Eagles look at Wolves as great test

Featured image: Madeleine Clark @madeleineclarkmedia

East Perth Eagles coach Carl Filpo likes how his team are looking when on song early this NBL1 West season and wants them to iron out those down moments as he looks forward to Friday night's challenge away to the Joondalup Wolves.

The Eagles have now won their last two games this season firstly at home to the Mandurah Magic by 15 points and then last Friday on the road to the Warwick Senators by 19 following a first up away defeat to the undefeated Willetton Tigers.

East Perth didn’t have Perth Wildcats NBL26 forward Lat Mayen in that first game, then didn’t have Jonah Antonio in the second who was on Australian Gangurrus 3x3.

That duo played together for the first time last Friday against Warwick along with fellow NBL26 player David Okwera, but Sharif Watson remains sidelined with injury and captain Lee Roberts only managed just under six minutes last week against the Senators.

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So the Eagles still haven’t quite had a full squad available for any of those opening three games and while coach Filpo is still looking for his group to fully find their groove, he's looking forward to the test this Friday against the Wolves.

It's a rematch from last year's playoffs where East Perth beat Joondalup at Arena Joondalup to end their season in the process while former Eagles captain Taylor Young is now at the Wolfpack and will be up against his old team for the first time.

But what Filpo is looking forward to is an early season test to see where his team sits against a Joondalup team undefeated after their opening three matches in 2026.

"We're still figuring some things out as well with our line-ups and guys that are new to the team so it is a good test," Filpo said.

"It's a great test that we're looking forward to and it's even better to have it early in the season so if there are things we have to do that come out of it, we've got time to work on it. Otherwise if we can get the win, we'll take it don't worry."

Looking back on last Friday night's win against a Senators team who might have a lot of new and missing faces, but still played off in the 2025 Grand Final, Filpo was happy with how his team started but then not to find themselves 15 down midway through the second term.

But he was happy that the group found a way to dig deep and finish the first half with an 18-2 scoring run and then to be in control of the majority of the second half on the way to the 19-point victory.

"We were really keen for a great start and we actually did get it in the first five minutes so I thought we were off to a racing start, but then just let ourselves down with a bit of lack of effort there on the defensive end, and a lack on the rebounds," Filpo said.

"But credit to the boys, they fixed it and we had a talk about it at quarter-time, and they went out and fixed it in the second quarter.

"I think we kept them to eight points in that second quarter so I had to be happy with that, but I tell you that the rollercoaster's not good for my stress levels."

Filpo isn’t quite sure why there's a big gap between his team's best and worst during games so far this season, but it is still early and it might be just down to some growing pains with some new faces settling in.

"I think it's definitely a mindset thing, whatever it is," he said.

"It's not a talent thing and maybe there's some complacency that sets in especially off the back of that great start, I don’t know what's inside all their heads.

"But it took a couple of breaks and a couple of adjustments to get it going, and once we got it going it was pretty scary for the other team."

The depth all over the floor was one of East Perth's great strengths coming into 2026 and especially in the front court once Mayen joined as the latest addition coming off his NBL season with the Wildcats.

Alongside Roberts, Watson, Okwera and Ioannis Dimakopoulos that's plenty of big men depth, but that was put to the test against Warwick with Roberts' night ending early, Watson not suiting up and then Dimakopoulos in foul trouble.

Filpo was thankful to the efforts of Okwera and Mayen who combined for 51 points and 24 rebounds in the eventual victory.

"All of a sudden we were down a few of our big men and we are hoping to have John Aryang come in at some point to help us there, but we're not sure when he'll be available," Filpo said.

"And as far as our young talent goes, we don't have a lot of bigs so it is really testing us. Lat and David, though, dug in and did their, and did a great job.

"Everyone talks about their scoring, but they did a great job on the boards and helped us out there for sure too."