Round 23 Preview v Peel Thunder

Both days were wet and wintry, and it started with Peel beating South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval by 44 points in Round 9 and then only three weeks ago, the Thunder kicked the last four goals of the game to respond to the challenge of the Bulldogs to win 14.13 (97) to 11.1 (67).

South Fremantle's reserves have been dominant this season to be clear on top of the ladder but league coach Todd Curley has resisted the urge to make wholesale changes for the final game of the season against Peel to give a heap of those key players in the reserves a chance.

Anthony Collica had 45 possessions last week against West Perth, Shaun Bewick 36, Mitch Banks 25, Brendan Verrier 24 (eight tackles, seven marks) and Simon Panizza 22 but none of them have been able to get a look in for the last round against the Thunder in Mandurah.

Experienced defender Dylan Ross is also now in good form as well having had another 25 possessions and nine marks last week, but he hasn’t received a call up and neither has fellow backman Chris Luff.

That is despite South Fremantle's defence being stretched by West Perth last Saturday and now likely needing to match up on Matt Taberner, Alex Pearce, Craig Moller and Sean Hurley against Peel this week.

South Fremantle will unveil another debutant, though, with 20-year-old Tim Stewart to make his league debut just seven days after his younger brother Kade was impressive in his first match against West Perth.

The presence of Tim and Kade Stewart as well as Ashton Hams, Kyle Hams, James Laurino and Haiden Schloithe will make Saturday a proud day for Katanning with all six players to line-up for South Fremantle having come to the Bulldogs from the town.

Jason Maskos and Traye Bennell are the other two players who have come into the mix to get one last crack in the league team for 2015 before then going back to take part in the reserves' push for a premiership.

Peel has some mixed news at selection based on what is happening at Fremantle as the Dockers gear up to take on Melbourne at Domain Stadium on Sunday.

Alex Pearce and Hayden Crozier have both been dropped from the Fremantle team and will line up for Peel on Saturday against South Fremantle.

Whether or not Pearce plays forward or back for the Thunder, though, might depend on whether Matt Taberner remains with Peel or not.

Taberner and Pearce are both emergencies for Fremantle on Sunday, but if they each line-up for the Thunder then it's likely Taberner will play forward, and Pearce back.

Lachie Weller will return for Peel after missing last week's win over Perth while fellow midfielders Clancee Pearce and Ed Langdon have received a call up by Fremantle.

Another big man Zac Clarke is out suspended for Peel but the Thunder are well equipped to cover his loss with Jack Hannath and Craig Moller in their side.

Laine Wilkins, Corey Morris, Dylan Winton, Brayden Lawler, Mitch Gill and Jamahl Mulholland are all in the mix to come into the Peel side as well to take on South Fremantle with one last chance to press their case to be there for the Thunder's first ever finals appearance next Sunday.

RESERVES SQUAD
T Amoroso, M Banks, S Bewick, N Borovac, A Carter, A Collica, B Collier, C Luff, J Maskos, B Matera, K Matera, B McPhail, S Mills, P Mugambwa, S Panizza, L Pearson, D Ross, J Sgherza, B Sokol, N Strom, J Tartaglia, B Verrier, D Warrell

COLTS SQUAD
C Ah Siu, M Barritt, D Brown, A Brown, D Burke, B Colbung, J Collard, B Corner, C Datson, B Donaldson, K Donaldson, M Dzelebdzic, B Faulkner, J Florenca, J Foster, J Johnson, J McComb, J McMaster, J Mirco, J Mudge, J Musika, A Nodari, T Pickett, K Russell, B Wright