NICKNAME/S: Mayor of Wanneroo

BIO: Greg Hire was born in Perth (WA) and is a product of Wanneroo Basketball Association. Hire is the son of a Hungarian immigrant, his mother having moved to Australia as a refugee and settled in Perth, Western Australia. Hire’s parents did not have a healthy relationship and split when he was around 10 years old. He grew up around domestic violence, drugs, alcohol, depression and a lack of positive role models.

He eventually turned to basketball, where at Woodvale Senior High School, he played basketball and Australian Rules football. Hire represented Western Australia at both the under-18 and under-20 national championships.

He was a fan of the Perth Wildcats growing up, idolising club legends Andrew Vlahov and Scott Fisher.

Hire played four years of college basketball in the United States before joining the Perth Wildcats in 2010 as a development player having earned his call-up after a strong season played state level basketball with Wanneroo.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Greg Hire made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After winning the 2010 championship, Wildcats legends Paul Rogers and Martin Cattalini decided to retire, leaving room for Perth to bring in some younger talent. Ater Majok, Greg Hire, Cameron Tovey, Jeremiah Trueman, and big man Matthew Knight being the key addition. Perth had beaten out multiple offers from both European and NBL team’s offering contracts to Knight, who had spent the past season playing in Hungary. During the off-season, he was pursued by multiple European and NBL clubs, but Knight, who had previously played under coach Rob Beveridge and alongside Damian Martin with the Sydney Spirit before they exited the NBL, ultimately chose to sign with the Wildcats. Another major coup came with the team being able to retain star import Kevin Lisch despite him several European clubs offering him much larger contracts and re-signed Shawn Redhage (three-year deal).

Knight’s debut season for the Wildcats began positively before tearing his left calf muscle in a win over Melbourne (12 Dec). The injury ruled Knight out for two months, and a injury to Jesse Wagstaff (ankle ligaments) saw him on the sidelines as well shortly after. On Christmas Eve, the Wildcats signed Ater Majok (7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks) to a six-week deal as an injury replacement for Jesse Wagstaff and Matthew Knight. 8 games later Majok was released due to behavioural issues. Despite his short stint in Perth, Majok became a favourite amongst the Wildcat’s fans with due to his shot blocking ability, blocking a total of 11 shots in his first three games. This forced coach Beveridge to sign former NBA big man Andre Brown (9.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 0.6 steals) in a attempt to improve the interior weaknesses since losing Knight (12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds) and Wagstaff (8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds).

Shortly after, a hip injury to leading scorer Shawn Redhage (18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) resulted in losing him for the second half of the season, throwing another spanner into the Wildcats’ hunt for back-to-back titles. Redhage dislocated his left hip during a loss to Adelaide (77–76) on the road. Redhage had lunged for a contested ball in a way that punched the head of his femur through his pelvis, breaking the bone and dislocating the joint. The injury was originally feared to be career-ending, with Redhage potentially requiring a hip replacement.

The Wildcats lost four consecutive games following Redhage’s injury, winning only two from the team’s remaining eight matches, as Kevin Lisch (13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals) delivered another impressive season, scoring in double figures in all but nine games.

the Wildcats finished the season in fourth place (16-12) and would earn a semi final matchup against New Zealand.

The Undermanned Wildcats rode the brilliance of Kevin Lisch (29 points), who almost single-handedly won the opening game of the series for Perth (101-78 win). After losing in Auckland, the Breakers would travel to Perth and win games two (93-89) and three (99-83) before going on to defeat Cairns to win the 2011 NBL championship.

Kevin Lisch and Shawn Redhage were named co-MVPs for the Wildcats, and Damian Martin (8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals) claimed the league’s Best Defensive Player award for the first time. Martin also made history by becoming the first player to be named to the All-NBL First Team and average under nine points per game.Hire (1.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) impressed in his first season, showing a significant improvement in his fitness, mobility, strength and shooting, and took the floor in 13 games and subsequently earned the Coach’s Award for the 2011 season.

