Our people. Our stories. Our history: Mateo Domazetovski

Whether it’s arriving early on gameday to catch the warm-ups or sharing a high-five with the players, Mateo has found a real connection with the Wildcats, and that connection has meant a lot to him and his family.

Mateo has always been drawn to basketball. He loves being around the game and has the kind of bright, bubbly energy people seem to notice straight away. His mum Ceffra describes him as a happy little boy with a big personality, a kind heart and a real love for basketball.

“He's positive, he's a happy child. I'm not just saying this,” Ceffra said.

“He's just so bright and bubbly and people are just drawn to his little personality.

“He is very kind as well, just as an example, recently he was gifted a ball and he gave it to his brother. He’s always thinking about other people.

“He loves to sing and dance, and he's just drawn to basketball.”

To Mateo and his family, the club has meant more than just watching games from the stands. It has given him moments where he could be close to the team, feel part of the action and enjoy the game in a way that made him feel special during a difficult chapter in their lives.

On Christmas Eve in 2024, Mateo was diagnosed with a brain tumour, beginning an unexpected and difficult chapter for him and his family. Since then, his journey has included hospital visits, treatment and challenges no child or family expects to face.

Along the way, Mateo and his family have received support from organisations including Telethon, Starlight Foundation and Ronald McDonald House, while Ceffra said Mateo’s personality has helped carry them through.

“He's been through a lot of harsh stuff with treatments and just being at the hospital, but I feel he makes the most out of what he's been given,” she said.

“As parents, you have no choice. But we have to keep going through all the challenges that we are faced with.

“Mateo being the bubbly kid he is, he makes you continue on.

“It's been a challenge. It's an unexpected journey that you don't expect to happen, but we just have to keep going.”

During that time, basketball has given Mateo something positive to enjoy and look forward to. It has brought confidence, connection and the chance to simply have fun, while also giving his family moments where they can see him smiling, moving around and being the energetic kid they know him to be.

“He's surrounded by a wonderful community,” Ceffra said.

Through Starlight Foundation, Mateo was given the opportunity to be a ball kid for the Wildcats, and Ceffra said experiences like that have given him a real boost.

“When he's given opportunities like to be a ball kid, little things like that I feel boosts him,” she said.

On 9 December 2025, Mateo walked out onto RAC Arena to deliver the game ball in front of the biggest home crowd in Wildcats history. A crowd that size would be daunting for plenty of people, but Mateo took it in as a chance to be around the game, the players and the team he loves.

He stood alongside the players during warm-ups, soaked up the energy of The Jungle and shared a high-five with Kristian Doolittle that quickly became one of his favourite memories from the night.

“He just felt so special, like because he enjoys basketball so to him it was so great,” Ceffra said.

“He was so excited to be able to go out there and just have a smile on his face.”

That night also gave Mateo the chance to see David Okwera and Jesse Wagstaff again, who first met him when they visited Ronald McDonald House in December 2024 ahead of his first surgery. Ceffra said those moments stayed with the family because of how natural they felt. The players spoke with Mateo, made time for him and shared the game with him in a way that meant a lot.

“Meeting all the players and just them making him feel special,” Ceffra said.

“Talking to him and communicating with him and obviously like playing basketball with him, that was awesome.”

Another special moment came last month, when Cameron Huefner visited Perth Children’s Hospital for National Simultaneous Storytime. Mateo was not in hospital at the time, but staff at Ronald McDonald House knew how much he loved the Wildcats and reached out to invite him along.

Mateo took the morning off school, arrived in his Wildcats jersey and ended up spending much of the visit shooting around and playing basketball with Huefner. After seeing Mateo spend periods confined to a hospital bed, watching him run around, laugh and play the game he loves is something Ceffra will not forget.

“With all the hardships that he's been through just seeing that like, as a parent is amazing,” she said.

“That made me very emotional. So I was very grateful that he was given that opportunity to just have fun.”

Seeing Mateo smile and enjoy the game he loves has meant a lot to his family.

“Just seeing his face light up brings so much joy as a parent,” Ceffra said.

Mateo is a young Wildcats fan in the purest sense: happy in the jersey, excited around the players, always drawn back to basketball and always finding joy in the moments that come with it.

His journey is ongoing, but Mateo continues to bring plenty of joy to the people around him.

“He's only a child, but he teaches us that if you continue being positive and you just keep smiling, you're able to overcome any challenges that come your way,” Ceffra said.