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Peel Thunder are currently sitting second on the WAFL ladder after winning their opening two games, mounting a late comeback to get over the top of East Fremantle in round one before holding Perth to just one goal in a 65 point win last weekend.
Coach Geoff Valentine speaking on Sports Breakfast the Perth victory was “pleasing”.
“Anytime you keep an opposition to a goal in a competition like the WAFL, you’re doing a fair bit right,”
“We probably missed an opportunity to bit a little bit more scoreboard pressure or get a bit more reward in the scoreboard, I think in the third quarter we took five marks inside forward 50 and finished the quarter with five points, so clearly we didn’t sort of tie off the work once we were there.
“A win (with) ten goals to one, I’d have taken that in a heartbeat if you’d have told me that was the case on Saturday morning.”
Fremantle-listed key forward Sebit Kuek has begun his campaign in fine form, failing to capitalise on his opportunities against the Sharks with three behinds before kicking four goals in the win over the Demons.
Valentine said the 2022 mid-season draftee had more room for growth.
“It’s taken (him) a fair while to adjust to different playing systems, without knowing the insides of East Perth when he was there, he was very much a deep forward that had quite a bit of length between himself and the contest, so a lot of isolated contest,” he said.
“Sebit’s got some unique traits and can be very difficult to play on one-on-one, but in Fremantle’s system and Peel’s system, we like our forwards to be a little bit more connected, so that means a little bit more work up the ground, so it’s taken him a little while to adjust.
“It was a nice reward for a lot of work he’s done over the preseason. I think he’s put on seven or eight kilos in his six or seven months he’s been with Fremantle, so hopefully he can put together a few more performances like that.”
The Thunder’s next assignment comes in the form of South Fremantle in a rematch of last year’s elimination final, with the contest set to be the first time young Bulldogs ruckman Jackson Broadbent will face his former side.
Valentine said he was expecting a red-hot contest.
“You respect them for their best, and South Fremantle are a very proud footy club, I know Todd Curley well and if there’s one time you want to be particularly weary about a South Fremantle team, it’s probably right about now,” he said.
“I think Brock Higgins will come back, I think he’s available this week, so they bring one of their great warriors back into the team, so you start to get a bit of a feel of what’ll be waiting there for us.
“We also see it as a great opportunity for us. We’re 2-0 and if we can get over there and get another win, we really are starting to get our teeth into the season.”
The game gets underway at 2:10 pm on Saturday at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.
IMAGE: Shazza J Photography