2011/12
In 2011, being too old to remain as a development player, and following another strong season in the SBL with the Wolves, Hire was elevated to the full-time roster where he was signed over Everard Bartlett and Tom Jervis for Perth’s last roster spot. The Wildcats looked to get back on top In 2011/12, by adding 7’2 centre Luke Nevill with a aim to re-create the ‘Perth Wall’ alongside Matthew Knight, Jesse Wagstaff and Shawn Redhage, who was returning to action returned to action after a career-threatening injury suffered the prior season.

Kevin Lisch, who re-signed with the Wildcats (two-year deal), was coined the ‘best import in the league’ by coach Rob Beveridge at the start of the year, and he certainly proved that during the five rounds of the season. With Damian Martin injured, Lisch ran the point for the first few weeks and averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game during October, guiding the Wildcat’s to a 3–1 record. Lisch (17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (the first Wildcats player to lead the NBL in scoring) and won the NBL Most Valuable Player award. Shawn Redhage (13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), Jesse Wagstaff (11.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) and Matthew Knight (10.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) were key to the Wildcat’s success, as was Damian Martin (7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists) claimed his second consecutive Best Defensive Player award.

Perth (19-9) entered the playoffs as the second seed, and after defeating Gold Coast in the semifinals (2-1), they would face New Zealand in the Grand Final. After losing to the Breakers in game one in Auckland, the Wildcat’s looked down and out in game two in Perth also. All looked lost for Perth In game two, who trailed the Breakers for much of the game until Hire, who had averaged five minutes a game for the season, delivered a rousing half-time speech before injecting life into Perth in the third term. Backing up his words, he registered seven points and four rebounds in the following quarter. Hire (2.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) led a Perth comeback that turned a 13 point deficit to a one-point win (87–86) and was decided only by a memorable final-second shot from Breakers guard CJ Bruton being blocked by Shawn Redhage.

It all ended with the team returning to Auckland for game three and suffering a six-point loss (79-73) in front of 9,258 New Zealand faithful, the largest NBL crowd of the season.

2012/13
Before the season began, the state-of-the-art Perth Arena was completed, with the 13,500 seat stadium becoming the new home of the Wildcat’s in 2012. Also, by 2012, Hire had become a key contributor to the Wildcat’s and was promoted to the team’s starting five and the club’s leadership group. Perth began the season hoping for Matthew Knight, who had undergone off-season shoulder surgery, to become the team’s go-to guy in the paint. Knight embraced the responsibility and excelled in the Wildcats’ season-opening win over the New Zealand Breakers, earning the NBL’s Player of the Week award for a 20-point, nine-rebound effort.

a early season win against the Townsville (Oct 14) saw Kevin Lisch (15.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists) play in his 100th consecutive NBL game and Rob Beveridge coach 100 games for the Wildcats. Amidst the celebrations however, Knight (13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists) succumbed to another injury that saw him miss four games. Import Michael Dunigan (13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks) was brought in as a short-term replacement, becoming a fan-favourite with his thunderous dunks and athletic blocks before exiting the club once Knight returned to health.

Ten games in, Perth faced another hurdle when co-captain Brad Robbins (3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) abruptly retired, citing he had lost his motivation and passion for the game. Rhys Carter (6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals), who had been playing in Sweden, was brought in as a replacement for Robbins and played the remaining 16 games as Damian Martin (6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) was elevated to co-captain alongside Shawn Redhage (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists) upon Robbins’ retirement. Shortly after, Cameron Tovey (1.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) also announced he would retire at the season’s end.

Despite the shuffling of the roster, the Wildcat’s went on to finish in second-place (22–6).

Lisch and Knight were both selected to the All-NBL first team and together, swept Wollongong in the semifinals (2-0), setting up a Grand Final rematch against New Zealand, their third time facing the Breakers in a playoff series in as many years. Damian Martin (6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals) won his third consecutive Best Defensive Player award before learning a injury to his Achilles would stop him from playing in the Grand Final series. a emergency call was then made to the retired Brad Robbins, who was rushed back into the lineup as a replacement, but with the team missing Martin, New Zealand defeated Perth in two straight games, winning their third consecutive championship in 2013. Hire averaged 4.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game during the season, with his playing minutes more than doubling from 2011/12.

