Shawn Redhage will be joined by Brad Robbins as co-captain for the 2010/11 NBL season as the Perth Wildcats will look to the two longest servants of the club to show the way for a young squad.
Redhage took over from Paul Rogers as captain last season with great success as he won his fifth straight club Most Valuable Player award and was the championship-winning skipper as the Wildcats became the most successful franchise in NBL history with five titles.
This year he will be joined by the tough and inspirational Robbins, who played through last year's playoffs with rib, calf and hip injuries to star as a point guard in the Wildcats' first championship since the 1999/2000 season.
Robbins began his NBL career with the Victoria Giants in 2004 and spent another season with the Cairns Taipans before arriving in Perth for the 2006/07 campaign. The Melbourne-native has stayed ever since as WA has become home and the Wildcats have become the club he has constantly put his body on the line for.
The gutsy point guard who has been a leader by example ever since arriving at the Wildcats was certainly taken aback a little when told that he was going to be co-captain by coach Rob Beveridge, but it's something he's tremendously honoured by.
"I wouldn’t say I was overly surprised when Bevo told me, but I was definitely in disbelief there for a while. It was just such a surreal thing to be told and it did take a while to sink in," Robbins said.
"I'd say it only really sunk in when Bevo told the whole group and that was such a proud moment. I have such a strong history with Bevo and now to be a captain under him is great."
At no point before this has Robbins felt ready to be a captain even though it was something he did always think he'd want to do one day. However, now aged 25 he feels the timing is perfect for him to gain the added responsibility.
"Over the last year and-a-half it has been something I have really been aspiring to do, but before that I would have said no and that I wasn’t ready mentally for the responsibility," Robbins said.
"But over the last year and-a-half I have been through a lot in terms if the injury and just by being around the group as a senior player has helped me realise that I now really want to be a leader, and that I'm ready for it.
"It just feels right now and I feel like I'm at the point in my career where it is the right thing for me to take on. I'm ready for the challenge of being captain and I'm very proud of the honour, and it just feels right."
Robbins is also happy to be sharing the captaincy with Redhage so that the pair can share the responsibility and work as a team as captains with the young group they are leading.
"I've been at the club the longest along with Shawn now and we have such a young group and every guy has to step up really, especially me now as one of the senior guys. That extra responsibility now is the key thing. I think it will really help me step up even more," he said.
"There's no doubt there will be things that I will need help with so I'll look to Shawn a fair bit, but I'm sure there will be things that Shawn could use help with too and that's what I'll be there for. There's no reason not to have two captains and it should only make us a stronger combination."
Redhage's first year as captain last season could have hardly been better with the championship and going on to ensure his run of winning the club's MVP award every season he's been in Perth continued.
He is honoured to remain captain for a second season and is happy to have some help from Robbins this time around.
"It's a huge honour to be captain especially of a club that has had such great captains over years, and that has had the success that the Wildcats have," Redhage said.
"Brad and myself will complement each other really well and we've been around the club for a long time. This is my sixth year and he's been around five, so we know what to expect and will help the team out together as much as we can."
Redhage has been with the 'Cats the whole time Robbins has and has noticed he has been a natural leader even without the title of captain, and is now looking forward to working with him to lead the group.
"Robbo has been a leader on this team for a number of years now and he's someone that all the players look up to and respect just with the way he goes about it," Redhage said.
"It will be nice to have someone backing you up and that you can turn to at any time, so I'm happy to have another captain on board. We have an extremely young team and they will look to us for leadership and help, and that's what we will look to provide."
