Forestville Eagles

The club originated out from the Mellor Park Tennis Club in Lockleys as a men's team named West Torrens back in the late 1940s and then amalgamated with the Adelaide women's club in 1958 to form the West Torrens Basketball Club (WTBC). As the club originated within the West Torrens Council Area, it was decided that both the football (see West Torrens Football Club) and basketball clubs would both be known as "Eagles". The West Torrens name remained until 1980 when the club took over the basketball stadium located in Forestville and changed the name to the Forestville Eagles Basketball Club.{{cite web |title=February 2022 Newsletter |url=https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/febc/files/bpyvohdk0h7wlgic.pdf |publisher=Forestville Eagles Basketball Club |access-date=20 December 2024}}

The first official season of the SA State League took place in 1957. In 1958 and 1959, West Torrens were in back-to-back men's grand finals; both resulted in losses to the North Adelaide Rockets.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-3656-44095-435540-24976032&sID=77311&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=5979060 | title=Men's Premiers | work=SportsTG.com | access-date=15 April 2017}} The women's team also made grand finals in 1958, 1959 and 1960, all resulting in losses.{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-3656-44095-435540-24976032&sID=77311&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=5979062 | title=Women's Premiers | work=SportsTG.com | access-date=15 April 2017}}

In 1966, a women's team known as Adelaide won the SA State League. The same team were runners-up in 1967. Following this, Adelaide's coach Jim Madigan submitted his team as West Torrens going forward.{{cite news |title=Eight not enough for Tigers |url=http://www.botinagy.com/blog/eight-not-enough-for-tigers/ |access-date=20 December 2024 |work=botinagy.com |date=11 September 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Prentice |first1=Tristan |title=2024 NBL1 Central Women's Grand Final Preview |url=https://sacrossoverdribble.com/2024/08/09/2024-nbl1-central-womens-grand-final-preview/ |access-date=20 December 2024 |work=sacrossoverdribble.com |date=9 August 2024 |language=en}}

In 1972, the women's team collected the club's first ever championship, before defending their title in 1973. They went on to finish runners-up in 1975 and 1976. The West Torrens men made three grand finals in 1970, 1974 and 1979, with 1974 seeing the Eagles collect their first ever men's championship.{{cite news |last1=Nagy |first1=Boti |title=After 40 years, Eagles return to the nest and celebrate a milestone in SA basketball history |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/after-40-years-eagles-return-to-the-nest-and-celebrate-a-milestone-in-sa-basketball-history/news-story/5623ddea0bdf6a85a8c11679a1073847 |access-date=20 December 2024 |work=adelaidenow.com.au |date=27 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309150543/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/after-40-years-eagles-return-to-the-nest-and-celebrate-a-milestone-in-sa-basketball-history/news-story/5623ddea0bdf6a85a8c11679a1073847 |archive-date=9 March 2017}} In 1982, the Forestville men lost in the grand final to the West Adelaide Bearcats. After further grand final defeats in 1987 and 1989, Forestville claimed their second men's title in 1990 with a 94–88 grand final win over the South Adelaide Panthers.

The women's team claimed their first title under the Forestville moniker in 2001, before winning two more titles in 2003 and 2005. The men also claimed championships in 2003 and 2006. Between 2009 and 2011, the women claimed a three-peat, before the men claimed their own three-peat between 2011 and 2013. In 2019, both teams were crowned Premier League champions.{{cite web | last=Vartuli | first=Kieren | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3656-0-0-0&sID=39560&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=66195838 | title=EAGLES EDGE OUT SABRES IN A 3-PT GRAND FINAL THRILLER | work=SportsTG.com | date=18 August 2019 | access-date=28 August 2019}}{{cite web | last=Vartuli | first=Kieren | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3656-0-0-0&sID=39560&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=66195839 | title=FORESTVILLE CROWNED CHAMPIONS AFTER MIRACULOUS COMEBACK | work=SportsTG.com | date=18 August 2019 | access-date=28 August 2019}}{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/comp_info.cgi?a=ROUND&compID=512275&c=1-3656-0-0-0 | title=Results for 2019 Premier League Men – Grand Final | work=SportsTG.com | access-date=19 August 2019}}{{cite web | url=http://websites.sportstg.com/comp_info.cgi?a=ROUND&compID=512274&c=1-3656-0-0-0 | title=Results for 2019 Premier League Women – Grand Final | work=SportsTG.com | access-date=19 August 2019}}