2013/14
Having been defeated by the New Zealand Breakers in the previous two Grand Final series and then losing star import Kevin Lisch (to France), the Wildcat’s revamped their roster, looking to bring a new look squad and style that would deliver the team a sixth championship.

Team changes included the departure of Rob Beveridge, Kevin Lisch (who would follow Beveridge to Illawarra) and Cameron Tovey. The Wildcats’ then reloaded first by appointing Trevor Gleeson as head coach and signing two new imports in small forward James Ennis, who had just been selected as the 50th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, and shooting guard Jermaine Beal. Hard-nosed point guard Damian Martin would be named team captain, and Perth’s core group of Shawn Redhage, Jesse Wagstaff, and Matthew Knight all returned. Tom Jervis, as well as guards Drake U’U and Erik Burdon, were also signed to bolster the team’s bench. Hire was then named co-vice captain of the Wildcats’ alongside Shawn Redhage.

A search to replace a former NBL MVP is never easy, but when Wildcats managing director Nick Marvin and head coach Trevor Gleeson witnessed his ability first hand at the NBA Summer League, they knew they had a star.

Ennis opened the season with 25 points and 4 rebounds on debut, a three-point victory over arch-rivals Adelaide, the most points scored by a Wildcat on NBL debut at the time. Ennis would earn player of the month in his first month as a Wildcat as Perth began the season with a 8-0 start.

Injuries to Knight forced the club to sign Jarrad Prue and Jeremiah Trueman as short-term injury replacements in October and January, but the Wildcats were still the clear pacesetters for the league. In February 2014, Hire played his 100th NBL game, and by the league’s mid-season break for the All-Star game, Perth sat in first place with a 12-1. James Ennis (21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals) and Jermaine Beal (15.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), perfectly complemented the league’s best defender Damian Martin (7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals) and best villain Shawn Redhage (13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) and to no surprise, Perth finished the season on top of the ladder and reached the postseason for their 28th year in a row. Ennis and Beal were named to the All-NBL first and second team’s, respectively.

Once into the postseason, the Wildcat’s eliminated the Wollongong Hawks first in straight sets, while on the other side of the bracket, their historic rivals Adelaide eliminated Melbourne in three games to see both team’s progress to the 2014 Grand Final.

The grand final would see first-placed Perth face second-ranked Adelaide with game one held in Perth. Wildcats star import James Ennis (30 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) would lead Perth in points, rebounds, and assists, resulting in Perth claiming the win (92-85) and taking a 1-0 series lead.

Game two saw the 36ers force a deciding third game in front of 8,127 fans (their largest crowd of the season) rally their team to a 89-84 win behind high scoring from Gary Ervin (23 points) and a all-round game from Adam Gibson (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists) to even the series (1-1).

In response, 13,498 of Perth’s ‘red army’ would show up to see Perth defeat Adelaide and win their sixth NBL title. With James Ennis subdued by foul trouble, the Wildcat’s most experienced duo, Shawn Redhage and Damian Martin, were relied upon to pick up the slack. Redhage, scored 10 of his 16 points in the first term to help his team settle into the contest, while Martin produced a superb defensive effort on 36ers star Gary Ervin, limiting Adelaide’s game two hero to just four points while adding 14 points and six rebounds to the stat sheet. Greg Hire (9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jermaine Beal (15 points) provided key contributions to help Perth bury the demons of successive grand final defeats in the past two seasons.

While Anthony Petrie (20 points) gave up for the 36ers, he lacked the support from fellow starters Adam Gibson (8 points) and Daniel Johnson (9 points), both of whom had been influential in the first two games of the series.

