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 276 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.

VICTORIA TITANS
1998/99
After the NBL’s move to summer, interest in the league had declined, and financially, it had become difficult for Melbourne to sustain three separate clubs. In an effort to boost sponsorship and membership numbers, the South East Melbourne Magic merged with the North Melbourne Giants, who had struggled financially for a number of years.

The team was re-branded to the Victoria Titans and, with the majority of the front office being former Magic owners, a decision was made to retain Brian Goorjian as head coach, leaving Giants coach Brett Brown without a job. Selecting a team generated criticism as Goorjian’s appointment coincided with the decision not to offer Pat Reidy (to Newcastle), then a member of the Australian national team, a spot on the roster.

The Titans completed their roster by signing four players from the Giants roster, Darryl McDonald, Ben Pepper, David Smith, and Paul Maley, and five players from the Magic roster, Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Mike Kelly and Tony Ronaldson, while Brad Sheridan (via AIS) also joined the new club.

Victoria opened its inaugural season against Melbourne at Melbourne Park on October 10, where Drmic (4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) played 26:59 minutes, but the Tigers defeated the Titans 99-80. McDonald (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Pepper (15 points and 10 rebounds) were Victoria’s best as the new roster struggled for cohesion in its first game together.

Drmic (10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds) gave Victoria another scoring option on the wing and produced his first major game against Sydney on October 31, finishing with 26 points and 5 rebounds as the Titans defeated the Kings 101-92 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Pepper (19 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (12 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, and 3 steals) helped Victoria collect its second win from its first three games.

Drmic’s highest-scoring game came in Townsville on January 30, where he made six three-pointers and finished with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals, but the Crocodiles defeated Victoria 96-71. Pepper (16 points and 13 rebounds) and Ronaldson (11 points and 5 rebounds) were the other main contributors as the Titans completed a difficult road back-to-back.

Drmic (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) produced another key game against Brisbane on February 20 as Victoria defeated the Bullets 101-95 at Melbourne Park, with Ronaldson (22 points and 9 rebounds) and Wheeler (15 points and 6 rebounds) helping the Titans recover from a one-point loss to Wollongong the previous night.

Ronaldson (16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists), who was named team captain of the new franchise, responded by leading Victoria in scoring and earning club MVP honours. Pepper (12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) finished second in scoring and led the team in rebounds and blocks, while McDonald (11.1 points, 5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) led both the Titans and the NBL in assists and steals. Smith (11.2 points and 4.1 rebounds), Wheeler (11 points and 5.9 rebounds), Kelly (10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) and Maley (7.2 points) gave Goorjian seven double-figure scorers as Victoria finished fourth with a 16-10 record, lost only three games at home and entered the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Victoria opened the Qualifying Finals at Melbourne Park by defeating Wollongong 96-65 behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (18 points), Wheeler (15 points and 6 rebounds), Pepper (12 points and 16 rebounds) and Maley (12 points and 5 rebounds), while Drmic (5 points and 3 rebounds) played 30:30 minutes as the Titans took control of the series.

Game two moved to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Victoria defeated Wollongong 91-82 and completed the sweep behind Ronaldson (20 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (19 points and 5 rebounds), Wheeler (14 points and 8 rebounds) and McDonald (7 points, 5 rebounds, 14 assists, and 5 steals), while Drmic (5 points) played 27:14 minutes in the win.

The semifinals opened at Melbourne Park, where Victoria ground out an 80-77 win over Melbourne behind Ronaldson (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Maley (16 points) and McDonald (11 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists), while Marcus Timmons (31 points and 9 rebounds) led the Tigers. Drmic (2 points and 4 rebounds) played 21:03 minutes in the win.

Game two stayed at Melbourne Park, where Kelly (19 points and 7 rebounds), Pepper (15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and McDonald (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals) led Victoria to a 94-87 win over Melbourne, completing the sweep and sending the Titans into a Grand Final series against Adelaide. Drmic (11 points and 5 rebounds) played 39:07 minutes in the win.

The Grand Final series opened in Melbourne, where Adelaide made 16 three-pointers and defeated Victoria 104-94 behind Brett Maher (31 points) and Darnell Mee (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists). McDonald (23 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals), Ronaldson (19 points and 4 rebounds) and Pepper (18 points) led Victoria, while Drmic (12 points and 6 rebounds) played 23:09 minutes.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Maher (25 points) came out firing for the 36ers, but Victoria slowed the game down and levelled the series with an 88-82 win. Ronaldson (22 points), Wheeler (18 points and 9 rebounds), Smith (15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and McDonald (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the Titans, while Drmic (4 points and 3 rebounds) played 18:02 minutes as Victoria forced a deciding game.

Game three remained in Adelaide, where more than 7,000 36ers fans saw Martin Cattalini (19 points and 9 rebounds) lead Adelaide and Maher (15 points and 7 rebounds) named Grand Final MVP as the 36ers completed back-to-back championships. Pepper (15 points) and Ronaldson (15 points and 6 rebounds) led Victoria, who shot 26-of-78 from the field, while Drmic (3 points and 6 rebounds) played 20:38 minutes in the 80-69 loss.

