Round 7 WAFL Preview v Peel Thunder

Swan Districts is back home after a drought breaking win last week looking to knock off the league-leading Peel Thunder and to keep the momentum building this WAFL season.

Swan Districts was playing better football this season than the 1-3 record suggested heading into last Saturday's trip to Claremont to take on the Tigers.

It was a venue Swans hadn’t won at since 2013, but it was a much-needed victory and they were able to dig deep to kick the last four goals of the contest to secure the 17-point victory.

That improves Swan Districts to a 2-3 record this season and to sit in fifth position on the WAFL ladder heading into this Saturday's match up with the league-leading Peel at Steel Blue Oval.

Swans are looking to back up that win against the Tigers while the Thunder enter the match currently having won their past three matches to sit on top of the WAFL ladder with a 4-1 record.

It's another recent losing run that Swan Districts is looking to end on Saturday as well with Peel having won the past three meetings between the two clubs, including both in 2023 by a combined 72 points.

Last time Swans beat the Thunder was back in Round 8, 2022, and that made it five wins in-a-row for the black-and-whites, and coming into Saturday's clash they have won 45 of 63 dating back to 1997.

Swans coach Andrew Pruyn liked a lot of what he saw from his team last week in the win on the road to Claremont, and he hopes now it can be the start of some winning momentum for the black-and-whites.

"It was a massive game for us and our footy club, and our season. It's the first time since 2013 that we've managed to get a result to go our way down at Claremont so it's certainly a long time in the making," Pruyn said.

"It came down to a few things and our boys just really managed to play the percentages in terms of holding the ball in our front half, which is what every team is trying to do.

"We actually managed to pin it down in our front half for a long time and managed to hit the scoreboard on the back on the back of that, and we also made a couple of structural moves.

"Seb Bright going down back made a bit of a difference and Aidan Clarke getting moved forward proved to be pretty pivotal for us being able to hit the scoreboard too."

Going out is 179-game veteran Alex Howard after the heavy collision he was involved in early last week against Claremont.

Peel is fresh off a record 113-point thumping of West Perth with Aidan Hare, Max Knobel, Cooper Simpson, Matt Taberner, Christian Wilson and David Yaccob into their squad.

Going out for the Thunder are Liam Reidy, Sam Sturt, Ethan Hughes and Corey Wagner.

The day's action gets underway on Saturday at Steel Blue Oval with the colts match up starting at 8.55am between Swan Districts and Peel Thunder.

Swans come into the game sitting in sixth position on the colts ladder having won two games from four so far this season while Peel is sitting in bottom spot yet to record a victory in 2024.

Next up will be the reserves contest between Swans and the Thunder which will get underway at Steel Blue Oval at 11.25am.

Swan Districts is still searching for a first win in the reserves in 2024 on the back of winning the premiership last year and Saturday will see the black-and-whites come up against the also winless Peel with both teams hunting that elusive first victory.