After his huge opening game, Ennis struggled to make a impact in Games two and three, and Beal would go on to win Finals MVP after averaging 17.6 points per game, shooting 48% from beyond the three-point line. Hire was touted as a possible Grand Final MVP when he came off the bench in the deciding third game and contributed nine rebounds, and five assists to inspire the Wildcat’s to victory. He would finish the season by playing in 33 games and averaging 4.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

2014/15Hire appeared in the Wildcats’ season opener but then missed the next three months with a tear to his left calf muscle, a injury he sustained at training. He travelled with the team despite being sidelined to provide leadership and support from the bench. During his time off, Hire dropped roughly 3kg and lost 25mm of skinfolds due to the injury.

This season, Shawn Redhage (11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) would relinquish captaincy to Damian Martin (6.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 steals), who recorded a nine rebound, eight assist, and nine steals effort (second-most single game steals by a Wildcat ever, behind Ricky Grace’s 10) in a early season win over Sydney (84–63) before playing his 200th game on New Years Eve, a win over Wollongong (86–77).

While Martin’s brilliance anchored the backcourt, multiple injuries impacted the team’s frontcourt, with Knight (6 games) and Hire (19 games) both several games and Redhage going down to a stress fracture in his right foot that resulted in him missing Perth’s entire finals campaign.

With the departure of Ennis, Beal (16.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists) became Perth’s main offensive weapon despite another slow start to the season. In the season opener against the New Zealand Breakers, he went 2-of-17 from the field, and against Melbourne United (Nov 23), he went 0-of-10 from the field. Despite this, coach Trevor Gleeson was confident Beal would deliver and then recorded some of his biggest games. These included a game-high 25 points to go with four assists and four steals in a 83–64 win over the Wollongong Hawks as well as his best two performances of the season in back to back games, scoring 29 points against the Townsville Crocodiles (Nov 14), then notching up 27 points against the Sydney Kings (Nov 16). In February, Beal (24 points) was crucial in helping a game against New Zealand into two overtime periods. He put the Wildcat’s ahead 87–86 with two clutch free-throws in the dying moments of the second overtime, but ultimately, the Breakers won the game behind a buzzer-beating half-court shot from Cedric Jackson (87–89).

Beal finished amongst the league’s top five scorers through the regular season finishing with 450 points, leading the league with 69 made three-pointers, and won the club’s MVP award at the end of the season.

The Wildcats’ banged up roster still managed to finish in fourth place (16–12), with Matthew Knight earning a spot on the All-NBL Second Team, and Damian Martin named the NBL’s Best Defensive Player for the fifth consecutive year at the end of season awards.

Perth were then swiftly eliminated by first-placed Cairns in the semifinals (0-2). Beal delivered 20 points in game one and 21 points in game two but the Wildcats had no answer for the Taipans star guard Scottie Wilbekin. Wilbekin tallied 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in game one (71-64) and then backed it up with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in game two (80-68).

Greg Hire played in a career-low 11 games during the season, averaging 3.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

2015/16After defeating New Zealand 2-1 in the 2016 Grand Final, Perth entered the season looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since 1991. Nathan Jawai (to Cairns), Tom Jervis (to Brisbane) and Jermaine Beal (to Brisbane) departed, with Trevor Gleeson bringing in Angus Brandt (via Sydney), Jameel McKay (via Iowa State) and Jaron Johnson (via Rio Grande Valley), while Dexter Kernich-Drew was elevated from training player. Damian Martin re-signed on a three-year deal, while Matthew Knight re-signed on a two-year deal after undergoing stabilisation surgery on his left shoulder but then suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder during the preseason and was initially ruled out for two months. Lucas Walker (via Adelaide) was signed as an injury replacement, while Casey Prather, Jarrod Kenny, Shawn Redhage and Jesse Wagstaff returned from the previous championship team.

Perth opened the season in Brisbane on October 6, where Greg Hire (6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) started and played 21 minutes as the Bullets defeated the Wildcats 72-65. Jameel McKay (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Casey Prather (9 points) led Perth, while Torrey Craig (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Brisbane.

