From the Cockburn Cougars to the Perth Wildcats Academy

Charlie's basketball journey began at Cockburn Basketball in Under 10s. His younger brother, Max, quickly followed a similar path, though they didn't play organised basketball together until they reached Under 16s.

“I first played with my brother Max in domestic… You know, it's pretty cool to play alongside my brother. Never really thought I'd do that, it was just a bit of fun at the time”

Years later, the sibling duo were reunited on the court as they were both named in the Rio Tinto Wildcats Academy, Max shared the moment they found out together with their family.

“I think we were in the kitchen and then I wasn't surprised that my brother (Charlie) got named in because he was pretty good. Then dad keeps reading the names, and then he reads my name off, and I'm like what? Because, you know, I wasn't that good, a bit average.”

“I accepted it & it's a really good opportunity. I was just so shocked." 

The pair praise the Cockburn Cougars Youth development pathways as being second to none. Charlie noted the guidance from one of the club’s coaches, and former Wildcats Assistant coach, Andy Stewart was key to unlocking their potential.

“This is the spot to get better, I reckon. My main coach at Cockburn is Andy Stewart, he's given me what I can do today and he's probably been my number one coach.” 

Max also spoke on the importance of having an experienced coach to learn from. “This season now or so, I've gotten a lot better. Better with Andy (Stewart). You know he is strict and you don't want to do the wrong thing, and it just makes me want to push harder. Cockburn’s youth development is really, really good. Developed many other kids, not just me, and there is going to be a bright future for Cockburn.”

When asked about matching up against each other at the Wildcats Academy, there was no holding back on who was going to get the better of the other.

Charlie: “Battling against him in training and stuff and wanting to beat him up at training was good, he was pretty excited to go head to head with me and try to be better than me. But that's just never the case”

Max: “Me. Did he say he was? Yeah that didn’t happen”

The Wildcats Academy gave the brothers a glimpse into the life of a professional basketball player, through unforgettable experiences such as NBL preseason & pro week.

Max: “Pro week was where you trained like how the Wildcats players would train. Getting in early in the gym, then two hours of on court training for four days and then we got to do massages and stuff that real basketball players, pros would do. It was a good experience to follow in their footsteps and it was just a good time.” 
Charlie: “During my time at Wildcats Academy, Keegan thankfully invited me down to do some Wildcats pre-season as well. So, that was really good. Got to play against Alex Sarr and Bryce Cotton, that was pretty cool and yeah I won't forget that.”

Cockburn & the Academy both value the development of WA talent and this paid off with Charlie earning his spot on the Cougars NBL1 team, along with heading over to IMG Academy, one of the top basketball high schools in the states.

“When I went to play in Florida, they would train nearly everyday. So doing Cockburn one day, then Wildcats Academy the next day, you know that's going throughout the week & it definitely helped me with loading my body. You can speak to Keegan or John Rillie really about college and stuff and they would give you contacts and put a good word in for you.”

Max’s journey is progressing at the same rate, with him valuing the environment of the Academy and trying to soak up every bit of information possible. 

“Keegan Crawford has been a really good mentor for me and he's part of the reason I’ve gotten better. My confidence is up and if something is wrong he'll tell me straight forward, and he doesn't muck around, and I like that, I respect him.” 

“It's definitely helped me out of my comfort zone and I'm trying different things, realising what I'm good at. What I'm not good at. Going against other people on the same pathway as me. Gives me a really good opportunity to get better.” 

Although sharing a similar journey, the two are blossoming into their own identities as athletes. Safe to say with the foundation & support systems built by Cockburn and the pathways the Academy provides, these two will continue to grow as players & people.

The Cockburn Cougars take on the Lakeside Lightning tonight at Wally Hagan Stadium from 6:30PM, head on down if you’re in the area.