East Perth rained on Peels parade

Peel have suffered a disappointing 20-ppint loss to East Perth on Saturday at Sullivan Logistics Stadium, therefore missing out on the minor premiership. 

An overcast and gloomy saturday set the stage for a hungry Royals side to maintain their great winning record at their fortress in round 21. 

East Perth started strongly in the first term, nailing the first two goals of the game to leave Peel with no answers. 

Powerful wind and rain also made it difficult for Peel to convert, eventually ending the first quarter with East Perth ahead by two goals. 

The second term kicked off with a yet again determined East Perth nailing the first goal within 50 seconds. 

James Aish (26 disposals, 17 kicks) got to work, drilling a pass inside 50 to Matt Taberner (seven disposals, one goal) to kick Peels First goal of the game 12 minutes into the second quarter. 

Frustrated Peel fans watched on, pleading for a spark amongst the players. 

East Perth again continued to apply pressure and didn't let Peel have a sniff at goal for the rest of the second quarter. 

A low scoring term resulted in East Perth getting ahead by 17 points at the halftime mark. 

The sun came out of hiding at the opening third term which brought a sense of hope for some fight from Peel. However, East Perth countered and sustained their run of shots at goal with two consecutive behinds followed by two goals in the first 14 minutes of the third quarter. 

Desperation grew for Peel as the players scrapped desperately in the rain affected and muddy ground. 

Neil Erasmus (25 disposals, 15 handballs) and Karl Worner (25 disposals, 14 kicks) worked tirelessly throughout the game, providing support for both the midfield and the backline.

Tom Emmett (10 disposals, two goals) eventually provided some relief for Peel kicking a late goal in the third term, taking the margin to 25 points. 

A huge roar from the East Perth fans reupted as the final quarter began, creating a suffocating atmosphere for Peel players.  

Ethan Hughes (26 disposals, 19 kicks) and Michael Sellwood (22 disposals, 19 kicks) generated great chemistry to limit East Perth's explosive midfield. 

Blair Bell (19 disposals, one goal) also fought hard around the ground kicking Peel's last goal of the final term. 

East Perth's midfield managed 53 inside 50's to 29 for Peel for the match, proving how dominant their midfield was. 

East Perth produced five scoring opportunities against a stuggling Peel in the final five minutes of the match taking the final scores to 4.5 (29) for the visitors and 6.13 (49) for the home side.  

Peel will now face Swan Districts in a qualifying final on Saturday 31st of August. 

Peel Thunder: 0.1 1.1 2.1 4.5 (29) 

East Perth: 2.2 3.6 5.8 6.13 (49) 

GOALS: 

Peel Thunder: 2 T Emmett, 1 B Bell, M Taberner 

East Perth: 2 S Hille, 1 C Ameduri, T Graham, T Medhat, T North 

By George Spence, Curtin University