Twelve Fremantle-listed players were in action for the duel against Claremont at the weekend, which saw the Thunder defeat the Tigers by a point in the final minutes of the match.

Following the loss to Swan Districts in the Qualifying Final, a fresh and hungry Peel Thunder got off to a dominant start, taking control of possession through the middle early.

Will Brodie (17 disposals, two tackles) and Liam Reidy (44 hit-outs, 14 disposals, four inside 50’s) made their presence felt, racking up seven touches and three hitouts to advantage respectively in the opening six minutes of the match.

Tensions began to flare between the sides when Brodie was hit late on a kick shortly after.

Peel players rushed to avenge Brodie, who remained on the ground for some time before limping off the field, resulting in a free kick call to Claremont.

The call overturning a set shot opportunity for Patrick Voss (one goal, four marks), who had marked the ball inside 50.

Claremont were unable to capitalise on a shift in momentum, notching two behinds.

A soccer kick off the ground from Tom Emmett (10 disposals, five tackles) opened the goal-scoring account 10 minutes into the match.

A persistent and hard-tackling Tigers side kept the game competitive and hit back soon after to take the lead.

Continued strong ball-getting performances from Peel and classy ball usage saw Nathan O’Driscoll (25 disposals, six tackles, three inside 50’s) surge inside 50 for a goal late in the quarter to give the Thunder a three point lead going into the first break.

Claremont came out strong in the second term, drawing first blood early.

A resilient and reliable Thunder backline spearheaded by Ethan Hughes (23 disposals, four marks) and Hugh Davies (15 disposals, eight marks) stalled Tiger efforts to extend their lead during a goalless fifteen minute portion of the quarter for both teams.

Poise from Neil Erasmus (26 disposals, seven tackles, six inside 50’s) on his non-preferred found Matt Taberner (three goals, five marks) in the pocket for a set shot.

Taberner kicked his first of the day for the Thunder to break the drought.

After a gritty and high-intensity first half of footy, the teams went into the main break all tied up at 20-points each.

Peel, determined as ever, struck first straight out of half time through Voss.

The relentless tug-of-war between the sides began to sway as three consecutive Claremont goals midway through the term shifted the momentum and pushed the margin to 11-points, the first double digit deficit of the game.

The Thunder looked tired to start the final term as the Tigers tacked on another goal to extend their margin. Passionate home fans grew restless as time ticked off the clock.

A holding-the-ball call in the Thunder forward goal square provided Taberner with a set shot maximum in the eleventh minute of the fourth quarter and the side with a new-found spark, proving a scrappy Peel team weren’t out of it just yet.

Taberner capitalising with six more points again minutes later to mount real traction on a Thunder comeback.

Two close misses closed the deficit to just five points with four minutes to play. Peel fans holding their breath with every moment.

A ball-up close to the boundary line won by Reidy saw Thunder hero Blair Bell burst away from the pack and stream towards goal.

Bell’s running kick long, and straight through goal sent fans at Rushton Park in Mandurah into a frenzy.

The siren sounding just a minute later to send Peel Thunder through to a Preliminary Final and defeat the Tigers in a 7.7 (49) to 6.12 (48) victory.

Key forward Voss reflected on the team’s incredible win post game.

"It's pretty special. It's probably one of the best games I've ever been part of. Unreal at the moment," Voss said.

He praised the group for their ability to bring the fight to the Tigers when playing from behind.


“I’ve got great confidence in the coaches that they're giving us the right game plan and I can play and bring my strengths within that," Voss reflected.

“We just kept coming back to our roles and our structures and that sort of thing which we could control. And then we knew if we did that for longer than what they did, we'd come out with a win.”

Voss also noted the competition ahead.

“Last week (against the Swans) was obviously a pretty heated battle. They seem to be having a pretty good year. Everyone always says it's harder up there (at Steel Blue Oval) as well," Voss said.

“We'll have a bit of a look at them early in the week and then focus on us from there and, hopefully, go out and get the win.”

Peel will be looking to earn their spot in this year’s WAFL Grand Final with a win next week against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday 15 September.

Peel Thunder: 2.2 3.2 4.5 7.7 (49)
Claremont: 1.5 2.8 5.8 6.12 (48)

GOALS:
Peel Thunder: 3 M Taberner, 1 B Bell, N O'driscoll, T Emmett, P Voss
Claremont: 2 A Waterman, 1 S Alvarez, A Manuel, Z Mainwaring, K Gowdie