The gist: The Eagles have lost several of their stars and injected a lot of youth into the line-up, however, they still have more than enough talent to put themselves in a position to defend their back-to-back premierships.

The stat: Last season was the first time the Eagles were able to successfully defend their crown at the CABL level.

The star: Adam Doyle capped off a career year by almost-singlehandedly launching the Eagles to a Grand Final comeback victory that few would have predicted. With Rashad Tucker now retired and coaching at Southern, look for Doyle to build on his 13.3 point and 4.5 assist averages.

The x-factor: Riley Luettgerodt and Rashad Tucker were excellent imports for the Eagles, and they have now signed Jake Rios, who played at college with Trent Fildes. Will he have the same impact as Woollacott Medallist Luettgerodt and Grand Final MVP Tucker?

The glass half-full: Doyle, Harvey, Trent Fildes, Brad Gerlach, Brad Haydon and Neil Mottram is a very strong contingent. The Eagles are also well-built for the future with a core of juniors coming in.

The glass half-empty: Leadership is an underrated asset, and losing Sullivan and Tucker is as costly as it gets in that department. Haydon has big shoes to fill as the new captain, while Deng’s athleticism will also be missed.

The verdict: The Eagles have a good shot at a third straight title.

Predicted finish: 2nd

2012

Final placing: 1st
Record: 13-5
Home record: 7-2
Road Record: 6-3
Longest win streak: 8
Longest losing streak: 3
Best result: 102-74 v Norwood
Worst result: 83-94 @ South 

Player Stats
Where they scored from

2013

Player Profiles
Game Schedule

By James Woite