REELING from its agonising four-point loss against West Perth last Saturday, Peel Thunder will face alignment rivals East Perth on Sunday in another clash integral to the fortunes of both clubs in 2015.

Both sides occupy the last two places in the top five, with East Perth in fourth spot ahead of Peel by a hefty percentage (14.59).

Peel emerged triumphant in the earlier encounter this season, and its gritty 27-point win was part of the record-breaking four-match winning streak.

The Thunder defence managed to restrict the Royals to its lowest score against Peel (7.5 47), and a similar performance will be required from the likes of Tom Vandeleur, Brady Grey and Tanner Smith.

That Round 5 victory saw the Royals tumble to seventh on the ladder; however the Thunder’s fortunes have been mixed since both sides met.

The Thunder has won only one of the past five games, with heavy losses to Swan Districts (47 points), Subiaco (60 points) and Claremont (72 points).

In contrast, East Perth has won four of the past six, with Jack Darling inspiring a hard-fought 17-point win over Swan Districts last week with five goals.

Darling has been recalled to the West Coast side to take on Essendon on Saturday night; however his possible replacement, Fraser McInnes, has showcased his obvious talent at AFL level already and could be a danger up forward.

McInnes, Jackson Nelson and Matt Rosa have been named emergencies for West Coast, and all three could possibly line-up for the Royals on Sunday.

For Peel, an interesting tactic could be the presence of Josh Bootsma floating around centre-half forward. The rangy defender started forward last week and set up Leroy Jetta’s first goal.

All three of Fremantle’s emergencies travelled with the squad to the Gold Coast on Friday Thursday night, so decisions on the likelihood of Jonathan Griffin, Paul Duffield and Matt de Boer playing on Sunday will be made over the weekend.

However, athletic ruckman Zac Clarke will play his first game for Peel on Sunday, while nuggety forward Brayden Lawler will be sidelined due to a rib injury.

The midfield group of Connor Blakely, Jacob Ballard and Lachie Weller was very good against the Falcons, while Max Duffy chimed in with four goals.

They will have to contend with a strong East Perth midfield led by skipper Brendan Lee and prolific Brant Colledge, who had 38 disposals and two goals in the Round 5 loss.

With the competition tighter than ever, this is a must-win clash for both sides.

Bouncedown is 2.15 at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Sunday, so get down there and show your support!

Team Selection

TEAM LIST - ROUND 12   FB: 18. Mitchell Gill 43. Thomas Vandeleur 28. Brady Grey   HB: 1. Gerald Ugle 22. Tanner Smith 42. Ethan Hughes   C: 11. Joshua Mathers 19. Connor Blakely 26. Ed Langdon   HF: 5. Leroy Jetta 10. Joshua Bootsma 14. Lachie Weller   FF: 12. Benjamin Hancock 40. Craig Moller 24. Max Duffy   FOLLOWERS INTERCHANGE 47. Zac Clarke 44. Jacob Ballard 3. Brendon Jones 2. Laine Wilkins 6. Corey Morris 9. Cruize Garlett 20. Kieran May 30. Kyle Shanahan 31. Harrison Tyler 34. Mitchell Wallace 54. Scott Ugle EMG:   IN: 2. Laine Wilkins, 6. Corey Morris, 9. Cruize Garlett, 18. Mitchell Gill, 20. Kieran May, 30. Kyle Shanahan, 31. Harrison Tyler, 34. Mitchell Wallace OUT: 7. Tendai Mzungu, 8. Matthew De Boer, 16. Nathan Fahey, 17. Brayden Lawler, 38. Jack Hannath, 39. Joshua Deluca, 58. Sean Hurley,