Eagles begin new era by returning to Morley

A new era begins this Saturday night for the East Perth Eagles as they return to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre as they look to make it their forever home with the court named in honour one of the club's great servants.

Morley Sport and Recreation Centre had long been the home of the Eagles throughout the club's history in the SBL competition up until the end of the 2018 season when they made a move to Herb Graham Recreation Centre in Mirrabooka.

That remained in the heart of the East Perth district and provided a good home, but the heart and soul of the club was always back at Morley and there has now been a significant redevelopment undertaken to make it a vastly improved NBL1 venue.

That will see the Eagles play their first home game at the redeveloped venue this Saturday night up against local rivals the Warwick Senators and it's going to be a significant occasion for so many people.

East Perth Eagles President Mia Filpo is not only excited for the club to bring NBL1 West basketball back to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, but for it to be the springboard to creating something special for the whole local community to embrace.

"I believe basketball is a powerful social and cultural force. It bridges communities and fosters teamwork. From our junior domestic to our NBL1 teams, the impact of the game is profound," Filpo said.

"Whether it’s the thrill of a buzzer beater or comradery amongst team mates, basketball holds a special place in the hearts of those who play and those who watch - including mine! Lifelong connections and friendships are formed right here in our club."

Another part of East Perth's return to play at Morley Recreation Centre is the renaming of the showcourt in honour of Peter Campbell who passed away from cancer in 2022.

His contribution and commitment to both the East Perth Eagles and basketball throughout the district was enormous, and his son Mateo has continued to be a player on the NBL1 West team in recent seasons.

For Filpo, she is proud to be able to be part of the naming of the courts in honour of Peter to recognise his enormous lifelong commitment to basketball right throughout the East Perth district.

"Pete was a selfless volunteer in Eagles and president of one of our domestic basketball clubs – Bedford Basketball," she said.

Pete would coach four to five teams a season, often driving great distances to collect players who couldn’t get to the games or needed a ride home. He encouraged many teens to pick up a ball and many parents to step into coaching roles.

"Just the other day a parent on the committee on the Ballajura-Noranda domestic committee showed me the back of his notebook. There is the front page of Peter’s funeral book.

"He says he likes to look back at it from time to time and remember that Pete was the guy that got him into coaching and from there he has made lifelong friends in the club. Pete made a great difference in the lives of many aspiring basketballers."

It still stirs up the emotions for Filpo when she thinks of Peter but to know that his legacy will be forever cemented on the Morley courts is something she is rightfully proud about.

"When Peter passed away many people donated time and resources to renovate his home for his son Mateo Campbell, who was only 21 at the time," she said.

"Clearly Peter was dear to many people and this project truly exemplified the true community spirit we aspire to create in Eagles.

"Peter was known for his five-minute conversations that ended up in hour long discussions. His interests were always in furthering the game of basketball and lending a hand to improve the club any way he could."

It's also about embracing the club's history as well. Whether that's celebrating championship success with this season the 10-year anniversary of the men's title triumph of 2014, or individual player accolades, having a permanent home is key to that.

Filpo wants the history of East Perth basketball to be on show and celebrated and displayed at Morley so everyone that comes into the venue gets a sense of what the club has done in the past, and what is possible for them by being part of the Eagles.

"We are looking forward to bringing the NBL1 to Morley Sport and Recreation Centre. There is definitely a buzz and excitement in the air," Filpo said.

"My vision is to make this our forever home. To create a real sense of club when our community members walk into the facility. To be able to exhibit our achievements and show our rich club history.

"To create an environment where every-one can be involved, as this club belongs to every-one that is willing to be part of it."

What Filpo hopes to build from the NBL1 level down moving forward at East Perth is that the top level players at the Eagles become role models within the community, and set the example for every young player coming through the district.

On top of that, creating a strong women's program all the way through is a significant focus too so that before long the Eagles will have a women's championship banner hanging from the rafters to go with men's.

Not only that, but there will also be East Perth produced players thriving at the WNBL level or playing professionally just like there is Sunday Dech, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, Keanu Pinder and previously Tom Jervis from the men's program.

"A personal goal of mine, is to see our girls program continue to go from strength to strength. We have passionate and talented young players in our club," Filpo said.

"I believe a key strategy to bolster engagement for our young girls and women, is through the development and promotion of female role models. Young girls are more likely to play basketball and persist in the game when they see successful women who inspire them.

"It’s like that for our boys program now with some really great players coming out of our club like Sunday Dech, Tom Jervis, Jo Lual-Acuil and Keanu Pinder.

"I see our NBL1 men’s and women’s teams as an investment in our club, as they are role models that strengthen our community by engaging with our young people through basketball – including coaching teams, running holidays programs, early morning programs such as Early Eagles, and afternoon training sessions. I believe in our club mantra 'Together We Fly'."

One of the great success stories to come out of the Eagles is 2014 championship winner Sunday Dech who has gone on to have a 156-game NBL career so far at the Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks and Adelaide 36ers.

Dech is also going to the Olympic Games in Paris later this year representing South Sudan, but right now he is back playing at East Perth and is proud to be doing so.

"I’m super excited to be home and to be at East Perth almost a decade after leaving. It’s a full circle moment," Dech said.

"It was no brainer when I decided to come back home this off season. East Perth is my junior club, I grew up there and it's a full circle moment to come back to East Perth a decade after we won the championship. I still know so many people at the club and It's pretty cool to see what is building at the club as well.

"My short term goals for the next couple of months is to enjoy my basketball and be in the best possible shape mentally and physically before heading to the Olympic training camp in July.

"There are always the obvious goals and the ones that come naturally being an athlete. Over the next couple of months my goal is to push the boundaries and reach peak mental and physical awareness. That to me is being a complete athlete."