Sunday Dech found home with the Eagles

Unlike many professionals who grew up with the game, the returning Wildcat didn’t pick up a basketball until his late teens.

Originally a keen footy player, his pathway shifted at the Morley Sport and Recreation Centre.

“It was just too hot to play out one day and my brother invited me down to the courts and the local club there was the East Perth Eagles.”

“I enjoyed it, loved it right away and I got invited down to the East Perth trials which was a month or two after I started, I joined the club and the rest is history.”

Dech credits the East Perth Eagles with shaping his development.

“East Perth impacted my development tremendously.” 

“Starting late to the game of basketball, I was able to get some really good coaches, and pick up a lot of good habits.”

“Just having the facilities at Morley rec and being able to get access to that at all hours of the day… I was able to get on the court, work on my game, and the coaches just supported me so much.”

“Steve Williams was a big part of that development. So was Adam Forde and, all my coaches at the club.” 

“I think they just really nurtured me and just allowed me to grow at my own rate and as I got better and better, I just progressed through the age groups and then to the men's SBL team and then to the Wildcats after that.”

After joining the Men's program in 2013, Dech helped lead the club to its first-ever championship in just his second season in 2014.

“I think it means more now than it did back then. I was super young. And just thought that that's just what happened.”

“I think joining the men's program at the SBL level, that was our first kind of run and championship and the only one that East Perth’s won since, so very grateful for it.”

“We had a good group, a lot of guys who I learned a lot from and who kind of paved the way for me to be where I am today.” 

“Guys were just willing to give up their time just to help me. And I think a lot of it was just learning like trial by fire and kind of Fordey chucked me out there a lot of times and had to figure it out.”

“Being nurtured by guys like Drew Williamson and Joe-Alan Tupaea, Jarrod Balcombe, Nik Donlagic, the list goes on. So definitely very grateful looking back.”

Basketball has taken Dech across Australia and beyond yet whenever he returns to NBL1 West, his heart remains with East Perth.

“I think it's home for me. It's the club where I fell in love with the game. It's a club which helped nurture my development and allowed me to grow into a man and so every time I come home I've got a soft spot for the Eagles.”

“Obviously there's ups and downs in basketball, and I think that's always been a stable base for me wherever I go.” 

“I've been fortunate enough to go to college, play over east, play all around the world, and I know I can always go back and I'll have a home at the East Perth Eagles.”