Three players central to East Fremantle’s upset win over Claremont on Sunday will be at the forefront of match committee discussions this week, should any opportunities open up.
Defenders Mitch Brown, Jacob Brennan and Brad Sheppard were all pivotal in the Sharks win which provided further impetus for the club’s top four aspirations and allowed them to leap-frog port city neighbours South Fremantle, into third position.
Brennan, recruited as a father-son selection last year, continues to develop as a strong rebounding defender, where his athleticism and skill have become important weapons for his team.
He had 20 disposals and nine marks in a terrific display, while Brown played strongly at centre half-back throughout, with 26 possessions, and Sheppard was outstanding in a defensive capacity for three quarters and was equally effective in the forward half when utilised in attack for one term.
Wingmen Bradd Dalziell and Tim Houlihan were also under notice, along with Koby Stevens, whose grunt work around the stoppages was important, as the Sharks finished full of running to turn an eight-point three-quarter time lead into a 45-point triumph.
Claremont was best served by Tom Swift, who was terrific in the clinches, and defender Lewis Stevenson, who attacked the contest hard and laid six tackles in addition to a 15-possession effort.
Lewis Broome, after a quiet first half, recovered to gather 19 touches, while Gerrick Weedon also struggled to impact the contest.
In the reserves, Jeremy McGovern was lively in attack, although a little inaccurate in front of goals (kicking 1.4) while Anton Hamp got his hands on the football consistently.
Peel trio Scott Lycett, Blayne Wilson and Jordan Jones wielded varying degrees of influence on Thunder’s losing performance against Perth.
Lycett provided a strong marking target and finished with three goals, despite landing awkwardly after marking in the middle of the first quarter and hurting his knee, while Jones continues to evolve into a strong midfield option and Wilson was forced to work hard in defence.
South Fremantle was upset by the youthful Swan Districts combination and could not meet their energy levels, but forward Callum Wilson did all he could to get the Bulldogs into the match. He had 15 possessions and kicked two goals in a hard-working display.
Similarly, Andrew Strijk was among West Perth’s best when they were upset by arch rivals East Perth. Strijk had 19 possessions, took nine marks and kicked two goals despite the Falcons slipping to their fourth successive defeat.
