Peel Thunder's 2022 campaign has come to a close after losing their semi-final clash with Claremont by 59 points at Revo Fitness Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
12 Fremantle-listed players were in action but Peel ultimately fell to the third-placed Tigers, who will progress to next week's preliminary final.
The Thunder started off the game well, with an excellent spoil by Fremantle’s Neil Erasmus resulting in Peel teammates Blair Bell kicking the first goal of the game.
Peel fought hard in the second quarter, kicking three goals back-to-back to stop Claremont’s unanswered string of scoring.
Down by 20 points at half-time, the second half opened up for Claremont, piling on nine goals to overwhelm Peel who managed only three second-half goals.
Fremantle pair Mitch Crowden (27 disposals, seven marks) and Neil Erasmus (18 disposals, two goals) delivered strong performances for Peel, with Crowden leading his side for disposals, marks, tackles and inside 50s.
Karl Worner (25 disposals), Nathan Wilson (22 disposals) and Matthew Johnson (19 disposals) also found plenty of the football.
Ruckman Lloyd Meek said Crowden had been a vital contributor throughout Peel's impressive 2022 campaign.
“Mitch is an outstanding player. He’s so hard at the ball, clean. He’s a little bull terrier,” Meek says.
"I love playing with him and have loved playing with him for the past few years. He’s a star player and a better person."
Meek reflected on the year from Peel, and praised the fight shown by his teammates until the final siren on Sunday.
“It’s been internal, the story. All along it’s been that we’re good enough, we know our best footy’s good enough," Meek said.
"Unfortunately, we just couldn’t produce that today, and credit to Claremont. They really brought everything."
The defeat was a disappointing end to Peel's impressive season which was capped off by last week's elimination final win over South Fremantle, their first finals appearance since the Thunder's premiership win in 2017.
CLAREMONT 2.3, 7.8, 11.13, 16.15 (111)
PEEL THUNDER 2.0, 5.0, 6.1, 8.4 (52)
GOALS
Claremont: A Manuel 5 T Smallwood 3 M Spyvee 3 C England 2 J Buller M Minear B Rogers
Peel: B Bell 3 N Erasmus 2 M Crowden J Treacy J Western
BEST
Claremont: J Bolton T Smallwood O Eastland J Bolton A Manuel B Elliott R O’Connor
Peel: M Crowden N Erasmus K Worner N Wilson B Hancock B Bell
|
# |
PLAYER |
K |
H |
D |
M |
T |
HO |
I50 |
FF |
FA |
G |
B |
|
64 |
CROWDEN Mitch |
19 |
8 |
27 |
7 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
15 |
11 |
14 |
25 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
57 |
19 |
3 |
22 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
JOHNSON Matthew |
10 |
9 |
19 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
7 |
12 |
6 |
18 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
25 |
5 |
9 |
14 |
2 |
4 |
33 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
11 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
55 |
HENRY Liam |
9 |
3 |
12 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
32 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
65 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
39 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
43 |
TREACY Josh |
4 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
