MATCH REPORT: PEEL THUNDER Vs PERTH – 30 APRIL 2016

A promising debut from Fremantle recruit Shane Yarran has seen Peel to a comfortable 77-point win over Perth at Medibank Stadium on Saturday.

After missing the opening rounds of the WAFL season with a knee complaint, Yarran showed why Fremantle picked him with their fourth selection in last year’s NAB AFL Draft.

The reigning Bernie Naylor medallist proved he is still one of the league’s best, finishing with a match-high three goal haul from just nine possessions.

Young Peel midfielder Josh McMahon said Yarran brought masses of class to the Thunder.

He said Yarran’s skills were exactly what the Thunder had been missing.

“If you kick (the ball) to him one-on-one you’ll … back him (to kick the goal) as well,” McMahon said.

“He creates his own footy … and the other forwards can feed off him.”

With a seven-goal-to-two opening quarter, the Thunder were never troubled by the bottom-placed Demons on their way to a 19.9 (123) to 7.4 (46) victory.

Peel started the match brightly with goals to Yarran and Tanner Smith coming inside the first three minutes.

Yarran slotted another major later in the opening stanza and found himself with two goals from his first two disposals.

Perth answered with two goals of their own, but the Thunder piled on a further five goals to take a 28-point lead into the opening break.

The scoring rate slowed in the early stages of the second quarter with Peel registering the first goal at the five-minute mark from a Nick Suban set shot.

When Suban kicked his second goal of the quarter, Peel’s lead was out to 41 points.

The Demons got one back moments later through a set shot goal to Marshall Jones, but an opportunity to reduce Peel’s lead further was lost when Clint Jones missed from just outside 50.

The Thunder made the Demons pay late in the half, adding another three goals to open up a 53-point lead at the main break.

The Thunder continued to dominate the contest and got out to a 72-piont lead midway through the third quarter thanks to goals from Matthew Uebergang and Josh Deluca.

But the Demons finished the stronger, outscoring the Thunder by three goals to two and reduced the margin at the final break to 50 points.

With the pressure gone from the contest, Peel was able to re-establish its dominance with a four-goal to one final quarter.

McMahon said putting the Demons away in the last quarter would stand them in good stead for the bigger matches.

“If we can (do that against) Perth, we can do it against other (top five) sides,” McMahon said.

“It gives us confidence heading into (the match against) West Perth next week.” 

Clancee Pearce finished the match with 30 disposals and 11 marks, and was well supported by Fremantle team-mates Ed Langdon (25 disposals), Tanner Smith (25) and Matt de Boer (24).

Garrick Ibbotson was another to put his hand up for a senior recall, gathering 22 disposals, nine marks and five tackles.

The win was the Thunder’s fourth for the season and sees them cement their place in the top five.