Peel Thunder to take on spirited East Fremantle | match preview

The Sharks snapped a 10-game losing skid by claiming their first win of the season when they toppled Perth last weekend, and will be keen to show they can mix it with a top-four team taking on Peel.

On the other side of the ledger, Peel will be refreshed after coming off a bye, along with their Fremantle-listed players who had a bye in the AFL.

The Thunder will go in as heavy favourites, but East Fremantle’s last two outings have been impressive and if their form carries over this could be an intriguing match.

1. Momentum

Peel was on a roll before the bye, claiming wins in four of their past five matches. The sole loss came against Subiaco (who sit atop the table) and was a four-point thriller. They were able to respond with a win over premiership contenders South Fremantle leading them into their week off. The Thunder’s number of contributors has been a big help, with few passengers over the past month. Ethan Hughes has played well since returning from a stint in Fremantle’s ones, while Brayden Lawler, Alex Bray and Josh Deluca have been in good touch. It will be interesting to see if Peel keep the ball rolling following the bye.

​2. East Fremantle’s team efforts

The Sharks have had a nightmare first half of the season, but their last two matches against Claremont and Perth have been impressive. They fell agonisingly short against the Tigers with a three-point loss, but a phenomenal second half lifted them to their first win on the season against Perth. The Sharks booted a whopping 131 points (14 second-half goals) against the Demons, with a complete team effort securing the win. Despite their massive score, not one Shark kicked more than three goals, while their highest disposal winner was Corey Holmes with 28. They’ll look for a similar team push against the Thunder.

3. Their last encounter

Peel and East Freo last clashed in round two, with the Thunder bullying their way to an 86-point victory. Traye Bennell starred with 28 disposals while Rory O’Brien collected 23 touches, laid 10 tackles and booted a goal. But much has changed since the dawn of the season. The Sharks are in much better form, and Peel’s line-up could look significantly changed after Fremantle announced six inclusions to their initial squad of 25 for their clash against Geelong on Sunday.

The possession battle

Each of these sides have midfield and edge players that can tally a lot of the footy. Last week saw Corey Holmes (28 disposals), Jayden Schofield (25) and Thomas Marshall (24) lead the way for the Sharks while Peel’s Rory O’Brien, Danyle Pearce and Cam Sutcliffe are ball magnets. Schofield currently ranks seventh in the league for total disposals, while O’Brien sits in 12^th. 

East Fremantle Oval, Saturday, June 24, 2.15pm