Peel Thunder couldn’t get over the line in a wet encounter with Subiaco Lions which ended in a 62-56 loss at Rushton Park.

The game was close throughout and not even a game-high 30 disposals from Will Brodie were enough to get his side the win.

A raft of Fremantle youth and experience joined Brodie for Peel’s Round eight game against Subiaco.

Joshua Draper, Joel Hamling, Nathan Wilson, Corey Wagner and Karl Worner were all part of the defensive line up while Liam Henry, Neil Erasmus, Liam Reidy and Brodie shaped up in the midfield.

It was Josh Corbett, Tom Emmett, Sam Sturt, Travis Colyer and Sebit Kuek who made their mark in the forwardline.

The game got off to a scrappy start as both teams had to contend with slippery conditions thanks to a persistent drizzle. Subiaco managed to score the first major of the game after both sides struggled to connect their kicks through the middle of the posts.

Peel’s defence was again a standout as they kept the Thunder in touching distance of the Lions. Karl Worner once again dominated with 11 first quarter disposals to his name, the most on ground.

The only major for Peel in the first quarter was scored by Colyer (1 goal, 13 disposals) who was playing his second game of the season for the Thunder.

The forward put through a tough shot in the right-hand pocket with ease to ensure his side stayed within touching distance of Subiaco.

The weather only worsened in the second quarter with the rainfall getting heavier as time went on.

Tricky conditions meant scoring slowed down but both Henry (22 disposals, 5 inside 50s) and Corbett (7 kicks, 7 marks) put through goals to bring Peel ahead.

Midfield pressure was crucial for Peel’s comeback and for much of the quarter the ball was locked in the forward half. Will Brodie and Neil Erasmus were instrumental in this as they recorded 16 and 13 first half disposal’s respectively.

Subiaco found themselves able to break through the pressure at the end of the term to lead by a singular point at half time.

Subiaco started and finished the third quarter strongly to put them ahead of the final term. It wasn’t all one-way traffic however, as Worner and Reidy (23 hit outs, 3 inside 50s) both scored goals to keep the margin only 12 points.

Going into the final quarter it was still anyone’s game.

Peel applied solid pressure in both the midfield and defensive thirds, giving the team hope they could stage yet another final quarter comeback.

Two goals from Fremantle listed Sam Sturt sparked life into the game but ultimately Peel couldn’t quite reel in the score.

After the game, Sebit Kuek said the match was close, but his team weren’t quite physical enough,

“Contest was key, we came out trying to win the contest but it didn’t quite go our way, we didn’t adjust to the conditions well enough,” Kuek said.

“We were a little slow in the contest and we didn’t get the result we wanted, that’s something we are going to have to fix for next week.”

Kuek said despite the loss the team showed positive signs and midfield players like Will Brodie were a big strength for Peel.

“It’s really good to have 'Wiz' on the team, he’s got a lot of experience and he’s a weapon,” he said.

Looking forward, Kuek wants to push for higher honours with Fremantle but is keeping his focus on what’s ahead of him.

“I feel like I’m getting better each and every week so I’ve just got to keep that going for the rest of the year," he said.

Peel Thunder will travel to Perth’s western suburbs next week to take on Claremont as they look to bounce back from their first loss in four matches.

Peel Thunder: 1.3 3.6 6.7 8.8 (56)
Subiaco: 2.6 3.7 7.13 8.14 (62)

GOALS
Peel Thunder: S. Sturt 2, L. Reidy 1, K. Worner 1, J. Corbett 1, B. Wemm 1, L. Henry 1, T. Colyer 1
Subiaco: B. Sokol 2, S. Giro 1, R. Borchet 1, W. Hickmott 1, J. Robbins 1, J. Alone 1, B. Golding 1