Peel Thunder’s second straight premiership is a mark of how far the club has come both on and off the field, according to head coach Cam Shepherd.
The Thunder made it back-to-back flags when they took down a gallant Subiaco Lions outfit at the final football match to be played at Domain Stadium on Sunday, with Shepherd saying the club “understood the significance” of the milestone.
“We enjoyed [the victory] that night and we certainly understand to win two in a row is pretty special,” he said.
“But for a lot of players it was also a significant new experience – a lot of them were first time premiership players.
“For the club as a whole, it’s clearly a very special achievement.”
The Thunder were forced to overcome a gutsy Subiaco on the day, as the Lions pushed the reigning premiers to the brink.
But, aided by the inclusion of 15 Fremantle-listed players, Peel was able to shine with a four-goal last quarter that willed them over the line for the 11.6 (72) to 7.14 (56) win.
Peel had the early jump on the Lions when retiring Fremantle veteran Zac Dawson booted the opening goal, but the Docker limped to the boundary line soon after and would not be seen for the rest of the day.
Despite taking the early blow, Subiaco rallied and trailed by just five points at the quarter time siren.
The game became a tussle in the second, but the third quarter belonged to the Lions.
They were dominant around the midfield, but wayward kicking in front of goal saw them miss their chance to take control of the match.
Simpson medallist Luke Ryan sent his best on ground performance into overdrive in the fourth, cutting off a bunch of Subiaco’s forward attacks.
The Fremantle-listed defender sparked a number of transition plays, leading to goals at the other end that would allow Peel to finish the game in front.
Shepherd heaped praise on the group for their resilience against a spirited Subiaco.
“I think the group put in a really strong effort to get back into the game when they hadn’t played their best footy,” he said.
“Subiaco obviously makes it very hard for anyone to win games so I was quite proud of how the boys fought it out.
“Obviously it’s also a victory for everyone behind the scenes.
“[President] Bob Ryan and the entire organisation has really bought in and it’s a win for them as well.”