Redhage Jersey to be Immortalised in Wildcats Rafters

The Perth Wildcats will honour the outstanding career and legacy of club great Shawn Redhage by retiring his famous number 42 jersey.

Redhage played 380 games for the Perth Wildcats over 13 seasons, sitting third on the club’s all-time games played list.

His incredible list of accolades include:

• 4 x NBL championships (2010, 2014, 2016, 2017)
• 6 x Gordon Ellis Medal Winner for Club MVP
• 2 x All-NBL First Team (2008, 2010)
• 3 x All-NBL Second Team (2006, 2007, 2009)
• 2 x All-NBL Third Team (2011, 2013)
• Perth Wildcats Captain from 2009 - 2013
• Perth Wildcats 40^th Anniversary Team member

After joining the NBL in 2005, Redhage debuted for the Perth Wildcats on September 2 2005, managing an impressive 27 points and six rebounds, setting the tone for what was to become one of the most successful basketball careers in the country. 

Redhage averaged 18 points per game over his career, earning him the nickname “The Scoring Machine.”

Three years after entering the league, Florida-born Redhage became a naturalised Australian and represented the Boomers at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Redhage’s jersey will be the seventh number retired by the club, joining Wildcats greats Ricky Grace #15, Andrew Vlahov #21, James Crawford #7, Scott Fisher #30, Mike Ellis #6, and Scott Fenton #14 who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1989 while playing for the Wildcats.

The official banner-raising ceremony will take place on Friday 20 January in front of the Red Army at RAC Arena. Not only does this align with the Wildcats Heritage Round game, the number 42 jersey will be raised to the rafters one day before Redhage’s 42^nd birthday.

Redhage said he never thought this would be a possibility when he first joined the club.

“It's a huge honour,” he said.

"The names that are up there with their jerseys retired, to be able to be part of that club is special, I didn't even think that was in the realm of possibilities when I first came over in 2005.

"I love this club and it's an honour to be recognised in that way."

The confirmation of Redhage’s jersey retirement comes with a strong contribution from former club greats, Ricky Grace, Andrew Vlahov and Mike Ellis. As the Wildcats continue to embrace its strong bond with former players, Grace, Vlahov and Ellis will formally join a committee with other club officials to be part of the process to determine future jersey retirements. 

Vlahov said he couldn’t be prouder to share this exciting news with Redhage.  

“Shawn is very deserving, his list of achievements is extensive and as a Wildcat, to me, he embodies exactly what we want here at the club,” he said.

“He was a team-first kind of guy but was obviously very talented and he deserves to be up in the rafters.

“When you look at what he’s achieved in his time, the championships, the club MVPS, the time he spent at the club, I couldn’t be prouder of the guy and he’s a fantastic human being.”