Peel’s first home game of 2017 started with the unfurling of its first premiership flag and finished with an 86-point victory over East Fremantle at Bendigo Bank Stadium.
There were 14 Fremantle listed players in the Thunder line-up for the match, with neither Hayden Crozier nor Harley Balic able to force their way into the Fremantle team to take on Geelong.
But Balic and key forward Matt Taberner pushed their claims for AFL selection next week with solid performances against the Sharks.
Taberner kicked five goals from 20 possessions, while Balic had 33 possessions and kicked one goal.
Other strong performers included Fremantle listed players Ethan Hughes, Sean Darcy and Sam Collins.
Collins said the players would not allow their excellent early season form to go to their heads, especially with a tough match to come against South Fremantle on Saturday.
“We built on our performance last week, which was a focus going in, so I think it’s going to be a good game next week against South Freo, and we are going to have to bring our best effort,” he said.
The home side started brightly, with Brady Grey kicking the first goal of the game inside two minutes.
Taberner also kicked two first-quarter goals as Peel opened up a 28-point lead at the first break.
The pressure was high in the second term, with the Thunder adding another two goals and holding the visitors goalless.
Despite his charges following up with another six-goal quarter in the third, Peel coach Cam
Shepherd urged them to keep up the pressure at the final change.
It worked, with the Thunder kicking another five goals in the last quarter to cap off a dismal day for the Sharks.
