaching in Japan’s national league.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2018/19
After narrowly missing out on the NBL championship the previous season, Adelaide entered a rebuilding phase with the departure of key players, most notably Mitch Creek, their second-leading scorer. Creek left to pursue his NBA dream after protracted negotiations between Adelaide and Basketball Australia.

During the 2018 off-season, Creek was granted approval to play in Germany, with the understanding that he would return to the 36ers for the 2018/19 season. However, his strong performances in Germany caught the attention of the Brooklyn Nets, who signed him to their G-League team. Adelaide then filed an injunction to prevent Basketball Australia from approving Creek’s NBA deal without compensation. After some backlash, a resolution was reached, allowing Creek to pursue his NBA goals.

Other key departures included Shannon Shorter (to Japan), Josh Childress (retired), and Matthew Hodgson (to Brisbane). To address these gaps, Adelaide signed import Jacob Wiley (via Germany) to replace Creek and added point guard Adris De León to help with scoring and playmaking duties. Rising stars Harry Froling and Jack McVeigh also joined the team straight from college, bringing youthful energy to the roster.

Despite the shakeup, Adelaide retained several core players, including Nathan Sobey, Majok Deng, Adam Doyle, Brendan Teys, and import Ramone Moore. Leading scorer Daniel Johnson returned and took over as team captain, replacing Creek.

Adelaide’s season began with a loss to Perth (91–99) at home, but they bounced back with a win against Sydney (94–83) in their next game. In Round 3, Sobey delivered one of the season’s highlights, recording a triple-double (22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists) in the 36ers’ win over Cairns (91–83).

However, Adelaide struggled after that, falling into a four-game losing streak, which included losses to New Zealand (114–94) and Brisbane (93–90). Injuries to key players like Ramone Moore disrupted their momentum. The team delivered an ultimatum to De Leon, requiring a turnaround in their next game, but after suffering another loss to Sydney, De Leon (7.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) was released. Former Illawarra import Demitrius Conger was signed as his replacement. With Moore still out, Adelaide also brought in Shaun Bruce, who had been unsigned after three seasons with Cairns, to finish the season.

Adelaide’s inconsistency continued, but they found some rhythm in Round 14, winning four consecutive games, including a crucial victory over Perth (97–84) and a dominant win over Sydney (119–99). However, their inconsistency returned, with losses to Melbourne (114–91) in Round 16 and Brisbane (98–87 OT) in Round 17, which ultimately hurt their playoff chances.

Harry Froling (7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1 assist) had a solid season and earned NBL Rookie of the Year honours. His standout performances included a 23-point, 6-rebound, and 1-assist game against Sydney (10 Nov 2018), a 20-point, 4-rebound effort against New Zealand (28 Oct 2018), and a 14-point, 6-rebound, and 2-assist showing against Sydney (19 Jan 2019).

Adelaide’s season was marked by injuries and roster changes, but they managed to find form in Round 14, winning four consecutive games, including crucial victories against Perth (97–84) and Sydney (119–99). Unfortunately, inconsistency returned with losses to Melbourne (114–91) and Brisbane (98–87 OT) in later rounds, which hurt their playoff aspirations.

Alongside Froling, Daniel Johnson (17.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) and Nathan Sobey (16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) were named to the All-NBL Second Team. Other key contributors included Jacob Wiley (12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1 assist), Demitrius Conger (11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists), Anthony Drmic (9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists), and Majok Deng (7.6 points, 2.9 rebounds), who was instrumental in Adelaide’s mid-season surge.

Despite hovering between fourth and fifth place for much of the second half of the season, Adelaide finished equal with Brisbane at 14-14. However, the Bullets advanced to the playoffs due to a higher points percentage, bringing Adelaide’s season to a disappointing end in fifth place.

2019/20
During the 2019/20 season, Froling averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists and was a part of the 36ers squad which finished in a seventh place with a record of 12-16.

BRISBANE BULLETS
2020/21
Brisbane continued to face challenges in building a solid foundation and team culture in their fourth season since re-entering the league. Key departures from the Bullets included Cam Gliddon (to South East Melbourne), Lamar Patterson (to New Zealand), and Will Magnay, who signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA.

To fill these gaps, Brisbane brought in rookie Tanner Krebs (St Mary’s – NCAA), along with Anthony Drmic and Harry Froling (both via Adelaide), and added import signings Vic Law and Orlando Johnson.

