AFL Draft: A look at Peel Thunder’s contribution to the top level

This Thursday will see more than 100 bright young prospects crossing their fingers as they aspire to be snapped up by an AFL club, but with the bulk of the spotlight firmly fixed on the 2018 crop we thought it prudent to take a walk down memory lane.

Mandurah’s local WAFL club Peel Thunder has produced a strong group of AFL talent over the years.

Below is a list of each player to be picked up from the club via the national draft.

It was a proud day for Peel Thunder when their first ever draftee landed in the top 10 and was selected by home-state club West Coast. Hill was an extremely good defender at the 1998 under 18s championships, which earned him all-Australian honours for the carnival. The Mandurah football product was part of Peel Thunder’s first ever side and while he was delisted after two years of AFL footy, he returned to the Thunder where he played 145 senior games.

A 257-game veteran, Wells is arguably the most accomplished player to ever be drafted out of Peel Thunder. The dynamic midfielder made an instant impact after being chosen by North Melbourne, showing the efficient ball use and knack for possession collecting that led to him being the second overall selection behind St Kilda and Essendon star Brendan Goddard. Wells signed with Collingwood as a free agent at the end of the 2016 season, and has since been hampered by injury. He intends to play out the final year of his contract in 2019.

Farren Ray became Peel Thunder’s second top-five pick in as many years when he was chosen by the Bulldogs at pick four. The midfielder/defender played 75 games with the Dogs before being traded to St Kilda where he became a regular fixture in the side playing 130 games. He was delisted in 2015 and signed with North Melbourne, where he played four matches before retiring with 209 games under his belt.

Injuries hindered Peel’s fourth draftee at the AFL level, but Paul Bower still managed to chalk up 70 games across seven seasons with the Blues. He struggled in his early years, but 2009 was a breakout as he took on stronger defensive roles and finished seventh in the club’s best and fairest count. He returned to Peel for a season after he was delisted from the Blues at the end of 2012.

Matt Riggio heard his name called eight picks after Bower, joining the Kangaroos as a second-round selection. The small defender debuted for the side in 2007, where he played the first two rounds of the season. He then returned to North’s VFL side and wasn’t recalled to the seniors until the 2008 season. Riggio has since returned to the WAFL following the closure of his AFL career, winning a premiership with Swan Districts where he remains a key cog in their league side.

The third Peel player drafted in 2005, Kristin Thornton was taken by Sydney in the fourth round. Picked up by the Swans in an era of dominance for the club, Thornton didn’t debut until round eight, 2009 after struggling with injuries. He played just eight games with the club before returning to Peel Thunder and taking out the their best and fairest in 2011. He was named to Peel Thunder’s 20-year all-star side in 2016.

Scott Gumbleton’s AFL career was derailed by injuries, which kept him from ever consistently getting on the park. He played 17 of his 35 senior games in 2010, but missed full seasons in 2008, 2009 and 2011. He was traded to Fremantle in 2013 where he showed promising pre-season form, but injuries led to him retiring midway through the year without having played a game in purple. Gumbleton was Peel’s second player selected with pick two overall, and their fourth top-10 product.

Chosen in the third round by the Brisbane Lions, defender James Hawksley debuted for the club in round 11, 2008. He went on to play 32 games with the Lions, before being delisted at the end of the 2012 season and returning to the Thunder. He played country footy for Bunbury-based club Carey Park in the South West Football League.

A solid selection at pick 47, Reimers booted 69 goals from his 60 games at the Bombers. His career highlight came in round six of the 2011 season, where he booted eight goals against the Gold Coast Suns in a huge victory for Essendon, but he would go on to be de-listed at the end of 2012 and spurned Carlton’s offer to train with the team in 2013.

O’Brien debuted for Fremantle in the final round of the 2007 season, where he gathered a modest 16 touches but showed plenty of class. However, the 52^nd pick in the 2006 draft went on to play just three games for the Dockers before being de-listed. He returned to the WAFL level where he became an integral part of East Fremantle’s line-up, and has more recently made his way back to the local level winning a premiership at Pinjarra with his brothers Rory, Josh and Mackenzie.

Arguably the most notable player to come out of Peel Thunder, Ballantyne quickly made a name for himself as a fiery forward with a knack for finding the goals. Joining the Dockers after winning the 2008 Sandover Medal as the WAFL’s best and fairest, the goal-sneak has since become one of Fremantle’s most prolific forwards in club history, earning all-Australian honours in 2014. He has booted 253 goals from 168 games.

Anthony Morabito was snapped up by the Dockers with pick four and loomed as one of the most exciting youngsters in the league after a blistering rookie year, but injuries crippled his aspirations over the ensuing years. His debut season in 2010 consisted of 23 games and a rising star nomination, but Morabito was de-listed at the end of the 2016 season following three tears of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The midfielder was the second Peel product chosen with pick four.

Peel’s second draftee from 2009, Aaron Black enjoyed a period of success where he was one of the most in-form tall forwards in the AFL in 2013. His ability to kick consistent bags of goals was a major factor for North Melbourne, but the Eaton Boomers junior fell out of favour in the following seasons and was eventually traded to Geelong at the end of 2016. He played three games for the Cats in 2018 but was unable to hit the scoreboard.

It’s reasonable to say Bennell has more god-given talent than any player on this list, which was evident in his first seasons at the Gold Coast. His performance playing for the Suns against Geelong in 2014 is a stark reminder of what the troubled and luckless midfielder can do. In that game he tallied 27 disposals and booted a massive six goals to lead the Suns to a stunning victory over the Cats. But since being traded to Fremantle at the end of 2015 off-field issues and calf injuries have restricted the talented 26-year-old to just two games for the club.

If you’re basing success on premierships (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) then McIntosh is the most successful AFL player on this entire list. The 31^st pick in the 2012 draft battled injuries while attempting to make his mark at Richmond in his first few years, but he tasted the ultimate success with the club in 2017 as they defied the odds to record a drought-breaking premiership. McIntosh is often overlooked by fans heaping praise on Richmond’s star-studded list, but the Pinjarra product is a premiership player and nothing can take that away from him.

Schoenfeld entered the league with high praise on his athletic ability and didn’t disappoint in his four games in 2016. The running defender debuted against Fremantle in round 18, tallying 19 touches in a classy first showing, but he’s since struggled to crack into Gold Coast’s best 22, spending the bulk of his time playing for their state-league club in the NEAFL. He will be hoping to crack into a struggling Suns outfit in 2019.

Naughton’s debut season at the Kennel has Western Bulldogs fans salivating more than their mascot. Taken with the ninth overall selection in last year’s draft, the tall intercepting defender took a few games to get going at the AFL level but really came into his own as the season progressed. His best game came against Richmond in the final round of the season where his 18 touches and nine marks earned him the NAB Rising Star nomination. He was also a factor in the Bulldogs’ best and fairest count where he finished fourth, behind only genuine superstars Lachie Hunter, Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli.