Harry Froling was told that he would never play basketball again.
He is the victim of a devastating one-punch attack that left him needing life-saving brain surgery.
The 26-year-old centre’s life changed forever on the night of January 21, 2023, but his story is a remarkable one, with Froling fighting to make an inspiring comeback to the court.
‘I was never meant to play basketball again. I’m not even meant to be alive,’ Froling told The Daily Telegraph.
He added: ”I was in a pretty dark place for a good 12 to 14 months.
‘My whole identity since I was little was basketball and it started out going to my dad’s training sessions. Basketball was my first love and I didn’t know anything different.
‘It’s definitely a reality check when something you love gets taken away from you.’
Harry Froling has spoken out on the devastating one-punch injury that left him needing life-saving brain surgery
The promising basketball star was on a night out when he was punched in the head by an attacker
He subsequently underwent brain surgery and had three plates inserted into his brain
Basketball runs in the Froling family, with Harry’s brother Sam playing for the Illawarra Hawks. He also has two sisters, Keely and Alicia, who both play in the WNBL while his mum, Jenny, is a three-time WNBL champion. His father, Shane, played for Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane and Townsville.
Harry had been enjoying a few drinks at his brother Sam’s house in Wollongong after the pair had faced off on the court.
Harry’s Brisbane Bullets had beaten his brother’s side Illawarra Hawks.
The pair had gone into town to have a few more drinks but at around 2.30am Harry was punched by a man after the basketball star was seen talking to a group of women, one of which included the man’s girlfriend.
The basketball star dropped to the floor and was subsequently taken to hospital – but he cannot remember the punch.
His attacker, Nathan Mesinez, was handed a two-year and seven-month prison sentence with a non-parole period of one year and four months.
Froling said he had been unaware of his surroundings and was admitted to the Wollongong hospital where he was treated.
Doctors hooked him up to an IV drip and had tried to give him a brain scan, which he did not consent to.
Vision shown in court captured the moment the Wollongong man struck Froling in the head
The former Brisbane Bullets star then fractured his skull on the concrete footpath as his assailant and his friends walked away
Froling said the incident left him ‘depressed’ and he had suffered PTSD during his recovery
He subsequently discharged himself from the hospital, heading back to the hotel that Brisbane were staying in, and would fly back home the next day – unaware that he had suffered a major brain injury.
Froling had a headache and stated that he had been asked by members of the team’s staff if he wanted to go back to the hospital, but refused.
He claimed it was a ‘miracle I survived the flight’ noting how the pressure on board the plane could have been fatal considering the haematomas he had suffered.
The 6ft 11in basketball star’s condition had worsened after he had gotten off the flight and his partner Emalee subsequently took him to Brisbane Hospital.
He underwent scans but was immediately taken to Brisbane Royal Hospital to undergo surgery on his brain.
Fortunately, the surgery was a success, with doctors placing three plates in his head. He was also left with a big scar on his head.
Froling would stay in hospital for a further 10 days, but after being discharged, he experienced symptoms that included headaches and dizziness. He would also have flashbacks from the night and has PTSD from the incident.
Amid the aftereffects of the injury and not being able to play basketball again, Froling became depressed.
Froling (right) has made an inspiring comeback to the court and has been training with Mackay’s NBL1 side
‘I was depressed and I got to the point where I was damaging my relationships with people. I was having issues with mum and dad, relatives and friends. I was just a bad person to be around,’ he said.
But a few confronting conversations with two former team-mates and several family members helped him turn things around, with Froling adopting a new outlook on his situation.
Froling would go on to change his diet and would spend some time in Mackay, taking up hobbies including spearfishing.
Here, he would also begin training again with their NBL1 side, and while he is not quite ready to return to play in the NBL he plans to be fit to play in the NBL1 next May.
‘It has been a long journey, but I’m proud of myself for fighting to reach this point.’
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