It was a challenging day out for the WAFL Eagles on Saturday, falling to top-of-the-table Peel Thunder by 74 points at Lane Group Stadium.

Senior coach Kyal Horsley said while the breeze made for tough conditions, the team was disappointed with how they finished the game.

“It was a tough day in really trying conditions,” Horsley said.

“While we felt like we gave ourselves a chance going into the last quarter where we would have the breeze, we were really disappointed with how we finished the game.

“To Peel’s credit, they played the conditions well and played a really disciplined game, showing why they are the best team in the comp, and we have learned a lot from playing a team at that level.”

Top Performers

Ryan Maric

“Ryan played multiple positions throughout the day and showed his poise and class with ball in hand, as well as his willingness to work for the team.”

Archer Reid

“Archer played with a real presence in the air and competed hard against multiple opponents. He had multiple team-lifting efforts throughout the day, which has become a real feature of his game.”

Harley Sparks

“He worked hard all game under a heavy supply and never stopped trying in tough conditions.”

AFL Listed Players

Andrew Gaff

“Really consistent game across all four quarters, and ran hard in all phases of the game.”

Harry Barnett

“Harry competed hard in the ruck against the premier ruck of the comp, Liam Reidy, and while he didn’t have the influence he would of hoped for statistically, he worked hard to quell Reidy’s impact.”

Zane Trew

“He built into the game strongly, and in the third quarter when we needed to give ourselves a chance to be in the game, he really lifted and gave everything to try and keep us in it.”

Clay Hall

“Clay found it hard to get into the game, but never stopped trying to influence the game in ways he could control and this showed out with 10 tackles.”

Jordyn Baker

“He worked hard for us down back and repelled multiple forward thrusts from Peel.”

Coen Livingstone

“Strong game from Coen, he was up against the premier ruck of the comp and showed his ability to adjust and change up what he was doing to give our mids first supply.” 

Coby Burgiel

“Hard day for a wingman with the very strong breeze that was blowing all game, but he played his role all game.”

Jai Culley

“Played with a real edge and physicality and was the standout mid in the first half.”

Tyrell Dewar

“He ran hard for the team and challenged the Peel backs with his speed and class all game.”

Loch Rawlinson

“Tough day for our forwards to impact with the supply but Loch applied great pressure and created multiple turnovers for the team.”

Luke Edwards

“Played multiple positions throughout the day and played them all well, he was a standout with his leadership and want to help his teammates.”