1999/00
Victoria entered 1999/00 still chasing the championship that had slipped away in back-to-back Grand Final losses, first as South East Melbourne in 1998 and then as the Titans in 1999. Brian Goorjian kept most of the core together but looked to make the roster younger, with Paul Maley (to Adelaide) and Mike Kelly (to Townsville) exiting, while Nathan Taylor returned and development player Glen Siegle was elevated into the full squad.

Tony Ronaldson, Darryl McDonald, Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Brett Wheeler, Ben Pepper, David Smith and Brad Sheridan all returned as Victoria again entered the season looking to go one step further.

Victoria opened the season at Melbourne Park on October 2, where Drmic (17 points and 3 rebounds) helped the Titans defeat Townsville 106-95. Smith (29 points and 7 rebounds) and McDonald (19 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led the way as Victoria began its second season as the Titans with a home win.

Drmic (13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds) remained a key part of Victoria’s wing rotation and produced his best scoring game against Melbourne on October 16, finishing with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals as the Titans defeated the Tigers 112-77. Smith (29 points and 4 rebounds), Ronaldson (17 points and 5 rebounds) and Pepper (13 points and 11 rebounds) helped Victoria complete the back-to-back and improve to 3-1.

Drmic delivered another strong game against Melbourne on November 20, finishing with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks as Victoria defeated the Tigers 113-112 at Melbourne Park. Ronaldson (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists), McDonald (23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Smith (19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks) helped the Titans survive the one-point win.

Drmic (20 points and 6 rebounds) added another efficient scoring game against West Sydney on December 10 as Victoria defeated the Razorbacks 100-81, with Smith (22 points and 5 rebounds), Ronaldson (21 points) and McDonald (15 points and 13 rebounds) helping the Titans respond after a road win in Brisbane.

Smith (17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals) enjoyed a breakout season, leading Victoria in scoring and earning club MVP honours after increasing his role from the previous year. Ronaldson (16 points and 5.4 rebounds) remained team captain and one of the Titans’ most reliable scorers, while McDonald (13.8 points, 4 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.5 steals) again led both Victoria and the NBL in assists and steals. Wheeler (11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds), Pepper (10.4 points and 6 rebounds) and David Smith (5 points and 3 rebounds) helped Victoria deliver a balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures. The Titans finished fourth with a 20-8 record, built their season around a 11-3 home record and entered the playoffs against Melbourne.

Victoria opened the elimination finals at Melbourne Park, where Melbourne took game one 101-94 despite Smith (22 points and 5 rebounds), McDonald (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Drmic (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists) leading the Titans.

Game two stayed at Melbourne Park, where Victoria answered with a 78-70 win behind Ronaldson (18 points and 5 rebounds), McDonald (15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Smith (13 points and 4 rebounds) and Drmic (12 points and 11 rebounds), forcing a deciding game.

Game three remained in Melbourne, where Victoria overcame Andrew Gaze (30 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) and eliminated the Tigers with a 105-96 win. McDonald (29 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals) led the Titans, while Ronaldson (19 points and 7 rebounds), Smith (14 points) and Drmic (14 points and 8 rebounds) helped Victoria move into a semifinal series against Adelaide.

The semifinals opened in Melbourne, where Victoria defeated Adelaide 101-86 behind Ronaldson (26 points and 5 rebounds) and McDonald (24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks), taking game one against the team that had ended the Titans’ previous two seasons. Drmic (4 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) played 30:49 minutes in the win.

Game two moved to Adelaide, where Martin Cattalini (24 points and 7 rebounds) and Darnell Mee (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led the 36ers back into the series with a 95-72 win. Ronaldson (17 points and 5 rebounds), Drmic (14 points) and Smith (13 points) were Victoria’s main contributors as Adelaide forced another deciding game.

Game three remained at Adelaide Arena, where Victoria finally overcame the 36ers with a 93-89 win behind McDonald (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals), Pepper (21 points and 7 rebounds) and Drmic (19 points and 4 rebounds), while Mee (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) again filled the stat sheet for Adelaide. The win sent Victoria into its second straight Grand Final series and sparked a Titans celebration on court before the series with Perth had begun.

The Grand Final series opened at Melbourne Park, where Perth defeated Victoria 84-78 behind league MVP Paul Rogers (24 points and 20 rebounds). Ronaldson (25 points) led the Titans, while Drmic (13 points and 4 rebounds), Smith (11 points) and McDonald (8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) kept Victoria within reach.

Game two moved to Perth, where Marcus Timmons (27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals) led the Wildcats to a 83-76 win and was named Finals MVP as Perth completed the sweep. McDonald (25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) led Victoria, while Drmic (15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) played 36:50 minutes in the 83-76 loss.

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.

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