Bloodlines and belief: How Perth got it Rillie right

11 Feb 2026

Guard Jaron Rillie says joining his father John’s Perth Wildcats was the best ‘move for his career’.

Throughout the 48-year history of the NBL, there have been numerous father-son combinations on the same team, including Lindsay and Andrew Gaze and Brendan and Daniel Joyce.

Now, during the NBL26 season, another famous surname has been added to that list, Rillie - John as coach, Jaron as an emerging gun.

The latter, after five strong seasons at the University of Northern Colorado in the United States, signed as a Development Player for the Perth Wildcats, where John was entering his third year as head coach.

When the signing happened, CODE Sports claims ‘the cries of nepotism echoed across the basketball landscape’.

But that chatter was quickly silenced on the back of Jaron’s play, which, before he suffered a long-term hamstring injury, was a key part of Perth’s successful season.

Reflecting on the experience, 'dad' has enjoyed the opportunity to coach his son and help Perth achieve their ultimate goal together.

“It’s going to have its challenges, no doubt about it, but being the coach and my role and responsibility within the franchise, you also have to make decisions where you feel like it’s the right need for the franchise,” John Rillie said to CODE Sports.

“He did have European opportunities, but it [Wildcats] all came about, and I was certainly comfortable, understanding what comes along with it.”

Admittedly, the Wildcats weren’t Jaron’s only option, but the 24-year-old guard says the Wildcats felt like the best “move for his career”.

“I considered all options, took everything in and was trying to see what would be the best fit for me,” Jaron said.

“Through some of the talks with other teams, the player development stuff, the opportunities, the league itself and the country, Perth just seemed like a good fit and a good place to move for my career. From that point on, we made it happen.”

The Wildcats will look to make it nine wins from 10 games on Friday night when they host Brisbane at RAC Arena from 9.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.

Read the full story here >> How Perth coach John Rillie and son Jaron silenced their loudest critics