A gutsy effort was not enough to see Peel Thunder over the line in a pre-finals battle with South Fremantle at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The young Thunder outfit fought hard to be within 13 points at three quarter time but was outlasted when the Bulldogs rampaged home to claim a 12.14 (86) to 18.12 (120) victory.
Three takeaways
1. Peel youngsters show poise against power
Playing with just six Fremantle-listed players paved the way for Peel’s youngsters to shine with another opportunity. Second-gamer James Kirby celebrated a milestone when he booted his first league goal in the third quarter while Calvin Thorne picked up 19 disposals. The numbers won’t reflect Brett Milward and Aaron Naughton’s performances, with the young duo having solid impact at times despite just gathering six and seven touches respectively. While ultimately they could not resist the veterans of South Fremantle, the Thunder’s youth picked up valuable experience against a formidable opponent.
2. Timmy the difference
While South Fremantle received a number of outstanding performances including Steven Verrier (25 touches, two goals) and Haiden Schloithe (26 touches, one goal), ultimately it was Tim Kelly who stood tallest. Kelly was electrifying all day and caused headaches for his Peel opponents, finishing with 26 touches, one goal and two behinds. He was South Fremantle’s best in the opening half with 17 of his touches coming in the first two quarters, helping the side regain the lead a number of times and ultimately launch their assault in the final term.
3. Leroy finds form
Leroy Jetta booted a goal in his return last week against East Fremantle, but was otherwise quiet with just five touches. That was not the case in his second game back from injury, with the small forward finding dazzling form with 15 disposals, three goals and two behinds. Jetta showed off his trademark opportunistic scoring in the forward line and was a huge part of the Thunder’s strong play in the first three quarters. He will be an important piece of their finals campaign.
The Thunder will hit the road to take on South Fremantle again for the first round of finals next week.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