Hire (3.3 points across 32 games) had re-signed on a two-year deal in June and remained Perth’s vice-captain. A broken finger suffered during the preseason had kept him out for six weeks before he returned at the Australian Basketball Challenge, but he did not miss a regular-season game through injury. His only absence came against Melbourne on October 23, when he remained in Perth following the birth of his son Sullivan the previous day. Perth won 72-69 behind Prather (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Martin (7 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block), while Majok Majok (12 points and 5 rebounds) led Melbourne. Martin received a heavy knock during the game before x-rays revealed a fracture to the left side of his jaw, while Kenny (0 points) suffered a groin injury after playing less than four minutes. Hire ultimately appeared in 27 of Perth’s 28 regular-season games and all five playoff games, starting eight times.

The Wildcats’ strong start was disrupted by injuries and repeated roster changes. Knight (9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds across 27 games) returned earlier than initially expected from his shoulder injury, allowing Walker (1 point across 2 games) to be removed from the active roster while remaining with Perth as a training player, with Walker later receiving the club’s Coaches’ Award. Martin (4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals across 22 games) missed only one game with his fractured jaw before suffering a grade-three MCL injury against Adelaide on November 5, while Kenny (4.1 points across 30 games) missed three games with the groin injury suffered in Melbourne. Johnson (13.1 points and 4.6 rebounds across 14 games) had been deactivated after three games as Perth looked for better roster balance and more perimeter shooting, with three-point specialist Andre Ingram (via Los Angeles D-Fenders) replacing him. Ingram (8.5 points across 2 games) returned to the United States after two appearances because of mental health issues, with Perth signing Jackson Hussey (via Geraldton; 0 points across 2 games) on a short-term contract and elevating development player Corban Wroe (1.2 points across 16 games) while Martin and Kenny were unavailable. Johnson was then reactivated before being released for a second time on December 23 as the last-placed Wildcats attempted to improve the balance of a team that had fallen to 7-9. Former NBA guard Bryce Cotton (via Anadolu Efes) was signed on January 3, with Cotton (23.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals across 16 games) providing another ball-handler and scorer, while Redhage (2.7 points across 33 games) announced he would retire at the end of the season.

Hire’s best game of the season came against Brisbane at Perth Arena on February 3, where he made six of seven field goals and five of six three-pointers to score a career-high 20 points with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in less than 20 minutes. Cotton (25 points) and Knight (11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) provided support, while Mitchell Young (16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Brisbane as Perth won 94-63. Knight suffered a head knock during the victory and remained in Perth when the Wildcats travelled to Cairns two days later.

Two days later Hire (0 points) played 13 minutes as Cairns defeated Perth 85-77. Cotton (26 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Prather (11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Wildcats, while Nathan Jawai (22 points and 9 rebounds) led Cairns and Tony Mitchell (20 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals) was involved in an off-ball incident with Hire during the fourth quarter. Hire was cited for striking Mitchell and faced the possibility of missing Perth’s crucial final games, but the tribunal downgraded the charge from intentional to careless conduct with high contact and medium impact. The resulting one-game penalty was suspended because of his exemplary record and lack of previous tribunal appearances, leaving him available for the remainder of the season.

Perth entered the final round needing to win both games to extend its Finals streak, beginning with a 101-74 victory over Sydney at Perth Arena on February 10. Hire (4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) played 15 minutes, while Prather (29 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) and Cotton (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Wildcats and Brad Newley (19 points) was Sydney’s leading scorer. Two days later in Melbourne, Hire (0 points) played seven minutes as Perth completed its late-season recovery with a 96-94 win. Prather (26 points and a career-high 11 assists) and Cotton (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) led the Wildcats, while Josh Boone (27 points and 11 rebounds) was one of Melbourne’s best. The victory gave Perth a 15-13 record, third place and a 31st consecutive postseason appearance.