In 2023, the men's team lost in the NBL1 Central grand final to the West Adelaide Bearcats.{{cite web|last=Prentice|first=Tristan|url=https://nbl1.com.au/news/nbl1-central-recap-or-mens-grand-final-2023/central/|title=NBL1 CENTRAL RECAP | MEN'S GRAND FINAL 2023|work=NBL1.com.au|date=13 August 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230813064944/https://nbl1.com.au/news/nbl1-central-recap-or-mens-grand-final-2023/central/|archive-date=13 August 2023|access-date=13 August 2023}} In 2024, both the men and women made the grand final, with the men winning the championship and the women finishing as runners-up.{{cite web|last=Prentice|first=Tristan|url=https://nbl1.com.au/article/recap-nbl1-central-or-mens-grand-final|title=Recap NBL1 Central {{pipe}} Men's Grand Final|work=NBL1.com.au|date=10 August 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811055516/https://nbl1.com.au/article/recap-nbl1-central-or-mens-grand-final|archive-date=11 August 2024|access-date=11 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://nbl1.com.au/article/forestville-eagles-win-the-2024-nbl1-central-mens-championship|title=Forestville Eagles win the 2024 NBL1 Central men's championship|work=NBL1.com.au|date=10 August 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811055954/https://nbl1.com.au/article/forestville-eagles-win-the-2024-nbl1-central-mens-championship|archive-date=11 August 2024|access-date=11 August 2024}}{{cite web|last=Prentice|first=Tristan|url=https://nbl1.com.au/article/recap-nbl1-central-women-s-grand-final|title=Recap NBL1 Central {{pipe}} Women's Grand Final|work=NBL1.com.au|date=10 August 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811060200/https://nbl1.com.au/article/recap-nbl1-central-women-s-grand-final|archive-date=11 August 2024|access-date=11 August 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://nbl1.com.au/article/central-districts-lions-win-the-2024-nbl1-central-womens-championship|title=Central Districts Lions win the 2024 NBL1 Central women's championship|work=NBL1.com.au|date=10 August 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811060448/https://nbl1.com.au/article/central-districts-lions-win-the-2024-nbl1-central-womens-championship|archive-date=11 August 2024|access-date=11 August 2024}}

The West Torrens Eagles competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1980. A name change saw the Forestville Eagles compete in the 1981 NBL season. In 1982, Forestville's late withdrawal from the NBL when it no longer could afford to continue in the competition alongside West Adelaide, led to the state association inviting the rest of its domestic clubs to form a composite "Adelaide" team. To separate the identity from local club Adelaide Giants, the new composite outfit was called Adelaide City Eagles for the 1982 NBL season.

In 1984, the Women's Basketball Conference (WBC) was established. The Eagles joined the WBC in 1985.{{cite web|url=http://www.botinagy.com/blog/flashback-99a-nwbl-wbc-1986/|title=FLASHBACK 99a: NWBL, WBC 1986|work=botinagy.com|date=30 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506001406/http://www.botinagy.com/blog/flashback-99a-nwbl-wbc-1986/|archive-date=6 May 2024}} The WBC became the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) women's competition in 1990, but the Eagles women did not join the SEABL.{{cite web|url=http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/SEABL_Ladders_history.pdf|title=SEABL Ladders history|work=SEABL.com.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720053750/http://www.seabl.com.au/uploads/media/SEABL_Ladders_history.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2008}}

{{Forestville Eagles Season by season}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.forestvilleeagles.asn.au/home/ FEBC's official website]

{{NBL1 Central}}

{{NBLdefunct}}

Category:Premier League (Australia) teams

Category:Defunct National Basketball League (Australia) teams

Category:Basketball clubs in Adelaide

Category:Basketball teams established in 1957

Category:1957 establishments in Australia

Category:Sports clubs and teams in Adelaide

Category:NBL1 Central