Perth Wildcats Announce Hall of Fame and Inaugural Inductees

The Perth Wildcats are excited to introduce the club’s Hall of Fame.

In a first of its kind for the Wildcats, the Hall of Fame will recognise past players, coaches and support staff who had and continue to have a great impact on the club.

The selection panel for inductees consists of former Wildcats players who have had their numbers retired, Mike Ellis, James Crawford, Ricky Grace, Andrew Vlahov, Scott Fisher and Shawn Redhage, along with Wildcats General Manager of Business Sam Fotu and Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills.

The players whose numbers have been retired have automatically been inducted into the Hall of Fame under “Legend” status.

Perth Wildcats General Manager of Business Operations Sam Fotu said the Hall of Fame is a great way to honour those who have contributed to the club.

“The most successful club in NBL history is only as strong as those that have set up the foundation for this incredible success,” he said.

“Only a select few will ever see their jersey hanging from the rafters of RAC Arena, however, there have been many amazing people that have contributed in countless ways to help build the club."

The Hall of Fame will recognise, honour, and celebrate their contributions to the Perth Wildcats and Eric Watterson, Paul Rogers and Bob Williams represent all the qualities of what it means to be part of this outstanding organisation.

Perth Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills said the introduction of the Hall of Fame is something all Wildcats fans can be proud of.

“The introduction of the Perth Wildcats Hall of Fame is an extremely exciting announcement for the both the organisation and the Red Army to be proud of,” he said.

“We now have a platform to officially recognise the contributions of so many of our past players, coaches, support staff, and administrators who have all played a major part in the success of building this historic club from 1982 to where it is today.

“This club is rich in history and tradition, and we are thrilled that the on-court achievements of Eric Watterson and Paul Rogers and the Wildcats first owner, Bob Williams are being inducted as the inaugural class.”

Each year, up to four people will be inducted into the Wildcats Hall of Fame, which will be publicly announced and presented at a Wildcats home game.

This year, we are delighted to announce the following inaugural inductees:

Eric Watterson

Eric Watterson is a two-time Perth Wildcats champion, joining the club in 1984 and being a part of the 1990 and 1991 championship winning teams. Watterson played 306 Wildcats games and was just the second Wildcats player behind Mike Ellis to reach the 300-game milestone. The Eric Watterson Medal for the Players’ Player is awarded annually by current Wildcats players to the teammate who best embodies the team and club values.

Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers played nine of his 12 seasons in the NBL with the Perth Wildcats, winning championships with the club in 2000 and 2010, and captaining the side from 2007-2009. Rogers was crowned league MVP in 2000 and was also named in the All-NBL First team in 2000 and 2002. Rogers was a part of the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games and won Gold with the Boomers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Bob Williams

Bob Williams was the first private owner of the Perth Wildcats, acquiring the team in 1986. Williams rescued the Wildcats from near-collapse and reshaped the club from struggling newcomers to a championship-winning powerhouse. His vision and business experience allowed the club to grow, and he was instrumental in bringing across big Wildcats names such as Cal Bruton and James Crawford.