Prather (19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 32 games) remained Perth’s leading offensive player throughout the season before Cotton’s arrival gave the Wildcats another major scoring option. Cotton finished as the NBL’s leading scorer and Perth went 7-4 during his 11 regular-season appearances before winning all five playoff games. McKay (7.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across 33 games) anchored the frontcourt defensively, while Wagstaff (9 points across 33 games) and Brandt (6 points across 33 games) provided depth around Knight. Perth finished with the NBL’s best defence, conceding almost three fewer points per 100 possessions than the next-best team despite Martin missing 11 regular-season games. Prather finished second in league MVP voting with 107 votes behind Adelaide’s Jerome Randle with 143, was selected to the All-NBL First Team and received the Gordon Ellis Medal as Perth’s club MVP for the second consecutive season.

Perth opened the semifinals at the Cairns Convention Centre, where Hire (0 points) played nine minutes as the Wildcats defeated the Taipans 91-69. Cotton (34 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Prather (22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals) led Perth, while Travis Trice (15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) was Cairns’ leading scorer.

Game two moved to Perth Arena, where Hire (0 points and 1 rebound) played four minutes as Perth completed the semifinal sweep with a 74-66 victory. Prather (24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) and Wagstaff (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) led the Wildcats, while Trice (22 points and 5 assists) was Cairns’ leading scorer.

The Grand Final opened at Perth Arena, where Hire (0 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played nine minutes as the Wildcats defeated Illawarra 89-77. Prather (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Cotton (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Knight (18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth, while Cody Ellis (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) was Illawarra’s leading scorer.

Game two moved to Wollongong, where Hire (0 points and 2 rebounds) played five minutes as Perth again won 89-77. Cotton (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals), Prather (18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block), Brandt (15 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block) and Martin (12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led the Wildcats, while AJ Ogilvy (21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks) and Rotnei Clarke (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Illawarra. Knight (4 points and 3 rebounds) suffered concussion symptoms following contact early in the third quarter and was ruled out of game three.

With Knight unavailable, Redhage (3 points) moved into the starting lineup for the final game of his NBL career as Perth attempted to complete the sweep at Perth Arena. Hire (1 point and 2 rebounds) played five minutes, while Cotton (45 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) made 12-of-17 field goals, seven three-pointers and 14-of-15 free throws to set a new NBL Grand Final single-game scoring record. Prather (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Wagstaff (10 points and 3 assists) provided support, while Clarke (30 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Illawarra. Perth won 95-86 to complete a 3-0 Grand Final sweep and a perfect 5-0 postseason, giving the Wildcats their eighth championship, their first back-to-back titles since 1991 and Hire his third NBL championship. Cotton was named Grand Final MVP after averaging 27.7 points across the three-game series.

2016/17
The 2016 offseason saw a lot of change in personnel, with three key players from the 16 championship team (Nathan Jawai, Tom Jervis and Jermaine Beal) moving on. To replace them, coach Trevor Gleeson brought in Angus Brandt, Jameel McKay and Jaron Johnson and began their attempt to secure the team’s first back-to-back championships since 1991.

In April 2016, the team re-signed both Damian Martin (three-year deal) and Matthew Knight (two-year deal), who had just undergone shoulder stabilisation surgery on his left arm. Shortly after, injury struck Knight (9.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) again, this time during the 2016 pre-season. This led to him being ruled out for two months. To cover for the loss of Knight, the team added veteran forward Lucas Walker, who had been training with Melbourne United after not being re-signed by the Adelaide 36ers.

After adding Walker, the Wildcats started the season off strong with a 4–1 record, but things went south quickly after that.Long-term injuries to Martin, Knight and Jarrod Kenny were hurting the Wildcats, and by December, Perth had slumped to a 7–9 record and sat in the last spot on the ladder.

Import Jaron Johnson (13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) would take the brunt of the Wildcats’ poor start and be replaced with three-point specialist Andre Ingram just three games into the season. In a bizarre twist, Ingram (8.5 points, 2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals) left the team and returned to the US after just two games, citing mental issues, and Johnson was then brought back into the squad. Johnson’s return would be a temporary solution however, he was shown the door again in December with the Wildcats seising the opportunity to sign former NBA guard Bryce Cotton. It was around this time also that veteran Shawn Redhage (2.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists) announced that he would retire at the end of the season.

