Falcons with own selection dilemmas ahead of clash with ThunderFriday, September 4, 2015 - 6:48 PM - by Chris Pike

WEST Perth coach Bill Monaghan will make sure his players don't take a Peel Thunder line-up minus the majority of its Fremantle contingent lightly as the Falcons gear up to have all three of their teams playing a home final at HBF Arena on Sunday.

Outside the four walls of the club might be seeing Peel largely written off as being genuine chances to win Sunday's qualifying final against West Perth at HBF Arena with a spot in the second semi-final the following Sunday against minor premiers Subiaco up for grabs.

However, there is no complacency creeping in at West Perth despite the fact that the Falcons have their own selection dilemmas at the opposite end with close to a full list to choose from, and Shane Nelson, Kody Manning, Tyler Keitel, Joe Morrow and Laine Rasmussen right to return.

While Peel might come into the contest without the likes of Zac Clarke, Jack Hannath, Ethan Hughes, Tanner Smith, Max Duffy, Matt Taberner, Ed Langdon, Lachie Weller, Brady Grey and Connor Blakely, the Thunder still have some talent and experience.

Led by captain Brendon Jones and with former AFL players Leroy Jetta, Gerald Ugle and Josh Bootsma, and current Dockers Craig Moller, Jacob Ballard, Tom Vandeleur and Sean Hurley, it's not a line-up that can be sneezed at still.

The forward-line of Peel does still look dangerous led by small forwards Jetta and Ugle who combined for 10 goals in last Saturday's win over South Fremantle, and have kicked 75 majors between them for 2015.

"Every side has got their strengths and I think clearly this year that Peel's scoring strengths is around the mid to small type forwards. They haven’t had the tall forwards like Taberner play as much as they have in the past, but we'd be foolish to think it's just Jetta and Ugle but obviously they are the two best and both sit near the top of the goal kicking," Monaghan said.

"Eddy Dann is back playing who can play forward, Crozier will be there if he doesn’t play AFL and there's Duffy and a few others.

"They have multiple scoring options and it just probably means for us at selection that we have been going with Adams, Rodda and Morrow as key defenders, but we'll need to check that off this week and one of them might end up going forward or we might need an extra small ourselves.

"Until we know the make up of the side, it's a little bit hard but we'll be planning significantly around their midfield, their running players and their smaller forwards."

A lot of talk this week has firstly surrounded Fremantle's decision to rest players ahead of the AFL finals, and then the effect that has on Peel with the players who have helped the Thunder qualify for the finals needed to take on Port Adelaide on Saturday at Adelaide Oval.

However, Monaghan will just put all his focus into working out how to beat whatever team Peel ends up fielding on Sunday at HBF Arena.

"I would have thought Peel finished 13-7 like us and they have got structures and set plays, and ball movements who like any other team that's successful are identifiable, and won't change because of personnel," he said.

"We'll plan for them doing what they have done all season and especially with Ross' influence of anywhere, anytime mantra, then Peel will come up here really positive and we'd be foolish not to treat them with the utmost respect regardless of who plays.

"The good thing is that we will have our final training session on Friday so this week I'll know the Peel side based on who is named for Fremantle, and given they are playing away I'd assume all three of their emergencies will play for Peel on Sunday. I'll have a good handle on that come Friday when we train for the last time to share with the players."

While Peel and Fremantle's selection have received all the attention, Monaghan will have some difficult decisions at his own selection table that he's been putting off having to make.

The Falcons comfortably have up to 30 players who would not be out of place playing on Sunday, but with premiership players Nelson, Manning and Rasmussen, and important defenders Keitel and Morrow to return on Sunday, some tough calls will be required by Monaghan and his staff.

"We have been putting off the inevitable over the last two or three weeks with our selections. Whilst there is a lot of talk in the media about resting and fatigue, and player management, we've probably been doing that for three or four weeks," he said.

"If you look back across our selection we've probably had two or three out every week for about four weeks now, and there was another four on the weekend which was our biggest. Without saying that they were all 100 per cent and could have played, they were all just minor issues that we tried to manage.

"So selection has been relatively easy for us albeit there's a handful of guys playing in the twos who could have easily played. Munns has been an outstanding, Antonio, Crisp has been back playing good footy. So other guys have been in the mix, but selection has been pretty tough and now that we legitimately have 27 or 28 who we can easily pick from this week, it will be very difficult.

"Part of our process is that I speak to Joe Morrow last week who needed a rest, and his first question is if he'll come back the week after. We told him he'll be straight back in so we've already made a lot of the decisions along the way. It's pretty hard to rest someone and take the cautious approach with them, and then not play them the week after.

"If you look back over that period, Meadows was straight back in the week after he missed and Lynch was the same because you can't tell them to have a rest, and not play them the week after. It's an on-going management issue and it's something we think we have been able to manage to this stage. I'm now expecting 22 fit and firing guys to play well this Sunday in the qualifying final."

Not only will West Perth host Peel in the league qualifying final at HBF Arena on Sunday, but the Falcons reserves begin the day with an elimination final against East Perth with the colts to then take on East Fremantle, and Monaghan has noticed the sense of anticipation lift during the week.

"Our players are generally fairly excitable at the best of times, so I haven’t noticed a big difference but I think everyone loves this time of year. Whilst the weather hasn’t necessarily warmed up, it is spring time and everyone gets a spring in their step come finals time," Monaghan said.

"We are really confident that the players will be spot on to go this week and that will be set by our leadership group, and senior players and then with the enthusiasm of a number of young kids we've got playing as well. It's an exciting time and we are really looking forward to it."