Peel Thunder Football Club

The Peel Thunder Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and WAFL Women's (WAFLW). The team is based in Mandurah, Western Australia, with their home ground being Rushton Park. The club joined the WAFL as an expansion team in 1997.

Peel Thunder
Names
Full namePeel Thunder Football Club
Nickname(s)Thunder
2023 season
Home-and-away season3rd (WAFL)
7th (WAFLW)
Club details
Founded1996 (1996)
Colours  Dark blue   White   Teal
CompetitionWest Australian Football League
CoachGeoff Valentine (WAFL)
Captain(s)Ben Hancock (WAFL)
PremiershipsWAFL (2) WAFLW (2)
Ground(s)Lane Group Stadium - Rushton Park (capacity: 10,000)
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official websitepeelthunder.com.au

Since 2014 Peel have been in a formal alignment with the Fremantle Dockers of the Australian Football League, an arrangement which sees Fremantle's reserve players play for Peel.[1]

History

Peel Thunder Football Club was formed in 1996 after the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) granted a ninth licence in the WAFL to the Mandurah-Peel region. The licence was issued on the condition that the club be ready to compete in the 1997 Westar Rules season. Geoff Miles was appointed as the club's inaugural coach and Phil Gilbert appointed captain. The Thunder managed just one win in 1997 and finished last on the ladder, with Scott Simister winning the inaugural best and fairest. They managed another one-win season in 1998, before going winless in 1999.

In March 2011, the club was fined $10,000 for breaching salary cap rules involving player payments to midfielder Rory O'Brien during the 2009 season.[2][3]

Between 1997 and 2014, the Thunder failed to qualify for the finals, with their best season coming in 2008 when they recorded an 8–12 win–loss record and a sixth-place finish.[4] During that time, they collected nine wooden spoons, including three in a row twice (1997–99 & 2011–13), and finished second last seven times.

In 2014, Peel became directly aligned with the Fremantle Dockers of the Australian Football League, an arrangement which saw Fremantle's reserve players playing exclusively for Peel in the WAFL for the first time. In 2015, the second season of this arrangement, Peel qualified for the finals for the first time in its history, finishing third on the ladder with a club-best record of 13–7.[5] Due to Fremantle's decision to rest a host of its key AFL players ahead of their finals campaign, the majority of Peel's usual Fremantle contingent was called up for AFL duties, which impacted Peel's ability to field a competitive team against West Perth in the qualifying final. As a result, Peel was blown out of the water by West Perth, losing their first finals game 145–36. Despite regaining many of their Fremantle players for their semi-final clash against East Perth the following week, they were knocked out of the finals with an 84–62 defeat at the hands of the Royals.

In 2016, the Thunder finished the home and away season in fourth place on the ladder with an 11–9 record. Despite a drop off from 2015, Peel headed into the WAFL finals with a huge boost thanks to Fremantle's poor season in 2016. With Fremantle missing the finals in 2016, it provided Peel with a huge contingent of players for their finals campaign. Behind 17 Docker-listed players, the Thunder won three do-or-die finals in a row against East Perth, West Perth and South Fremantle respectively to reach their first ever WAFL grand final. In the grand final, Peel defeated Subiaco by 23 points to win their first WAFL premiership. Peel's midfield had too much running power and grunt inside for Subiaco, with Docker Connor Blakely winning the Simpson Medal on the back of 38 possessions. Fellow Docker Ed Langdon was also an important contributor with 39 disposals, eight marks and a goal.[6]

Peel were a foundation member of the WAFL Women's competition in 2019. The club recorded their first senior women's premiership in the competition in the 2020 season.[7]

