A proud history. A lasting legacy. A future still being written.
Morley Eagles Baseball Club, comprising of Baseball, Softball and Teeball sections, is a prominent fixture in the Western Australian sporting community, and is renowned for its passionate involvement in the sport and its commitment to player development across all levels.
This history provides an overview of the club’s origins, achievements, and ongoing contributions to diamond sports in Morley and surrounding suburbs.
Founding and Early Years
The Baseball Club was established in 1956 and originally played as the American Eagles. Their home ground was the Lake Monger Reserve in Wembley.
American Eagles Baseball Team 1957
In 1963, with the commencement of district baseball in Perth, the club’s name changed to East Perth Eagles and they relocated to Perth Oval.
They played there until October 1971, when football use of the Perth Oval became a priority, they then relocated to Bassendean Oval.
In 1972 they changed from the East Perth Eagles to the Eagles Baseball Club. In March 1975, Eagles Baseball Club won their first State League title.
1977 saw another move, from Bassendean Oval to their current home ground at Crimea Park in Morley.
The committee started work on the Constitution of the club and the first draft of this was completed in 1978.
In 1979, the name Morley Eagles Baseball Club and a new club logo were adopted. A Board of Management (BOM) was also established with the aim of increasing the communications between sections and improve the running of the club. Graham Pittaway was the inaugural president of the BOM.
In May 1983, the club was incorporated and became MEBC inc.
The first game of Teeball involving Morley Eagles, they were known as the “Eaglets”, was played on the 26th September 1974 at the Perth Royal Show.
Graham Woods volunteered to organise a side for the Eaglets to play against Wembley, and Evelyn Harvey was elected as the official scorer.
Evelyn was the first official teeball scorer in Western Australia.
The Eaglets team that played in the demonstration game was coached by Graham Woods and was made up of the following players:
Craig Williamson, Geoffrey Harvey, James Waddell, Bradley Williamson, Bradley Green, David Morgan, Craig Malcolm, Dean Fasola, Jamie Ninett and Aaron Burrows
The team had two training sessions before the big day, and played their best in what would the start of a great new program – teeball in Western Australia
The first season of Teeball commenced in October 1974. Eagles played with Wembley and Perth. Some games were played at Emberson Reserve, but most were at Teakwood Reserve in Woodlands. Robert Williamson coached the first season, with Trevor Scorer as his Manager, and Evelyn Harvey scoring. Morley were the inaugural winners.
Wembley and Eagles also played a curtain raiser demonstration game at the “A Grade” Baseball Grand Final, this was also won by the Eagles.
The following season, the competition was joined by Wanneroo, Eagles fielded 3 teams in this new Northern Districts Teeball competition.
In 1976, with the continued growth in popularity of Teeball at Morley, a committee was formed to manage Teeball. As part of the Morley Eagles group and working with the BOM, they have managed all games and the business of Teeball since.
Craig Williamson batting during season 1 of Teeball
In 1982, an all girls team was included in the competition, and the club has continued to grow from there!
Now, 50 years later, Morley Eagles Teeball Club fields dozens of teams each season, with hundreds of children playing at Lightning Park Recreational Facility in Noranda each Saturday morning.
Although the Morley Eagles Teeball Club is run as a separate entity to Morley Eagles Baseball and Softball, it does still operate under the Board of Management, ensuring strong tries and a continued involvement between all three clubs.
After the completion of the 1984/85 Teeball season, an approach was made to the Club’s Board of Management to consider the introduction of female softball into the club. There was an initial concern that there were too many softball clubs in the immediate area and perhaps the players should be directed to them.
The proposal was subsequently raised at the club’s Annual General Meeting, where tentative approval was given for a three year probationary period under the guidance of the Teeball Committee, with a review at the end of the trial period.
The Softball committee was established to administer this trial period, with Frank Bowra as President.
Morley Eagles Softball commenced in the 1985/86 Summer competition at Yokine Reserve with 2 junior teams, and after the three year trial period, had progressed to five teams, 2 senior and 3 junior.
On the 22nd August 1987 the Eagles Men’s Softball Club (formed in 1979) formally joined the Morley Eagles Baseball Club and became known as the Winter Softball Section. A subcommittee of the Softball Section was formed to manage this.
At the completion of the 1987/88 season a submission was put to the club’s Board of Management to:-
a) create a Summer Softball Section within the Club, and
b) consider the amalgamation of Morley Windmills Softball Club with Eagles so as to create an A Grade Softball Club under the Morley Eagles banner
History records that the submission was endorsed by the Club and the fully fledged Summer Softball Section came into being for the 1988/89 season. With the coming together of Morley Windmills and Morley Eagles, the Section commenced the 1988/89 season as an A Grade Club with eleven teams.
It should be noted that the jump from five to eleven teams created immense financial problems for the fledgling section. Synonymous with our Perpetual Trophies, Kaye Blight provided the section with an interest-free loan, which ensured the section’s viability.
State League Softball was introduced in name only for the 1991/92 season, and was conducted and administered by the Summer Softball Section.
For the 1992/93 season, the concept of “regionalisation” was introduced, and a Sub-committeewas formed to administer both the Men’s and Women’s Teams and to report back to the club the future course State League should take, either within or outside the club.
In 1993/94 State League was run with a fully autonomous section committee, which was formally incorporated into the Club in 1994.
During 2000 it was decided to bring all Softball within the Club under the jurisdiction of one administrative committee to be known as the Softball Section. The committee was formed and became operative from 1st July, 2000.
Growth and Development
Throughout the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s and into the 2000s, Morley Eagles experienced significant growth. The club expanded its junior programmes and invested in improved facilities at its home grounds in Morley, Emberson and Noranda.
Crimea Park was extended with a loan from the City of Bayswater and the kitchen and changerooms were constructed. In 1992 the Equipment Room was built on to provide a secure area for storage of playing equipment.
In 2003 a purpose-built facility at Waltham Reserve became the Home for Softball, this has been named to honour the work and contribution of Frank Bowra to Morley Eagles Softball.
Crimea Park Clubrooms and Batting Cages - Home for Baseball. These clubrooms have been names after Ron Malcolm (Snr) to honour his contribution to baseball.
In 2008 Teeball moved from Emberson Reserve to shared facilities at Lightning Reserve in Noranda.
