Wildcats back on home soil

After 37 days and 11 consecutive games away from home, the Perth Wildcats finally returned to Perth on Monday.

Players, coaches and support staff were forced out of Perth on 1 February when the state went into lockdown and, with the running of the NBL Cup in Melbourne, were unable to return until now.

Captain Jesse Wagstaff expressed his delight in being back on home soil.

“It’s good, it’s good to be home. It was a long time away but it’s very good to be home,” he said.

“It’ll be good to get home, to get some sense of normality and some routine as well, it will be nice over the next few days.”

WA borders opened to Victoria on Monday, meaning the players won’t need to quarantine.

“It’s huge. We were lucky last time to get the exemption, and things were reasonably cruisy with it, but it’s certainly nice to have a bit of freedom.”

The Wildcats won seven of their eight NBL Cup games in Melbourne, and you have to go back more than two decades to the 1999/2000 season for the last time the club was able to win seven of their last eight games away from Perth.

Wagstaff said the environment worked for his team.

“It’s nice to be around the guys day in, day out, you learn about them off the court as well and just hang out,” he said.

“It’s half the battle in this league I think, team chemistry, and getting along, just generally liking your teammate.”

The Wildcats can now finish this successful chapter of the 2020/21 NBL Season, and move back into the home-and-away phase of the year with a 9-4 record – just a win outside of top-spot.

Their first game back at RAC Arena is on Friday against the Cairns Taipans.