Honour board

SeasonPositionWin/lossFinals resultCoachCaptainDudley Tuckey MedalLeading goalkicker
199791–19DNQGeoff MilesPhil GilbertScott SimisterScott Simister (27)
199891–19Geoff Miles
Troy Wilson
Phil GilbertDarren BoltonScott Simister (31)
199990–20Troy WilsonScott SimisterScott SimisterScott Simister (54)
200084–14Shane CableBill MonaghanVance DavisonDean Buszan (32)
200167–11Shane CableVance DavisonDerek HallDavid McPharlin (25)
200287–11Peter GermanDerek HallDarren BoltonScott Simister (46)
200391–19John DitchburnDerek HallDerek HallDerek Hall (22)
200485–15Garry HockingBrandon HillDaniel HainesCameron Gauci (40)
200593–17Garry HockingGrant WelshPat TraversJustin Wood (29)
200686–14Chris WatermanGrant WelshRory O'BrienDean Buszan (44)
200785–15Chris WatermanGrant WelshDaniel HainesDean Buszan (30)
200868–12Chris WatermanGrant WelshHayden BallantyneHayden Ballantyne (75)
200995–15Chris WatermanDaniel HainesBen HowlettKain Robins (33)
201083–17Trevor WilliamsDaniel Haines
Brendon Jones
Rory O'BrienMatthew Battye (27)
201195–15Trevor WilliamsBrendon JonesKristin ThorntonBradley Holmes (36)
201295–15Trevor Williams
Mark Moody
Brendon JonesBrendon JonesBradley Holmes (52)
201393–17Cam ShepherdBrendon JonesViv MichieBradley Holmes (33)
201484–16Cam ShepherdJames FlahertyBrendon JonesMatt Taberner (18)
2015313–7Semi FinalistsCam ShepherdBrendon JonesJacob BallardLeroy Jetta (39)
2016411–9PremiersCam ShepherdGerald UgleMatt de BoerGerald Ugle (24)
2017312–8PremiersCam ShepherdGerald UgleSam CollinsMatt Taberner (41)
201877–11DNQCam ShepherdGerald UgleDanyle Pearce
Ben Howlett
Gerald Ugle
Luke Strnadica (17)
201977–11Cam ShepherdBen HowlettBailey BanfieldBlair Bell (26)
202090-8Cam ShepherdBen HowlettJackson MerrettHayden Ballantyne (10)
202176-12Cam ShepherdBen HowlettTyrone ThorneBlair Bell (19)
2022511-7Semi FinalistsGeoff ValentineBen HancockLloyd MeekBlair Bell (24)
2023312-6Runners UpGeoff ValentineBen HancockSebit Kuek (25)

Honours

Club honours

Premierships
Competition Level Wins Years won
WAFLSeniors22016, 2017
WAFL Women'sSeniors22020, 2021
WAFL ReservesReserves0Nil
WAFL ColtsColts (U19)22004, 2005
Other titles and honours
Rodriguez ShieldMultiple0Nil
Finishing positions
WAFLMinor premiership0Nil
Runners Up12023
Wooden spoons101997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2020

Individual honours

Records

  • Highest score: Round 11, 2001 – 23.11 (149) vs. Swan Districts at Bendigo Bank Stadium
  • Lowest score (official): Round 1, 2004 – 0.0 (0) vs. Claremont at Rushton Park – the team's on-field score of 10.10 (70) was annulled for playing Peter Bird with an invalid permit
  • Lowest score (on-field) : Round 16, 2016 – 1.5 (11) vs. West Perth
  • Greatest winning margin: Round 2, 2017 – 86 points vs. East Fremantle at Bendigo Bank Stadium
  • Greatest losing margin: Round 3, 1999 – 195 points vs. South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval

Source: WAFL.com.au

AFL draftees

The following is a list of Peel Thunder players who have been drafted to clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Players currently on an AFL list are listed in bold:

DraftPickPlayerDrafted by
1998N10Brandon HillWest Coast
1999R2Darren BoltonFremantle
2000R49Dale WalkingshawFremantle
2001R4Dean BuszanWest Coast
36Daniel HainesFremantle
2002N2Daniel WellsNorth Melbourne
2003N4Farren RayWestern Bulldogs
2005R5Ryan NyeAdelaide
40Ashley ThorntonWest Coast
2005N20Paul BowerCarlton
28Matt RiggioNorth Melbourne
54Kristin ThorntonSydney
2006N2Scott GumbletonEssendon
38James HawksleyBrisbane Lions
47Kyle ReimersEssendon
52Brock O'BrienFremantle
2007R18Danny ChartresEssendon
2008N21Hayden BallantyneFremantle
2009R12Kristin ThorntonSydney
42Johnny BennellCollingwood
2009N4Anthony MorabitoFremantle
25Aaron BlackNorth Melbourne
2010R20Ben HowlettEssendon
2010N2Harley BennellGold Coast
2011P2Blayne WilsonWest Coast
2011R48Kelvin LawrenceMelbourne
2012N31Kamdyn McIntoshRichmond
2015R24Brad WalshCarlton
2017N9Aaron NaughtonWestern Bulldogs
2018R12Durak TuckerSydney
2019R6Jarvis PinaFremantle
2020N57Isiah WinderWest Coast
2021N31Brady HoughWest Coast
2021R36Sandy BrockGold Coast

Source: PeelThunder.com.au

References

  1. Quartermaine, Braden (31 October 2012). "West Coast and Fremantle will enter WAFL alignments from 2013". PerthNow.com.au. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  2. "Peel Thunder fined $10,000 for salary cap breach". PerthNow.com.au. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  3. Lewis, Ross (16 March 2011). "Peel pay high price for cap breach". The West Australian. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  4. Coleman-Heard, Rory (29 September 2016). "The 'Thunder Connection'". FremantleFC.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  5. Pike, Chris (5 September 2015). "McDonald's WAFL Qualifying Finals Preview". wafootball.com.au. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  6. Pike, Chris (25 September 2016). "Fremantle-boosted Peel Thunder wins historic WAFL premiership after downing Subiaco". PerthNow.com.au. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  7. "Peel crowned Optus WAFLW Premiers". WA Football. 19 September 2020.
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