The Bullets put a high-scoring lineup on the court, with Law (18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks) shooting 47% from the field, and team captain Nathan Sobey (21.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) hitting 46% from the floor. Both players finished among the top five scorers in the league. The local frontcourt of Matthew Hodgson (10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Harry Froling (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), and Tyrell Harrison (5.2 points, 5.8 rebounds) helped the Bullets rank third in offensive rebounding and second in defensive rebounds across the league.

Brisbane showcased their potential in a win over Illawarra (97-91), where Law (29 points and 9 rebounds) and Sobey (18 points and seven assists) led the way, while Froling and Hodgson combined for 13 rebounds. Another notable win came against top-of-the-table Melbourne (96-88), where Law posted 10 points and 15 rebounds, while Hodgson had a season-high 24 points. Brisbane also defeated Perth (95-92), with Law (23 points and 5 rebounds) and Sobey (31 points and 4 assists) combining for more than half the team’s points.

Despite their strong offence and rebounding, Brisbane struggled to stay consistent, holding a record of 8-8 at midseason. Orlando Johnson (6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) was released in March after underwhelming performances in 15 games. This coincided with the return of Lamar Patterson, who had been released by New Zealand after dealing with a knee injury and a slow start to his season. Patterson (14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals) returned to Brisbane and helped push the team toward the playoffs, but a knee injury to Law in the next game ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Brisbane, with a 10-8 record, fluctuated between playoff contention and mid-table. Despite Sobey’s efforts to fill the gap left by Law’s injury, the Bullets lost five of their next seven games, conceding an average of 90 points while scoring just 80. In a bid to turn things around, the team signed BJ Johnson (10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who helped somewhat stabilize the team, but the Bullets finished the season with an 8-10 record to end at 18-18.

One of Brisbane’s worst performances came in a 95-66 loss to South East Melbourne in round 19. With Sobey sidelined, Brisbane struggled to score, managing only 66 points, with Anthony Drmic (20 points) and Patterson (11 points) as the only players in double figures.

Despite moments of promise, Brisbane finished the season in sixth place, missing the playoffs. Froling, who played in all 36 games, delivered a career-best season, averaging 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game after two seasons with Adelaide.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2021/22
After nearly reaching the Finals in NBL21, the Illawarra Hawks were poised for an even bigger season in 2021/22. Leading scorer Tyler Harvey was re-signed on a three-year deal and joined by import additions Antonius Cleveland and Travis Trice. However, before the season tipped off, Trice was released after refusing the COVID vaccine, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes was signed as his replacement. New signings also included Harry Froling (via Brisbane), who joined his brother Sam in Hawks colours, and Duop Reath, who came on board after an impressive campaign with the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympics.

Reath made an immediate impact, averaging 19.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game over the first four games of the season. On the other hand, Tyler Harvey had a tougher second year in the NBL, with his scoring average dropping from 20.4 to 16.1 points per game, though he still led the team in scoring.

Club legend Tim Coenraad (3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds) began the season off the main roster but was later elevated after Daniel Grida suffered a season-ending knee injury. Other notable players for the Hawks included Justinian Jessup, who showed significant improvement in his second season, averaging 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Sam Froling also had a bounce-back season, contributing 8.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks as a key frontcourt player.

Illawarra finished the regular season in second place with a 19-9 record, only to suffer a disappointing semifinal exit at the hands of their cross-town rivals, the Sydney Kings.

Harry Froling played 29 games for the Hawks, averaging 4.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. His standout performance came in round eight when he lit up his former team, the Adelaide 36ers, for a career-high 27 points, including a remarkable 8-of-10 from three-point range.

At the end of the season, Duop Reath (15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) was named the Hawks’ MVP, while Antonius Cleveland (14.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks) was awarded the Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-NBL First Team.

It's @HarryFroling's world and we're all just living in it – with the big man nailing 8/10 from 3️⃣
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– Watch the Battle of the Birds clash on @ESPNAusNZ via @kayosports and @Foxtel ????
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– ???? for your @peppermoney 'POTG' here: https://t.co/Hf7Q9a9BoF
– #WeAreIllawarra #FlyAsOne #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/JCZeniJM4I

— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) January 24, 2022

BRISBANE BULLETS
2022/23
In 2022/23, Froling averaged 5.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as the Bullets finished in ninth place (8-20).

Harry Froling played six seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Townsville Crocodiles, Illawarra Hawks, Adelaide 36ers and Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1 assists in 155 NBL games.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Harry Froling is heading back to the @BrisbaneBullets, but can he top this shot from his last stint there?#NBL23 @HarryFroling pic.twitter.com/fHmujdP7MN

— The NBL (@NBL) May 28, 2022

Dan Boyce (823 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.