Peel pack a punch to take on Falcons
Peel will field arguably the strongest side in the club’s history against West Perth at HBF Arena tomorrow after Fremantle regulars Michael Barlow, Paul Duffield, Danyle Pearce and Garrick Ibbotson were cleared to play by the AFL.
The Dockers’ first two picks in last year’s national draft, Lachie Weller and Connor Blakely, are also set make their debuts for the WAFL partner club.
However, forward Matt Taberner (Achilles soreness) was not on the list of players granted permission to play, meaning he is battling to be fit to line up against Port Adelaide in round one of the AFL season.
Max Duffy, Jack Hannath, Jon Griffin and Michael Apeness were the others declared eligible for WAFL action yesterday. Colin Sylvia is understood to have been granted an earlier clearance.
The Falcons have been forced to shuffle their defence for the game after losing former West Coast player Jordan Jones to a hamstring tear.
Jones is expected to miss up to six weeks after sustaining the grade-two injury in the final minutes against South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval last Friday night. He played the match at centre half-back.
His absence may force Falcons coach Bill Monaghan to swing Nic Rodda from attack into defence, with Peel likely to station imposing Dockers talls Apeness and Hannath as twin towers up forward.
Shayne Zanetti will also be unavailable after aggravating a back injury in the reserves.
But the Falcons at least received a positive diagnosis on Marcus Adams’ foot injury after the forward was spotted on crutches following the South Fremantle defeat.
The 21-year-old has been named to face the Thunder after scans cleared him of fractures or significant bone damage.
Monaghan was philosophical about Peel’s personnel.
“Whoever they put out on the park, we have to deal with,” he said.
