Mitchell Frei
{{short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Mitchell Frei
|fullname =
|image = mitchellfrei.jpg
|imagesize = 300px
|caption = Frei playing for the Newcastle Knights in the NSW Cup in 2013.
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1992|2|9}}
|birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
|height = {{convert|191|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|108|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|PR|SR|LK}}
|club1 = {{nowrap|Sydney Roosters}}
|year1start = 2016
|year1end =
|appearances1 = 7
|tries1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 0
|retired =
| teamA = {{nowrap|Queensland Residents}}
| yearAstart = 2014
| yearAend = 17
| appearancesA = 3
| triesA = 1
| goalsA = 0
| fieldgoalsA = 0
| pointsA = 4
| updated = 7 January 2024
}}
Mitchell Frei (born 9 February 1992) is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who most recently played for the Brisbane Tigers in the Intrust Super Cup. Frei had also played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, the Souths Logan Magpies and Wyong Roos. He plays at {{rlp|sr}} and {{rlp|lk}}.
Background
Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Frei is of German and South African descent{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Queensland/Players/8/8212/8212.html|title=Queensland Cricket Archive|publisher=Cricketarchive.com|date=|accessdate=2016-03-20}}http://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/378/ZP_Files/south-african-rugby-league_press-release.zp52247.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} and played his junior rugby league for the Albany Creek Crushers,{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/southeast/wynnum-manly-seagulls-lock-mitchell-frei-is-excited-to-join-the-sydney-roosters/news-story/997f217a0a6d4166ee8f1138d4e24bf7|title=Wynnum Manly Seagulls lock Mitchell Frei is excited to join the Sydney Roosters|publisher=Couriermail.com.au|date=2015-06-30|accessdate=2016-03-18}} before being signed by the Brisbane Broncos.
Frei is the son of Australian former cricketer Harry Frei, his younger brothers Brendan and Jackson are also rugby league players.{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/mitchell-frei-chip-off-the-old-block/story-e6frep5x-1225988427802|title=Mitchell Frei chip off the old block|publisher=Couriermail.com.au|date=2011-01-16|accessdate=2016-03-18}}
Playing career
=Early career=
From 2010 to 2012, Frei played for the Brisbane Broncos' NYC team.{{cite web|url=http://nycdatabase.org/players/f/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035513/http://nycdatabase.org/players/f/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 March 2016|title=F|publisher=Nyc Database|date=27 December 2012|accessdate=2016-03-13}}
On 21 April 2012, he played for the Queensland under-20s team against the New South Wales under-20s team.{{cite web|url=http://m.nrl.com/AbouttheGame/ToyotaCupInformation/ToyotaCupTrophy/tabid/10858/Default.aspx|title=U20's State of Origin|publisher=M.nrl.com|date=|accessdate=2015-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210224018/http://m.nrl.com/AbouttheGame/ToyotaCupInformation/ToyotaCupTrophy/tabid/10858/Default.aspx|archive-date=10 February 2015|url-status=dead}}
On 13 November 2012, he signed a 1-year contract with the Newcastle Knights starting in 2013.{{cite web|last=Dick|first=Barry|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/newcastle-knights-sign-promising-brisbane-broncos-forward-mitchell-frei-on-a-one-year-deal/story-fn2mcuj6-1226516000570?nk=18d3aa2abad0e90b3fedc17e1627ecf0-1458212511|title=Newcastle Knights sign promising Brisbane Broncos forward Mitchell Frei on a one-year-deal|date=2012-11-13|accessdate=2016-03-06}}{{cite web|author=NewcastleKnights.com.au|url=http://www.zerotackle.com/mitchell-frei-signs-knights-8117/#2MGbtuVVSSUj5Iop.97|title=Mitchell Frei signs with Knights|publisher=Zero Tackle|date=2012-11-13|accessdate=2016-03-18}}
After playing in the New South Wales Cup and failing to play a first-grade game for the Knights, he joined the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup in 2014.{{cite web|author=NRL|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2014/05/05/rd10_highlights_wynnum_v_dolphins.html|title=Rd10 Highlights - Wynnum v Dolphins|publisher=QRL|date=4 May 2014|accessdate=2016-03-18}}
On 9 July 2014, he played for the Queensland Residents against the New South Wales Residents.{{cite web|author=NRL|url=http://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2014/07/09/vb_nsw_cup_rep_team_go_down_to_qld_residents_.html|title=VB NSW Cup Rep Team go down to QLD Residents|publisher=NSWRL|date=9 July 2014|accessdate=2016-03-18}} On 3 May 2015, he again played for the Queensland Residents against the New South Wales Residents.{{cite web|author=Published by John Dean|url=http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/2015-qld-residents-team-named/|title=2015 QLD RESIDENTS TEAM NAMED|publisher=Rugby League Week|date=2015-04-26|accessdate=2016-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326004702/http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/2015-qld-residents-team-named/|archive-date=26 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
In May 2015, he signed a 1-year contract with the Sydney Roosters starting in 2016. On 11 September 2015, he was named the Queensland Cup Lock of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/09/11/gala_dinner_award_wi.html|title=Gala Dinner award winners|publisher=QRL Media|date=11 September 2015|accessdate=2016-03-13}}
=2016=
In Round 3 of the 2016 NRL season, Frei made his NRL debut for the Roosters against the North Queensland Cowboys, coming off the interchange bench in the Roosters' 0-40 loss at 1300SMILES Stadium. At years end he left the Roosters to join Wynnum-Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/updated-round-3-nrl-team-lists/tabid/10874/newsid/93781/default.aspx|title=UPDATED: Round 3 NRL team lists|publisher=NRL.com|date=|accessdate=2016-03-18}}{{cite web|author=NRL|url=http://www.roosters.com.au/news/2016/03/17/nrl_late_mail_round_.html|title=NRL Late Mail | Round 3|publisher=Roosters|date=17 March 2016|accessdate=2016-03-18}}
=2017=
Frei returned to the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in 2017, after not being re-signed by the Roosters. Frei remained with Wynnum Manly until the conclusion of the 2018 season, playing a total of 43 games across two seasons.https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/mitchell-frei/summary.html
=2019=
In 2019, Frei signed with the Souths Logan Magpies in the Queensland Cup, playing 24 games across 2019 and 2020.
=2021=
Frei made the move to the Brisbane Tigers for the 2021 season, playing 21 games and scoring 5 tries for the year, marking the last season in his Rugby League career.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160324163839/http://www.roosters.com.au/team/profiles/mitchell_frei.html 2016 Sydney Roosters profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frei, Mitchell}}
Category:Australian people of German descent
Category:Australian people of South African descent
Category:Sportspeople of South African descent
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Queensland Residents rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league second-rows
Category:Rugby league players from Brisbane
Category:Sydney Roosters players