The successful returns of injured pair Brendon Ah Chee and Jarrod Cameron was the silver lining as West Coast’s WAFL team went down to Peel by 78 points on Sunday.
Ah Chee didn’t look like he’d missed a beat, slotting the Eagles first major of the day in the match’s opening minutes.
Cameron also finished the match with some impressive statistics with three goals, seven tackles and three inside 50 entries.
Xavier O’Neill (28 disposals, two marks, three inside 50s) and captain Hamish Brayshaw (29, two, three) also impressed fans and spectators alike, in a thrilling display of football prowess.
However, it wasn’t enough to keep the Eagles in the contest, with the side eventually falling to Peel Thunder 24.11 (155) to 12.5 (77).
The sun beat down vigorously in the first, but the West Coast outfit didn’t falter early, sitting goal-for-goal with the Peel Thunder for a majority of the term.
Ethan Hansen followed Ah Chee’s snap with a quick shot through congestion, but it was Jarrod Cameron’s first of the day that narrowed the gap to just seven points.
A strong Peel Thunder outfit then returned with two of their own, widening the quarter time deficit to 6.2 (38) to the Eagles’ 3.1 (19).
The tempo and speed picked up again in the third, after a disappointing second quarter, with the Eagles kicking four majors for the quarter.
Callum Jamieson was first to hit the scoreboard, followed readily by Ah Chee, speedster Deegan and dynamic forward Robilliard.
Tall forward Jamieson snared another goal in the fourth quarter, to finish with two to his name, while Michael Humble also managed to snake one through early.
Unfortunately, Peel Thunder’s attack continued throughout the day, and the Eagles were convincingly beaten in Mandurah.
WEST COAST 3.1 6.2 10.4 12.5 (77)
PEEL THUNDER 6.2 13.4 17.9 24.11 (155)
GOALS
West Coast: Cameron 3, Ah Chee, Jamieson 2, Deegan, Edwards, Hansen, Humble, Robilliard
Peel Thunder: Bell 6, Treacy 5, Sturt 3, Banfield, Thorne, Valente 2, Giro, Henry, Lawler, Western
BEST
West Coast: Ah Chee, Cameron, Brayshaw, O’Neill, Deegan, Jamieson
Peel Thunder: Bell, Treacy, Giro, Hancock, Howlett, Thorne
