Peel Thunder are preparing for their second consecutive finals series after making the finals for the first time in their history in 2015.
East Perth await the Thunder in the Elimination Final at Rushton Park on Sunday afternoon, so let’s take a look at the factors that could decide this match.
Peel set for home final
Affiliates return:
Fremantle fans will see up to 16 members of the senior side line-up for Peel this weekend, with in-form players Shane Yarran and Alex Silvagni set to have a big impact on the finals.
East Perth are likely to have West Coast’s Liam Duggan, Mitch Brown, Patrick McGinnity and experienced defender Eric Mackenzie likely to line-up for the Royal’s.
Dubbed the “mini-derby” throughout the season, Peel will be hoping the form of returning players and confidence at having twice beaten East Perth will see them over the line.
The Last Time Out:
After defeating Claremont by 25 points on Ssaturday, Peel enter the final with form on tbeir side. Tendai Mzungu finished with 34 touches and a goal, while Anthony Morabito had 21 possessions and laid three tackles.
East Perth had to beat East Fremantle to secure a finals berth and did so by 48 points, with West Coast’s youngster Jackson Nelson collecting 24 possessions while Malcolm Karpany kicked two goals and had 23 disposals.
Head-To-Head:
Peel Thunder hold the advantage in recent matches, winning two of the three encounters between the two sides this year. The average winning margin for the Thunder is 25 points, although the Royals did win their first encounter of 2016 at Rushton Park in round four.
The past 10 years present a different story with East Perth holding a 19-8 win record against Peel.
Where to watch:
Peel can expect a big crowd with the East Perth rivalry set to draw both Fremantle and West Coast fans to Mandurah, with children admitted free. Channel 7 will broadcast the game live, while ABC720 and SportFM 91.3fm will also cover the game.