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Lions triumph over undermanned Peel

Kyal Horsley.

Subiaco endured a hard slog for three quarters before stretching Peel in the last to produce their ninth victory of the season.

The lead changed hands in each term and was in the Thunder’s favour early in the last before George Hampson kicked four consecutive goals to secure victory by 26 points, 11.18 (84) to 7.16 (58).

Hampson’s brilliance in front of goals was the stand out feature of a match in which mediocre goal-kicking marred the performance of both teams.

Shane Yarran finished with 1.6 while Peel had numerous chances to extend the lead before poor kicking cost them dearly.

Peel were also hampered by the absence of Fremantle emergencies Tom Sheridan and Kepler Bradley who did the warm-up with the Dockers and did not arrive at Medibank Stadium until just before half-time.

Jon Griffin spent most of the match on ball where he proved to be Peel’s most effective player but Subiaco had their own answer in Frank Stockley whose mobility around the ground provided his team with an important avenue forward.

Both teams peppered the goals in the first half with Matt Boland’s two long-distance conversions from marks in a second term burst providing rare moments of quality.

Anthony Morabito was a strong contributor when Peel played their best football in the early stages but his fade from prominence coincided with peel’s slide in the second half.

Peel’s talls stretched Subiaco at times but the sterling efforts of Daniel Leishman and Clancy Wheeler against bigger opponents went a long way towards ensuring the final result.

The lively Laine Wilkins, whose superb foot skills and aerial ability would not be out of place on an AFL list, butchered his opportunities with three long behinds while Scott Gumbleton also missed his three shots.

With Peel’s run drying up in the last term, the Lions finally made the contest appear to be one between contenders for the premiership and wooden spoon.

SUBIACO

2.6

4.10

7.12

11.18

84

PEEL

2.5

3.11

6.13

7.16

58

GOALS – SUBIACO: Hampson 4; Boland 2; Horsley, Stockley, Blechynden, Mahoney, Yarran. PEEL: Apeness, Hannath 2; Jones, Grey, Kane.
BEST – SUBIACO: Horsley, Hampson, Stockley, Leishman, Twomey, Wheeler. PEEL: Griffin, Dann, Wilkins, Mather, Morabito, Apeness.
UMPIRES: R McCaw, S Parry, J Power.
CROWD: 1500 (approx) at Medibank Stadium.