Throughout the roller-coaster of roster changes, Prather (19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals) had continued to carry the offensive load for the Wildcats, this included a career-high 39 points in a 92–89 win over Melbourne United (Dec 9). In February, Prather also put up 29 points in a win over the Sydney Kings (101–74), then two days later, recorded 26 points and a career-high 11 assists in a win over United (96–94). Martin (4.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals) also returned to form after his injury, and in his 250th NBL game (Jan 28), he scored a season-high 11 points to go with six rebounds and four assists in another win over Melbourne (73–71). But it was the addition of Cotton that saw the Wildcats become a completely different team, winning eight of their remaining twelve regular-season games, the last two being must win games in order to reach the playoffs. Cotton (23.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals) finished as the league’s leading scorer, while Prather finished second in NBL MVP voting (107 votes) behind Jerome Randle (147) of the Adelaide 36ers and was selected to the All-NBL First Team.

Alongside Perth’s two import stars, Hire, who had come into the season hungry for a bigger role after averaging just 12 minutes per game the prior season, and averaged 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. This included Hire scoring a career-high 20 points against the Brisbane Bullets in February.

in the semifinals, Perth (15-13) would face Cairns (15-13) at home, where Cotton (34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Prather (22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals) led the way offensively for a easy win in game one (91-69). In game two, Perth closed out the series (74-66) with Prather (24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists) leading the team in scoring and Jesse Wagstaff (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) having a huge game off the bench

In the NBL Grand Final series, Prather (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Cotton (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists), and Knight (18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals) delivered a balanced offensive attack, winning the opening game by twelve points (89-77). The series moved to Wollongong for game two, but the Wildcat’s continued their playoff winning streak (89-77), with Cotton (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Prather (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) being the team’s primary scorers on a night the Wildcats had five different players deliver double figure scoring efforts. Perth won game three comfortably (95-86), finishing undefeated in the postseason, claiming their eighth championship and winning back-to-back for the first time since 1991.

A number of record-breaking moments occurred in the game three win. Most prominently, Bryce Cotton was named Grand Final MVP after putting up 45 points, the most ever scored in a NBL Grand Final game. Cotton’s 27.7 points per game over the Grand Final series marked the most from any player in 20 years.

Trevor Gleeson became the first coach to win back-to-back championships in Perth while Prather delivered a historical season. Prather was voted Wildcats MVP for the second year in a row, becoming the only player to be a club MVP in more than one championship season, as well as becoming the first Perth player to win two championships in his first two seasons.

2017/18
Coming off consecutive championships, Perth entered the 2017/18 season looking for a third straight title under Trevor Gleeson but lost two-time club MVP Casey Prather (to Melbourne), Jameel McKay (to Spain) and Shawn Redhage (retired). Devondrick Walker (via Delaware) was initially signed as Prather’s replacement, but fractured his left foot during the preseason and was replaced by JP Tokoto (via Rio Grande Valley) before playing a regular-season game. Derek Cooke Jr. (via Northern Arizona) replaced McKay, while Lucas Walker was elevated from training player to the full-time roster.

Greg Hire entered the second season of the two-year deal he signed with Perth in June 2016 and remained vice-captain.

Perth opened the season against Brisbane at Perth Arena on October 7, where Hire (5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist) also connected on a heave from beyond half-court at the third-quarter buzzer as the Wildcats defeated the Bullets 96-86 in front of an NBL opening-round record crowd of 13,403. Bryce Cotton (24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Jesse Wagstaff (18 points) led Perth, while Travis Trice (27 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) was Brisbane’s best.

Video: Greg Hire’s half-court buzzer-beater

Hire (2.3 points across 23 games) continued to provide energy, rebounding and leadership off the bench, but two separate calf injuries cost him seven games and reduced his role during an injury-affected season.

