Tornadoes can't help Froling in love with recruit

Emerging Opal Keely Froling - daughter of NBL and WNBL pair Shane and Jenny and one of four Froling siblings playing in the country's top-flight competition - has been announced as the Tornadoes' second signing for season 2020, joining home-grown talent Ellie Collins.

Three months out from her side's opening fixture on April 18, head coach Sarah Veale said Froling's signature was fantastic for the club.

"We are so excited," Veale said.

"To have someone of Keely's calibre, experience and the kind of young woman she is ... wanting to come and be part of our team is incredible and we're really proud and pumped and we can't wait to get her here.

"We wanted to sign an athletic big and Keely ticks all of those boxes - she's athletic, she's a competitor, she's an elite athlete and she's played at the elite level as well and she'll be a fantastic role model for these girls."

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A 188cm forward, Froling represented Australia in FIBA's 3x3 world qualifiers in April last year and is averaging 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game for the WNBL's third-placed Canberra Capitals this season.

The 23-year-old said Launceston had presented as a great fit both on-court and off-court, where she is studying her final year of physiotherapy.

"They're really big on development which is something I really like and then they're really big on the off-court stuff, so education and uni, and I just think it sounded like a really good fit for me," Froling said.

Froling is no stranger to Launceston having travelled to Elphin for SEABL matches with Canberra, where she averaged 17.3 points a game in 2017 and 19 a game in 2018.

"Launceston has always been a great team and the thing I always loved about going there was how good the community support was.

"Every game we were there no matter how cold it was or how bad the weather was there'd always be a big crowd so that's a really awesome part of it.

"My Dad actually played for Hobart back when it was in the NBL so Mum and Dad both lived there when they were a lot younger.

"Every time I've been I've really loved it so I'm really excited to live there for a little bit and to see all the sights."

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Circled in Froling's diary is an April 25 clash with Ballarat Rush at Elphin - the Tornadoes' first home game of the season.

The North-West Thunder double-header fixture is set to play host to the first professional meeting between Froling and her twin sister Alicia, who missed this season's WNBL with injury.

The pair's younger brothers Harry (Hobart Huskies, Adelaide 36ers) and Sam (Illawarra Hawks) also played in Tasmania last year.

"Mum and Dad both played in the national league and Australian junior teams and stuff like that so we were always around it growing up," Froling said.

"We were super competitive and had a lot of backyard battles on the court.

"Even now it's really competitive about who's the best and who's doing the best."

The Tornadoes are expected to announce another squad addition in the coming weeks, with contract negotiations under way with their third and final import.

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