The Australian basketball player whose career was cut short by a single punch has expressed relief after his attacker was jailed.
Former NBL player Harry Froling was left unconscious outside a nightclub in Wollongong in January last year.
That brutal attack forced him to undergo surgery for a skull fracture and a brain hemorrhage and ended his career as a basketball player with the Brisbane Bullets.
Even after 19 months of recovery, the 26-year-old still battles headaches and memory problems, but knows he is lucky to be alive after his head became stuck in the concrete walkway after he was knocked unconscious while standing.
The man behind the attack, Nathan Mesinez, was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, with a non-parole period of 16 months, in the Wollongong District Court on Friday.
Now Froling has gone public with his account of the attack and said he was glad to be able to move on after unfounded allegations that he had instigated the fight.
The video clearly shows that Froling never raised his hands or acted like an aggressor in any way, even after being pushed by an unknown woman from Wollongong.
“I’m happy it’s finally over,” Froling said. ESPN.
Australian basketball player Harry Froling saw his career cut short by a cowardly punch
Video shown in court captured the moment the Wollongong man punched Froling in the head.
The former Brisbane Bullets star then fractured his skull on the concrete pavement as his attacker and his friends walked away.
“It’s been a long and complicated process, without knowing anything because I have no memory of the night of the incident,” Froling continued.
“I had been hearing from third parties, accusations and different things that happened throughout the night, and now seeing the true facts of what happened, it’s definitely a relief to know that I didn’t do anything that warrants a hard blow.”
Froling also revealed that Mesinez’s associates had continued to threaten him during the recovery period and while the matter was before the court.
“Despite the barrage of messages and threats I’ve been receiving from his family and friends, here is the truth,” X posted on social media platform with the vision of the assault.
‘All the evidence is public, I was never aggressive and I did not respond to his girlfriend’s pushes. I was never in trouble or under investigation for anything.
‘This is where the victim-blaming ends. No beating around the bush. The attacker also got into a fight that same night and obviously wanted to cause trouble.
‘All the evidence is publicly available, and just because someone is loud and ‘annoying’ is no reason to cowardly hit them.’
The shocking image shows the surgery that was necessary to relieve bleeding in the brain.
Although Froling will never play professional basketball again, he is glad the ordeal is finally over.
Although Froling’s professional career is over, she hopes to rebuild her basketball career. Froling’s name is well known in Australian basketball, with her twin sisters Keely and Alicia competing in the NBL and WNBL.
His mother, Jenny, was a famous Australian basketball star in the 1980s, while his father, Shane, is a former NBL player and coached title-winning representative teams. His brother, Sam, is a current NBL player with the Hawks.
Harry has reconnected with his state league team, the Mackay Meteors, to work on strength and conditioning and hopes to one day return to playing the sport he loves, at any level.
“I dream of playing basketball again,” Froling said.
‘There’s still a long way to go, but I’m doing everything I can to get back to it.
‘I’m doing what I can. It’s my career. It’s my first love. I want to be in that space in some way.
‘It’s been great being around Mackay Basketball, and those guys helping me, and just rehabbing, being with the weight trainer, all that kind of stuff; just trying to stay healthy and manage my overall health.
“If I could play again, that’s my dream. It all depends on how I feel and how my body responds. I guess that’s the difficult part.”
“I may never play again, and that’s the reality, but I would love to and I’m doing everything I can to be as healthy as possible and recover from this.”