Eagles Rd 1 Preview | Home v Rockingham

There could be no better way for the East Perth Eagles to open the 2025 NBL1 West season than hosting the Rockingham Flames at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre this Friday night.

For two different yet equally significant reasons, both East Perth teams will be full of motivation on Friday night with the women's team looking to make a statement against the defending champions and then the men to earn revenge for last year's elimination final defeat.

The action will get underway with the home opener on Friday night at the Peter Campbell Basketball Arena for the Eagles against the Flames with the women's match up tipping off at 6:30pm with the men's game to follow at 8:30pm.

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Starting with the women's contest and it presents a real chance for East Perth to make a statement under new coach Tim Symons against the defending NBL1 West champions from Rockingham.

It's a decidedly new look Eagles team under the new coach for the 2025 season starting with the signing of new imports Sasha Goodlett and Madison Torresin.

Goodlett has had a long and distinguished career with the 34-year-old out of Georgia Tech having won a WNBA championship at the Indiana Fever, and since having put together an impressive international resume.

Torresin returns to the Eagles after being an import in the 2023 season with the 29-year-old forward having most recently having played in Cyprus ahead of her return to Australia with her season at Anagennises only finishing last week.

Other new additions for East Perth include Tiahna Sears who played at the Eastern Suns last year, two-time WNBL champion at the UC Capitals Abby Cubillo and Akim Lual, Awatea Leach and Fearne Van Beek.

Returning players include Tessa Morrison, Jaymie Symons, Taylor Roberts and Cameron Flynn.

The first challenge is up against a Rockingham team that won the championship last year with Georgia Pineau, Jess Jakens, Alex Sharp and Shani Amos returning from that title winning line-up.

The Flames have also added Alex Ciabattoni, Rosie Deegan, Marena Whittle, Katie Biddulph and Lara Scarcella to that group as well.

That has Eagles coach Symons hoping that Rockingham has as many of those players available as possible to give East Perth the chance to make a significant opening night statement.

"I'm hoping they've got everybody available, I really really am. We want to test our mettle against what is perceived to be as the best team in the league," Symons said.

"They have had a lot of turnover as well and do have to integrate just like we do, but we've been going to war pretty hard against each other on the track and with our running, and we even tested them with D-League on the weekend.

"And even in that hit out, in 40 minutes to hit 99 points is a good sign and we know we are going to be able to score, and we want to play at that pace and push the ball."

That leads into the men's contest and it's a chance also for the Eagles to make a statement while earning a measure of revenge on Rockingham for last year and to end a losing streak that dates all the way back to 2015.

East Perth made the finals for the first time since winning the championship in 2014 last year but it was Rockingham who ended the season of the Eagles in the elimination final also at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre.

While there are plenty of changes to both teams since that finals match up, the Eagles aren’t shying away from wanting a measure of revenge and also trying to snap a 17-game losing slide against the Flames dating back to their last win in the finals of 2014.

"It actually is a driver for us in this first game and we've talked about it as a group how we felt after that game, and how close we came to going a bit further," said Eagles coach Carl Filpo.

"Even our club physio was in tears after that so that shows how far it went through the group so it really did mean something and we were mad and upset about losing the way we did.

"We have brought some of those emotions back this week and talked about it, and how we do want to take revenge. We do have additional incentive for this game and it's also the first time we've had a Round 1 at home since I can remember.

"So this game means a lot and the league has given us an opportunity to put on a show and I'm sure we'll do that.

"We want to start this new season off on a good note and we're feeling good about it and it's also the first time I've had a complete team for the start of the season so that's another reason to be excited."

While East Perth welcomes back Lee Roberts, Taylor Young, Sharif Watson and Nic Filpo from last season, there are impressive additions including imports Matthew Lang and Max Rice, 7'2 big man Ioannis Dimakopoulos and Chier Maker with Fabian Johnson also making a return.

Meanwhile at Rockingham, the Flames have added Tevin Jackson from the Redbacks and NBL pair Emmett Naar and Isaac White along with new import Jervon Pressley while retaining the likes of Justin Beard, Ryan Godfrey and Travis Durnin.