With rain comes The Thunder

Peel defeated Swan Districts by 31-points on an overcast gloomy afternoon at Rushton Park to stay at the summit of the WAFL ladder.

 

The heavy downpour of rain eased to a drizzle, but the damage to the field had already been done. What was usually a pristine playing surface had been transformed into a slippery mud fest littered with treacherous holes and puddles.

 

Peel got off to the perfect start when Sebit Kuek (14 disposals, two goals) marked inside 50, and then was awarded a 50-metre penalty. He strode up to the goal square and kicked through from directly in front, with only a minute gone on the clock.

 

But any hopes of the Thunder building a strong early lead faded away. The first quarter was a scrappy, high stoppage affair, where neither team was able to seize control of the footy.

 

Peel tried to get their distinctive possession game going through short kicking and fast handball transitions, but their style was not suited to the wet conditions. The waterlogged slippery ball proved difficult to handle, resulting in several turnovers.

 

While the home side dominated the territory, they were unable to make their dominance count on the scoreboard.

 

The siren sounded to end the first term with Peel up by 6 points.

 

The disjointed low scoring game continued in the second quarter, but the Swans raised their intensity.

 

Swan Districts forward Thomas Edwards produced a standout piece of quality when he rose above the shoulders of returning Docker Oscar McDonald, and marked 30 metres out. The fans in the away end roared in delight, but their happiness was short lived as Edwards missed the set shot.

 

William Collins kicked the Swans first goal of the match 17 minutes into the term after he pulled in a hopeful boot into the air and converted the goal.

 

Max Chipper then gave the Swans the lead after Peel gave away a cheap 50-metre penalty.

 

The Thunder responded when fan favourite Michael Walters was caught by a high tackle out on the left wing. He found his Dockers teammate Matt Taberner with a perfectly weighted kick down the line, right on the edge of the 50-metre arc. Taberner (16 disposals, two goals) went back and beautifully sniped through to retake the lead.

 

Peel went into the main break up by two points, with the score 16-14.

 

The third quarter started slowly but Peel kicked into gear when it counted.

 

Max Knobel (37 hit outs), who replaced Dockers debutant Liam Reidy in the ruck, was strong in his duels and allowed Peel to dominate the territory.

 

 Midfield stars James Aish (30 disposals, seven marks), Neil Erasmus (27 disposals) and Will Brodie (26 disposals) drove the team forward and found targets in the forward line.

 

Kuek took a strong mark inside 50 from a low hooked cross from the flank. He went back confidently and kicked through his second of the game.

 

Taj Wyburd (12 disposals, one goal) was awarded a free kick out by the boundary line on the right side, 30 metres out. He stepped inside onto his left foot and expertly kicked through the middle of the goal posts.

 

The Swans tried to rally, but Peel’s solid backline led by powerhouse Michael Sellwood (26 disposals, 10 marks) held firm, taking strong contested intercepting marks.

 

Cooper Simpson (15 disposals, one goal) swept a loose ball up off the deck and snapped through Peel’s third in a row from 50 metres, giving them a commanding 20-point lead going into the last quarter.

 

The Thunder went for the jugular early in the fourth quarter, when Nathan Wilson (one goal, five tackles) kicked a quick goal to extend their lead to 30.

 

Matt Taberner then converted a free kick from 30 metres out to give Peel their fifth goal without reply.

 

Leigh Kohlmann finally ended the Swans’ scoring drought with a goal midway through the quarter, but it ended up being mere consolation as Peel shut out the game with strong defence.

 

The only blemish on Peel’s fourth victory in a row, was that second place East Perth came from behind to snatch a two-point win against East Fremantle, setting up a showdown in the final match of the home and away season.

 

The Thunder will take on the Royals next week at Sullivan Logistics Stadium, with the winner taking the minor premiership.

 

Looking ahead to the game, Sellwood said it’s going to be “enormous.”

 

“We were sort of looking at this week hoping East Perth lost, but they didn’t. So, it’s going to be a battle for top spot and we’re really looking forward to it. We spoke about it in the team meeting, we’ve got to celebrate this win, but then reset and go again.”

 

Peel Thunder: 1.1 2.4 5.7 7.12 (54) 

Swan Districts: 0.1 2.2 2.3 3.5 (23)  

 

GOALS 

Peel Thunder: 2 M Taberner, S Kuek. 1?N Wilson, C Simpson, T Wyburd. 

Swan Districts: 1 M Chipper, L Kohlmann, W Collins.  

 

By Ezra Kaye, Curtin University