Peel Thunder suffered their biggest defeat of the season so far, losing to Subiaco by 62-points at Leederville Oval.

The Lions, who have gone undefeated since their loss to Peel in the 2017 Grand Final, stunned the Thunder in the opening term, kicking seven goals to one and established a lead they never surrendered, going on to win 18.13 (121) to 9.5 (59).

On a day where the ball was played predominantly in Subiaco’s forward line,  defender Tobe Watson stood tall in defence, keeping Subiaco forward Ryan Borchet to just four kicks and one goal for the match.

Watson applauded the Lions on the intensity of their game-plan and free-flowing style, as well as how difficult they made it for the back line.

“We were under siege for a lot of the day,” he said. 

“They came out really fast in the first quarter and from there it was just catch up all day.”

Peel lifted their intensity in the second and third quarters, going blow for blow with the strong Subiaco outfit as they kicked five goals to Subiaco’s six across the two terms. 

Against an impressive Subiaco midfield, Jason Carter, Giro Stefan and Tom North stood strong against the Lions, sharing 67 disposals and 10 inside 50’s between them. 

They were supported well by a strong display by the two ruckmen, Scott Jones and Sean Darcy, who dominated their Subiaco counterparts to win the hitout count 55 to 16.

Speaking after the match, Watson commended the work of the midfield during each of the two quarters, noting it was something they were keen to work on in the coming games. 

“If our mids are on top, it goes a long way to winning a game,” he said.

“Subiaco are definitely the benchmark at the moment for midfields, so it’s important we take a leaf out of their book.”

With the reigning premiers now behind them, the Thunder are now looking to bounce back strongly against East Perth, who only have one win from their four games in 2019.

The game begins at 2.15pm on Saturday 4 May at Rushton Park.