Matthew Knight (5.4 points across 5 games) had planned to retire at season’s end, but three head knocks during the opening weeks forced him to bring his retirement forward in early November. Clint Steindl (via Greece) was signed as his replacement.

Hire’s highest-scoring game came against Melbourne at Hisense Arena on November 19, where Hire (9 points and 2 rebounds) made all three of his three-point attempts in just over seven minutes as Perth demolished United 91-59. Cotton (24 points) and Lucas Walker (14 points and 12 rebounds) led the Wildcats, while former Perth import Prather (20 points and 5 rebounds) was Melbourne’s best as the Wildcats improved to 7-3.

Hire reached another milestone against Brisbane at Perth Arena on December 16, becoming the 11th player to play 200 games for the Wildcats. Hire (2 points and 2 rebounds) came off the bench as Perth lost 82-76, with Cotton (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Angus Brandt (16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) leading the Wildcats, while Perrin Buford (24 points and 8 rebounds) led Brisbane. Ahead of the milestone, Hire said, “I’ve always wanted to be that one-club guy, especially being a proud Sandgroper.”

After playing against Illawarra on December 23, Hire suffered a low-grade calf strain which forced him to miss five consecutive games from December 31 through January 14. He was cleared to return against Sydney on January 19, but suffered a second calf injury later that month after being promoted into the starting lineup and missed Perth’s two games against Adelaide on February 2 and February 4. Hire returned against Cairns on February 9, with the two calf injuries ultimately costing him seven games and later acknowledged as having affected his confidence and form. His first absence also coincided with Perth’s slide from a 10-3 start to 13-9 by mid-January, while Damian Martin (4.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals across 28 games) missed two games with an ankle injury and Steindl also spent time sidelined.

Hire’s best game of the season came in Perth’s regular-season finale against Cairns on February 18, where Hire (6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist) produced a season-high seven rebounds in 14 minutes as the Wildcats defeated the Taipans 89-61. Cotton (24 points and 6 assists) and Wagstaff (16 points and 3 rebounds) led Perth, while Jerry Evans Jr. (12 points and 4 rebounds) was among Cairns’ best as the Wildcats finished third with a 16-12 record and extended their postseason streak to 32 consecutive seasons.

Cotton (19.5 points and 1.2 steals across 30 games) led Perth offensively and won the Andrew Gaze Trophy as NBL MVP while earning All-NBL First Team honours. Tokoto (15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 30 games) was selected to the All-NBL Second Team, with Brandt (9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds across 30 games), Wagstaff (9 points and 3.1 rebounds across 29 games), Walker (8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds across 29 games) and Cooke Jr. (5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds across 29 games) providing the other major contributions. Cooke Jr. faced repeated calls to be replaced during Perth’s mid-season slump but remained with the Wildcats, while Martin won the NBL Best Defensive Player Award for a record sixth time.

Perth opened the semifinals in Adelaide, where Hire (0 points and 1 rebound) played seven minutes as the 36ers defeated the Wildcats 109-74. Cotton (22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals), Brandt (8 points and 6 rebounds) and Cooke Jr. (8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) were Perth’s main contributors, while Josh Childress (22 points and 9 rebounds), Mitch Creek (20 points and 11 rebounds), Shannon Shorter (18 points and 7 assists) and Daniel Johnson (16 points and 10 rebounds) led Adelaide. The 35-point defeat was Perth’s second-biggest finals loss behind its 55-point defeat to North Melbourne in 1989.

Game two moved to Perth Arena, where Hire (0 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 10 minutes as Cotton (31 points and 3 assists) scored a Wildcats finals-record 19 points in the opening quarter and helped Perth build an 18-point lead. Tokoto (14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Brandt (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) provided support, while Childress (25 points and 11 rebounds) scored the go-ahead basket with 24 seconds remaining and Creek (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Nathan Sobey (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped Adelaide recover from five points down during the final minute to defeat Perth 89-88 and complete the semifinal sweep.

Greg Hire played nine seasons the Perth Wildcats. He averaged 3.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 243 NBL games.