The Eagles fell heartbreakingly short of their first women's title in 2011 and showed great promise on the men's side before losing in the quarter-finals again. Find out their chances of improving in those results in 2012 by checking out SBL.asn.au's next season preview.

People's Choice East Perth Eagles Season Preview

Men -

2011 Recap: The Eagles overcame several hurdles to put together a strong team, but suffered disappointment in the form of a quarter-final elimination. After Damien Chalk's sudden departure, Matt Parsons took the helm and his side started slowly, but Perth Wildcats guard Drew Williamson's arrival changed everything. With Williamson, who averaged 25.4 points per game in his 15 outings, East Perth got on a roll and surged up the ladder, at one point even appearing a chance to sneak into the top four. But a final round hiccup and an unfavourable tiebreaker scenario saw them slip to eighth, forcing a first round match-up against Lakeside for the second straight year, and again the Lightning won comfortably. Big man Tom Jervis averaged 20.8 points and 15.8 rebounds per game in a breakout campaign.

Off-Season Grade: D+

Off-Season Summary: It's hard to know where the Eagles sit heading into the season. They were mediocre, at best, without Williamson in 2011 and they're yet to sign the sharp-shooter for 2012. His Wildcats commitments will rule him out for the first part of the season anyway, but what happens from there is up in the air. He's out of contract with the Cats and may attract interest from potential NBL expansion clubs. If he doesn't, Rob Beveridge might sign him up straight away or even force him to earn a spot by performing well in training and playing well in the SBL, either of which would be a great result for East Perth. Daniel Thomas has returned to Geraldton and the loss of the experienced point guard is a major blow, but Jervis, Jarrod Balcombe and Corey Easley have been retained. Former Rockingham coach Adam Forde, who has taken over from Parsons, may look to use the spare unrestricted spot on another import or Wildcats player if Williamson doesn't sign. If they can bring back Williamson or sign a player of similar quality, their grade would obviously improve significantly.

2012 Fixtures: It could be a rude awakening for the Eagles, who face Lakeside and Perry Lakes in their first two games. Just one of their last four games is at home too.

Women -

2011 Recap: The 2011 Eagles team did what none of their predecessors had been able to do and made it to the Grand Final. Once there they gave Willetton an almighty fight but lost 72-71 after Kate Malpass hit the game-winning shot with eight seconds left. It was a heartbreaking loss, but, in the words of coach Anthony Fletcher, his side "put East Perth on the map" in 2011. It wasn't just about their playoff success though, as the Eagles entered the post-season as one of the in-form teams and finished third with a 16-6 record. Kate Fielding and Samantha Norwood enjoyed fantastic seasons to help lead East Perth's cause, while the likes of Nicole Jorre de St Jorre and Dannielle Devenny also had impressive campaigns.

Off-Season Grade: A-

Off-Season Summary: Why change a winning formula? East Perth came as close as you can to winning the title without actually earning the banner and the roster they go into 2012 with suggests Fletcher subscribes to that view. All of the main players from their 2011 side are back in action this season. While they haven't made any big acquisitions, they've stayed as strong and the rest of the top five from 2011 - Willetton, Wanneroo, Mandurah and Perry Lakes - have all, arguably at least, been weakened over the off-season.

2012 Fixtures: The only top four team they face through the first five game is Perry Lakes, but a real test will come when they face Wanneroo and Willetton in rounds six and seven. They have five straight away games from rounds three to seven, but are at home in eight of their following 11 matches.

What the Grades Mean: The grades are a subjective way of analysing whether each team has improved over the off-season. A grade of C- or better indicates they are well positioned to improve on their 2011 performance, while a grade of D+ or below indicates they're expected to be weaker. They are not intended to predict each team's ladder position.

Article by Jacob Kagi
Photo by Mick Cronin

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