Round 20 WAFL Preview v Peel Thunder

The undefeated run of Swan Districts came to an end last Saturday but the chance presents to make a statement now this week on the road to the league leading Peel Thunder to consolidate third position.

Despite last week's loss to East Fremantle at Joondalup, Swan Districts had gone eight wins and a draw in the previous nine matches so are well placed in third position with two rounds of the season to go.

Saturday now presents a significant challenge against Peel Thunder at Lane Group Stadium in Mandurah with the home team sitting on top of the ladder but only six points ahead of Swans who are in third spot.

Swan Districts comes into Saturday's match up looking for a first win against Peel since Round 8, 2022 which was at Steel Blue Oval.

The only players still in the team for Swans this week who were there that day are Jehb O'Donohue, Aidan Clarke, Jarvis Pina, Josh Cipro, Will Collins, Jesse Turner, Bryce Watson, and potentially Ben Hewett and Matthew Germs.

Peel has won the past four matches against Swan Districts including by 19 points earlier this season at Steel Blue Oval in Round 7.

On that day, Leigh Kohlmann kicked three goals for Swans with Jesse Glass-McCasker and Seb Bright adding two apiece. Nik Rokahr gathered 32 possessions, Aidan Clarke 30, Jye Chalcraft 29, Jesse Turner 28 and Jarvis Pina 27.

Swan Districts co-captain Jesse Turner is taking the positive approach about last week's win potentially being the thing that sharpens the team up for this Saturday's clash and the rest of the season.

"Obviously in an ideal world you want to keep winning but sometimes a loss can kind of reset your focus and we definitely set ourselves for East Freo, but we thought we let ourselves down," Turner told 91.3 SportFM.

"It was a game that probably would have locked away top three for us but now we are back in the mix and fighting with East Freo.

"We definitely were disappointed but I think after the review we've had and training, the boys are definitely very switched and aware of how big these next two games are for us."

From the Swan Districts team that lost to East Fremantle last Saturday, Ayden Cartwright, Brandon Erceg, Matthew Germs, Jesse Glass-McCasker, Ben Hewett and Jackson McLachlan have all been added to the squad to face Peel.

There are two significant losses for Swans, though, with the outs of ruckman Nathan Blakely and games record holder Tony Notte.

Peel is coming off a win against South Fremantle and from that team, Tom Emmett, Aidan Hare, Jonathon Ietto, Jackson Knight, Max Knobel, Oscar McDonald, Matt Taberner and Corey Tregenza are into their squad.

Going out for the Thunder are Odin Jones, Liam Reidy, Blair Bell, Neil Erasmus and Nathan O'Driscoll.

Saturday's action in Mandurah begins with the colts match up at 9.15am with Swan Districts entering the last two rounds of the season in fourth position with an 8-6 record.

They are already locked into a finals position and look most likely to stay in that fourth spot no matter what happens over the last two rounds, but they will want to go into the finals in good form starting on Saturday up against a Peel team with just three wins from 14 matches so far in 2024.

The reserves season hasn’t quite gone to script for Swan Districts in 2024 on the back of winning last year's premiership but they will be hunting a fourth win of the season on Saturday in Mandurah.

Coming into the contest and Swans are sitting in second last spot at 3-11 while the Thunder are only just ahead at 4-10.

The undefeated run of Swan Districts came to an end last Saturday but the chance presents to make a statement now this week on the road to the league leading Peel Thunder to consolidate third position.

Despite last week's loss to East Fremantle at Joondalup, Swan Districts had gone eight wins and a draw in the previous nine matches so are well placed in third position with two rounds of the season to go.

Saturday now presents a significant challenge against Peel Thunder at Lane Group Stadium in Mandurah with the home team sitting on top of the ladder but only six points ahead of Swans who are in third spot.

Swan Districts comes into Saturday's match up looking for a first win against Peel since Round 8, 2022 which was at Steel Blue Oval.

The only players still in the team for Swans this week who were there that day are Jehb O'Donohue, Aidan Clarke, Jarvis Pina, Josh Cipro, Will Collins, Jesse Turner, Bryce Watson, and potentially Ben Hewett and Matthew Germs.

Peel has won the past four matches against Swan Districts including by 19 points earlier this season at Steel Blue Oval in Round 7.

On that day, Leigh Kohlmann kicked three goals for Swans with Jesse Glass-McCasker and Seb Bright adding two apiece. Nik Rokahr gathered 32 possessions, Aidan Clarke 30, Jye Chalcraft 29, Jesse Turner 28 and Jarvis Pina 27.

Swan Districts co-captain Jesse Turner is taking the positive approach about last week's win potentially being the thing that sharpens the team up for this Saturday's clash and the rest of the season.

"Obviously in an ideal world you want to keep winning but sometimes a loss can kind of reset your focus and we definitely set ourselves for East Freo, but we thought we let ourselves down," Turner told 91.3 SportFM.

"It was a game that probably would have locked away top three for us but now we are back in the mix and fighting with East Freo.

"We definitely were disappointed but I think after the review we've had and training, the boys are definitely very switched and aware of how big these next two games are for us."

From the Swan Districts team that lost to East Fremantle last Saturday, Ayden Cartwright, Brandon Erceg, Matthew Germs, Jesse Glass-McCasker, Ben Hewett and Jackson McLachlan have all been added to the squad to face Peel.

There are two significant losses for Swans, though, with the outs of ruckman Nathan Blakely and games record holder Tony Notte.

Peel is coming off a win against South Fremantle and from that team, Tom Emmett, Aidan Hare, Jonathon Ietto, Jackson Knight, Max Knobel, Oscar McDonald, Matt Taberner and Corey Tregenza are into their squad.

Going out for the Thunder are Odin Jones, Liam Reidy, Blair Bell, Neil Erasmus and Nathan O'Driscoll.

Saturday's action in Mandurah begins with the colts match up at 9.15am with Swan Districts entering the last two rounds of the season in fourth position with an 8-6 record.

They are already locked into a finals position and look most likely to stay in that fourth spot no matter what happens over the last two rounds, but they will want to go into the finals in good form starting on Saturday up against a Peel team with just three wins from 14 matches so far in 2024.

The reserves season hasn’t quite gone to script for Swan Districts in 2024 on the back of winning last year's premiership but they will be hunting a fourth win of the season on Saturday in Mandurah.

Coming into the contest and Swans are sitting in second last spot at 3-11 while the Thunder are only just ahead at 4-10.