Peel Thunder dominate East Fremantle to claim victory

Balic was dominant in the Thunder’s 19.12 (126) to 5.10 (40) win over East Fremantle, gut-running for four quarters to finish with 33 disposals and a goal.

The prolific display is Balic’s second straight game with 30 or more touches, as he continues to stake his claim for a Fremantle Dockers call-up.

Traye Bennell impressed with 28 touches, 16 of which came in the second half.

His poise around the contest and smart decision making created opportunity for forward duo Matt Taberner and Leroy Jetta, who bagged five goals each.

Rory O’Brien, Brayden Lawler, Sean Darcy, and Sam Collins were all influential in the match.

​1. Early pressure makes things easy for Peel

Peel was able to put the game on ice early thanks to a mountain of pressure forcing the Sharks to create turnovers. Led by O’Brien (10 tackles) and Lawler (six), Peel refused to give the Sharks an inch of room when they tried to work their way around the field. The Thunder dominated the tackle count 75-55 and their physicality early allowed them to finish the game on their terms.

​2. Balic’s big day out

A number of Peel players made their mark on the game at some point, but Balic seemed to have his finger in every pie on his way to 33 touches and a goal. The second-year Docker was a machine running around the ground, not easing up until the final siren. It would be fair for him to be upset at missing out on a round one jumper for the Dockers after they selected Nick Suban, but consecutive 30-plus disposal games will have him at the forefront of the Fremantle coaches’ minds.

​3. Dynamic duo up forward

Along with Balic, Matt Taberner made a push for Fremantle selection with five goals for the Thunder. Teaming with Leroy Jetta, the duo formed a forward line that East Fremantle had no control over. Together they kicked 10 of Peel’s 19 goals. Jetta now has nine goals in his first two games back from a year off, eight of which have come in second halves.

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