East Coast Eagles Facilities

The Eagles finally took possession of Bruce Purser Reserve in February 2009 after a significantly long wait for their new home ground. The Hills Shire Council , the AFL, Cricket NSW and the East Coast Eagles have outlaid nearly $7 million dollars to build a state of the art playing arena which will withstand any amount of rain thrown at it. 

The above aerial photo (approx October 2008) is before the oval turf had fully matured, the landscaping added and the goalposts and electronic scoreboard were yet to be erected.   

East Coast played their first ever home game against North Shore in Round 2 of 2009. Ironically however, Round 1 v Pennant Hills which had been scheduled for the Demons home ground, was transferred to Bruce Purser owing to waterlogged grounds at Ern Holmes Oval.

Information about the facilitites at the East Coast Eagles - Updated as at May 28th 2008.

The Eagles' new home at the corner of Withers and Commercial Roads in Kellyville / Rouse Hill has now been under construction for some 18 months.

The process has been a lengthy one, hamstrung by site preparation complexities and the unseasonal heavy rains which Sydney has experienced in January & February 2008.

However Bruce Purser Reserve, as it is officially named in the Baulkham Hills Council records, will be a reality some time in 2008 with the Club expecting to receive a handover of the facility in late July from the Council and the contractors. 

Regretfully however, the cold winter months are not advantageous to the establishment of newly laid turf and we have reluctantly accepted the advice from the AFL turf experts that it would be folly to attempt to train or play on the oval before the warmth of the spring sun can assist the roots to take hold.  To play on it now would render the grass useless for following seasons. 

Whilst disappointing to all at the Club and Sydney footy in general, we recognise that it is the correct decision, hence the Eagles are once again without a home ground for the seventh year in succession. Meanwhile training will now remain at our temporary base of the Castle Hill Showground through until the end of the season. 

With the approval of the Sydney AFL, all home matches originally scheduled for the new venue, have now been moved to Charles McLaughlin Reserve, Crestwood Drive in Baulkham Hills. "Charlie" as it is affectionately known, is the home ground of the Baulkham Hills Falcons junior football club who have been kind enough to accommodate our request for a return to the ground which was originally the home base of our senior sides up until season 2000.

Please review the draw elsewhere on this website to check the latest information.      

Whilst the official Council initiated name of the new venue is Bruce Purser Reserve, the the Eagles are permitted to obtain a naming rights sponsor for the Oval itself and interested parties may seek further information from Craig Abercrombie on 0413 642055. 

Perimeter fence advertising is also permitted and enquiries from interested parties are welcomed via Craig on the number above.  

Eagles are about to land… at home.

It has been a long time on the road for the East Coast Eagles AFL football club. The senior component of the club, which was formerly part of the Baulkham Hills Junior AFL operation, amicably broke away in 2000 to broaden the scope of senior football opportunities in the North West region. Behind them they left Charles McLaughlin Reserve in Crestwood which had been a home ground for many years and is still used to this day by the Baulkham Hills Falcons Juniors. This was the start of a long time “away from home”. For the last eight years the Eagles have been the nomads of the Sydney AFL competition, not enjoying the benefits of a home ground. In 2009, this is about to change.

Over those last eight years, the East Coast Eagles have called many places home, including grounds in Alexandria, Marrickville and Panania which has meant a lot of travelling for players and supporters who are largely based in the North West of Sydney. In 2009, the Eagles will establish themselves at Bruce Purser Reserve in Rouse Hill. This purpose built Australian Rules venue has been a development of the Baulkham Hills Council with assistance from the AFL, Cricket Australia and the East Coast Eagles.

Bruce Purser Reserve is on the corner of Withers Rd and Commercial Rd Rouse Hill, just a few steps from the brand new Rouse Hill Town Centre. The ground will become the premier venue for Australian rules in the North West and the Eagles hope to make it a ground that opposition teams will dread coming to.

Plans to have the ground available during the 2008 season have been seriously hampered by the recent rains and an official opening date has been delayed. Ironically therefore the Eagles have returned to their ‘”roots” for 2008 and have once again used Charles McLaughlin Reserve for most of their home games. Whilst cricket may get to use the new venue before football, we will keep all supporters informed as to the opening date and the community festivities which will surround that momentous occasion.

Chairman of the Eagles, Gus Seebeck recalls recent years for the club. “It has been a tough time for the Eagles not having a home ground for so long. It makes it very hard for your members and supporters but now we have a great opportunity to put the North West region of Sydney on the AFL map. At the same time, it is going to fantastic for us to finally come home to a place of our own.”

The Australian Football League have recently announced a renewed focus on Aussie rules in the Greater West with a planned AFL team to be in the region by the year 2012 and the opening of Bruce Purser Reserve and the return of the East Coast Eagles will give the community a real taste of things to come.