Sam (left) and Harry Froling as youngsters. The pair admit it’s a special time for them to both be playing for the Illawarra Hawks. Photos: Froling family.
This season at the Illawarra Hawks hasn’t just been about basketball for brothers Sam and Harry Froling.
For big brother Harry, 27, and Sam (who turns 26 on 10 February), it’s been about something a bit more special … getting to share this time together.
This was an unlikely reunion in the first place. Harry had his NBL career (and life for that matter) almost ended as the victim of a coward punch in January 2023 in Wollongong while out with his then Brisbane Bullet teammates. His miraculous return to the NBL this season came courtesy of being an injury replacement for Sam, who blew his achilles during the Hawks’ championship series last season.
They’ve come from the kind of family where everything was a competition. Their parents Jenny and Shane are legends of the sport and their older twin sisters Keely and Alicia are WNBL stars.
So this story isn’t a basketball story, it’s a story of brotherhood and it’s best told in their words. Because when you grow up, life moves fast. Careers take people in different directions. Most siblings don’t get many chances to live the same chapter of life together, again, like Sam and Harry have (this is the second time they’ve played together at the Hawks).
And somewhere between the laughs and the jokes as we sit on the balcony outside one of their favourite haunts, Utopia Cafe Bar, you can hear something real underneath it. How much they’ve got each other’s backs, how proud they are and how grateful they are to be sharing this moment.
Before we talk about anything else … what’s the most “brothers being brothers” thing that’s happened since Harry came back into the Hawks’ orbit?
Sam (to Harry, after a moment’s thought): Maybe when you got angry at me during the session and tried to dunk on me from the free throw line.
Harry: We were going at it in training – no foul call or something – and it turned into one of those old-school things where we start fouling each other harder and harder until it gets to a point. I somehow got an open line and I’m still coming back from being out for a while … losing weight, getting my athleticism back … so I tried taking off from the free throw line — never take off from the free throw line – and it just goes straight back rim to half court. I saw Sam, I saw red and I was like, I’m just gonna try and jump over him and dunk it. We sort of clash bodies, both go flying.
If someone walked into this room and had no idea who you were, how would you describe each other?
Sam: Loud. Funny. Good time.
Harry: Sam’s cool, calm, collected. Good teammate. He loves a bit of banter too. Not as funny as me … but he loves the banter.
First word that comes to mind when you think of your brother?
Sam: Loyalty.
Harry: Genuine.
When you think back to being kids, what do you remember most – chaos, competition, or laughs?
Sam: The laughs. Good times.
Harry: Fights. My memory’s a bit skewed – I’m the big brother, so I was always … not the bully … but I was always big-dogging him until he got to a point where he could fight back. But yeah – fun, laughter.
Were you always close?
Harry: Yeah, pretty close. Keely and Alicia were twins so they were obviously close too but they bickered full-time. Me and Sam, it wasn’t really bickering. If someone pissed someone off, we’d fight, wrestle, scrap… and then we’d be fine. We were outdoors doing stuff. Both hoopers. Similar friendship groups. Pretty close.”
Every sibling relationship has roles – who’s the calm one and who’s the stirrer?
Harry: Sam’s the calm one. I’m the shit stirrer. Sam’s a shit stirrer too … he flies under the radar, which is why I got in way more trouble as a kid. Biggest, loudest … he just sat back and got away with it.
Sam (with a knowing grin): When you’ve got three older siblings you sit back, watch what they do to get in trouble and don’t do that.
What’s something about your brother people don’t see from the outside?
Sam: A big thing people say after they meet Harry is he’s actually a really good dude. He’s loud and likes being the centre of attention, so at first people don’t always like that – but when you spend time with him you realise it’s genuine.
Harry: Sam’s switched on with everything. Quiet sometimes, but really intelligent. And he’ll help people out without credit. If stuff goes wrong, he’s always there. He’s not spruiking it like ‘I helped this guy, helped that guy’. It’s just loyalty.
Are you more supportive of each other, or harder on each other because you’re brothers?
Sam: Supportive. Whenever we compete it’s hard – who’s better – but as soon as we’re in our own situations, it’s full support. We hate everyone you’re competing against.
Harry: It’s different to Keely and Alicia. They’d be like ‘I want to be better than you’ nonstop. Not a knock – just twins. Me and Sam … I started a bit quicker, then he built, then my stuff changed. You just support each other, give advice.
One word to describe the Froling family?
Harry: Loyal. Competitive too.
Sam: Consistent. No matter what, we’re always the same with each other. Always look after each other. Always turn up and work when we need to, whether we feel crappy or not. We always turn up for who we need to.
Do you talk basketball at home?
Sam: Ninety per cent of the time.
Harry: During the week it’s more ‘How you going? How’s training?’ But after a game it’s critique: what you did wrong, what you did right. Dad coached, Mum coached. Some days you want to hear it, some days you don’t want to.
Best thing about having your brother in your corner?
Harry: It’s special. How often do you become an adult and you only see a sibling once a year? We’ve never really had that. Whatever happens on or off the court … if it hits the fan, I’ve always got them all. Sam’s always been there for me. You have rough times in life and basketball — friends and family get you through it.
Sam: Harry’s always been positive. We’ll go at each other in a scrimmage, but then it’s advice – sometimes unasked-for advice. And people who’ve coached him will tell me how much praise he’s had for me. Knowing he’s always had my back gives you a boost of confidence and drive.
Most annoying thing about having your brother around all the time?
Sam: He knows exactly what buttons to push to piss me off.
Harry (smiling): He calls it ‘rage baiting’. He’ll react, then look at me and see me smiling and realise I did it on purpose. I’ll be giggling with Grida (close friend and team-mate Dan Grida) or someone like I’m ‘reeling him in’.
Sam: I’m still learning when he’s doing it.
If you could thank your brother for one thing, what would it be?
Harry: Just being there for me. I had a rough patch with my stuff … and Sam was the one I leaned on most. You’ve got a different relationship with your brother. Behind-the-scenes stuff he did for me – that’s the biggest.
Sam: He’s always been there. And I was lucky as the younger brother – I got to learn from his experiences. He went through things blind and had to learn it all on his own, then he shared it with me. I’ve always appreciated that.
In 20 years, what do you hope this Hawks chapter meant for your relationship?
Sam: Cool. We didn’t really play together growing up, then once you go pro, what are the chances you play with your brother again? To have two years of it … pretty cool. Training every day … it’ll be something we look back on. Stories we’ll trade around a barbecue.
In closing, what will you tell your kids about this time when you’re around the barbecue?
Harry: I’d say it was pretty cool to watch him develop and see how he handles himself as a leader and as a basketball player. I’d say it’s a cool thing to do if you ever get the chance to play with your sibling. Obviously, we’re lucky, because even with Keely and Alicia in the WNBL we’re always in similar cities and you always get a chance to catch up more than probably people would that are working a nine-to-five job every day. Try to be around your siblings as much as you can. And don’t take it for granted.
Sam: I’d tell the kids how talented he was then we’d team up against them on the court and beat the hell out of ‘em …
Well, there you have it. The Froling brothers. Both different individuals but together, quite the combo. Good luck to the future Froling offspring … you’re gonna need it.
The Illawarra Hawks final home game of the season will be at the WIN Entertainment Centre against archrivals the Sydney Kings on 13 February at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster
