Team-first Morrison embracing Eagles culture

Tessa Morrison has made such an immediate impact in a season and-a-half at the East Perth Eagles that she's already captain and a player that wants to make her team succeed, and everyone around her better.

Having grown up in Ashburton, New Zealand, Morrison started her basketball with the Canterbury Wildcats before and after going to college at Southern New Hampshire University.

Then after a season at Mainland Pouakai, Morrison was on the look out for something new by the end of 2022.

It seemed to her a natural to play in the NBL1 somewhere across Australia, it was just a matter of where and then East Perth president Tim Symons spelled out the vision at the Eagles, she jumped on board.

Morrison would go on to have a strong first season too at the Eagles with 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals a game, and was more than keen to be back again in 2024.

She has been appointed captain for this NBL1 West season too with her numbers backing up that first season with 9.5 points, 4.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

However, Morrison's game is about much more than just the numbers. She is a tremendous leader, she is the point guard who does a strong job running the team, and she defends, rebounds and hustles for every loose ball possible.

Basically, Morrison gives her all to give her team a chance to win while doing all she can to make her teammates better, and that's why she is a natural to be the Eagles captain.

Morrison immediately knew she made the right choice to join East Perth last year and even more so in 2024 while enjoying the new facility and Peter Campbell Basketball Arena.

"The community that East Perth has created is a great one, everyone within the club were super welcoming and willing to support me from the get go," Morrison said.

"It's really cool to be playing on the new court at Morley Rec, and to see all the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to get it game ready."

Helping team and teammates get better

It doesn’t take long to watch Morrison play to know that she is the ultimate teammate because she doesn't have a selfish bone in her body. Everything she does is with the best interests of the team at heart and trying to help her teammates thrive, and improve.

On this East Perth team it means she has taken on the point guard role, but she's capable of filling a variety of roles and doing plenty of different things on the court which she takes pride in.

"Obviously in different teams I get to play different roles but I usually do gravitate towards leadership roles and leading the team on the court due to my experience and leading by example (and maybe because I can’t help myself and usually have something to say!)," Morrison said.

"I love having the opportunity to make my teammates better and set them up on the court and always try to lead by doing the little things on court. Right now with where our team is currently my job is to control the tempo, and ensure we are getting through our sets and rotations."

2024 season so far

The 2024 season hasn’t quite gone to plan so far for the Eagles with just the two wins on the board from the opening 11 games, but you can see the potential there within the group.

With a backcourt where Morrison is alongside Sarah Allen and Bri Bailey, and then with talented imports Mary Baskerville and Laci Hawthorne, and fellow Kiwi Mary Goulding, and there is the makings there of a team capable of success.

Morrison isn’t quite sure why it hasn’t clicked how they hoped or expected just yet, but their potential was highlighted with the stunning win on the road to the Joondalup Wolves two weeks ago.

Now the Eagles take on the Wolfpack again at home this Friday before a trip to Mandurah on Saturday, and Morrison is confident things can still come together.

"The season definitely hasn't started the way we wanted it to, or thought it may have gone," she said.

"However we do have all of the potential, all of the tools and people on board to turn it around. When we are moving the ball, playing pressure defence and hungry for it, we play some really good basketball.

"We have been working hard on coming together as a team through the good, the bad and the ugly and once we get on top of that, I am confident we will get back on track."

Decision to come across the ditch

Going back to the end of 2022 and Morrison was ready to make the jump to come across the ditch to try her luck playing in Australia for the first time.

She didn’t know exactly where she'd land, but she's more than happy now with the decision to not only come to Western Australia, but to play at the Eagles and wouldn’t be surprised to keep seeing New Zealanders following a similar path.

"It did feel natural that the next step in my career was to come to Australia, I mean it really helps that Kiwis are not classed aa restricted players," Morrison said.

"With the new dates for Tauihi (NZ National women’s league) not over lapping with NBL1 I think we will see a lot more kiwi women jump the ditch.

"I love Perth! The weather (in the summer) is amazing, there are so many things to do and I am a very outdoorsy person. My partner and I have no plans to leave Perth anytime soon, we are really enjoying the lifestyle we have created for ourselves here."

Why the choice of East Perth

When Morrison made the decision that she wanted to play in the NBL1 competition somewhere in Australia, she really wasn’t sure where.

Having played back home in New Zealand before and after her college experience, she knew she wanted a fresh challenge and it was a conversation with then president Tim Symons that had Morrison excited about joining the Eagles.

Morrison loved how clear he was with his vision for the club but also what her role would be on the team, and she's been thrilled with her decision to come on board ever since.

"I was looking for a new opportunity to play before making the move to WA. I had been playing in the National NZ league since I was in high school and really wanted to branch out," Morrison said.

"NBL1 across the country provides players the opportunity to play a high level of basketball, in a league that is really well resourced.

"My first conversation with Tim at East Perth was what drew me into the club, Tim is pretty black and white, he knew what he wanted in a player and person and from the get go it just felt right."

Life away from basketball

In the longer term, Morrison isn’t quite sure what career she wants to pursue beyond her basketball playing days, but at still only 26 years of age, she has plenty of time on her side to think about that.

Since coming to Perth, she has been working in childcare and juggling that with coaching and playing at East Perth, but she has some other career paths running through her mind for the future.

"I am currently working in childcare, as well as coaching within East Perth Eagles. I love giving back to basketball because this sport has really shaped me as a person and where I am today," Morrison said.

"Long term I don’t have too many career plans, but I have a bachelor of science in Psychology so will potentially look at moving into sports psych."