Fremantle defender Alex Pearce played a crucial role in Peel Thunder’s thrilling three point win over East Fremantle on Saturday.
The 2015 Beacon Award winner played the majority of the game at centre half back but pushed forward to kick the final two goals of the game to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Pearce’s ability to play the “swingman” was evident in his first year at Freo, and it’s a role he says he’s eager to continue developing.
“It’s something I enjoyed playing last year at the AFL level,” Pearce said.
“It was nice to be able to snag a couple of goals late in the game.
“I definitely think it’s something I can continue to do and continue to build on as part of my game.
The versatile defender - who reached 200cm this pre-season after a continued growth spurt - also didn’t rule out a potential move into the ruck, and displayed his ability on a number of occasions in the WAFL on Saturday.
“Given my height it could be a possibility moving forward,” Pearce said of his ruck potential.
“I’ll leave that up to the coaches to sort that one out and I’ll continue to do what I’m doing.”
After Peel’s second tight game in as many weeks, Pearce said getting over the line against East Fremantle will provide a level of confidence for the players as they prepare to face Swan Districts this weekend.
“It’s definitely good for the confidence of all the boys who were playing,” he said.
“We were disappointed to lose last week in what was a close game, so it gives us the confidence we need for when we get into tight games.”
Pearce was one of a handful of Freo-listed players who stood out for Peel on the weekend, but he insisted that it was a collaborative effort that got the team over the line in the end.
“I thought Matt de Boer was really strong inside, Sam Collins down back really stood up and Tanner Smith played the forward role really well the whole day,” he said.
“But the reason we got the win was everyone really digging in and putting in a four quarter effort.
