ROUND 7 PREVIEW V PEEL THUNDER

SOUTH Fremantle returns from the bye on Saturday to begin its last three weeks of the Optus WAFL Premiership Season before finals and can’t afford to take Peel Thunder lightly in Mandurah.

The Bulldogs were in tremendous form prior to the Round 6 bye having won all five of their matches to date in the 2020 WAFL season.

That has them sitting pretty on top of the ladder with three rounds of the home and away season remaining before finals.

But things can change quickly with a loss and the Bulldogs will need to mindful of a strongly competitive albeit undermanned Thunder outfit that they will take on at David Grays Arena on Saturday afternoon.

COACH POST MATCH – TODD CURLEY ROUND 5

BULLDOGS OVERPOWER SWANS WITH GAME’S LAST FOUR GOALS

Peel has done its best to be competitive so far in 2020 but it was always going to be a challenge without the access to Fremantle’s AFL-listed players and with little ability before the season began to bring in some replacements.

That has meant the Thunder have lost their opening six matches this season including going down to Peel Thunder last week in the battle of winless teams to Swan Districts by 29 points at Steel Blue Oval.

South Fremantle is fresh off the Round 6 bye and before that had won its opening five matches of the 2020 WAFL season against East Fremantle, West Perth, Claremont, Subiaco and Swan Districts.

The Bulldogs remain the only undefeated team in the competition this season to be clear on top of the ladder with the best percentage. All they need to do is keep winning and the minor premiership should be theirs on the back of reaching last year’s Grand Final.

South Fremantle has won three of its last four games against Peel, including both in 2019, since the Thunder beat the Bulldogs in the 2017 qualifying final on their way to a second straight premiership.

South Fremantle welcomes back key midfielder Jacob Dragovich after he missed the games against Subiaco and Swan Districts prior to the bye. The Bulldogs will also unveil another debut with ruckman Jacob Warne into the side in the continued absence of Brock Higgins.

Seaton Thompson will also make his first league appearance of the season for the Bulldogs with Kyle Hamersley, Travis Abbott and Tom Blechynden the three players to lose their place in the side.

Peel Thunder has made four changes from its team that lost to Swan Districts last week with Raymond Giudici, Thomas Quaife, Robert Schindler-Taylor and Isiah Winder into the team.

Ryan Bennell, Jordan Boullineau, James Ewing and Brad Holmes are the players to go out for the Thunder.

ROUND 7 – OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON
SOUTH FREMANTLE v PEEL THUNDER – DAVID GRAYS ARENA, SATURDAY 2.00PM

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