Thunder want historic finals win before looking furtherSaturday, September 3, 2016 - 1:38 PM - by Chris Pike

PEEL Thunder look set to enter Sunday's WAFL elimination final with 18 Fremantle players available for selection but coach Cam Shepherd knows the team has to focus on the job at hand against East Perth and avoid looking beyond that.

The Thunder have now qualified for a second straight WAFL finals series after making it for the first time in 2015 before losing in the qualifying final to West Perth at HBF Arena and then to East Perth in the first semi-final at Bendigo Bank Stadium.

Peel has backed that up by making the finals again in 2016 in fourth position to book in a home elimination final this Sunday against East Perth at Bendigo Bank Stadium.

Peel will be strengthened by having as many as 18 Fremantle-listed players available for selection including the likes of Matt de Boer, Ed Langdon, Michael Apeness, Darcy Tucker, Connor Blakely, Alex Silvagni and Shane Yarran who all played for the Dockers last Sunday.

But Shepherd knows that doesn’t guarantee anything and nobody at Peel will be looking beyond Sunday considering the Thunder have never previously won a WAFL final.

So the first task for the Thunder is to throw everything into beating the Royals on Sunday and then worrying about how much further they might be able to advance this September.

"You always have to get over some hurdles and our first hurdle for Peel is to win a final. There's no good looking beyond that at this stage. We have to make a bit of history on Sunday and then if we achieve that, then we can look beyond it," Shepherd said.

"The situation with our footy club is that we've had 20 years' history this year and 18 of them we never threatened as a football club to hit finals. Last year we made it but bowed out in straight sets so the next step was to make it again which we have, and maintain some consistency there.

"That's a credit to the 57 players who played during the season and all of them had a part to play. Then we are focusing on how we go about our business on the weekend."

Clancee Pearce and Tanner Smith are the only two players qualified for Peel who have played in recent weeks that aren’t available for selection meaning that Shepherd has some tough selection calls to make.

Considering Peel has automatic selections like Rory O'Brien, Josh Bootsma, Gerald Ugle, Blair Bell and Andrew Haydon, there's every chance some of the Fremantle available players won't make the final 22 anyway.

But one thing Shepherd doesn’t have to worry about is the attitude of the players when they come back and Matt de Boer has been one of the standouts.

"If you take out Matthew Uebergang and Brady Grey who are out with long-term injuries, there are 20 who are in the mix. But Clancee Pearce won't play because he has a hamstring and Tanner Smith hurt himself but there's potentially 18 players who are available," he said.

"Matt's attitude has been unerring when he's played for Peel. He has been very strong in his effort and want for us to do well so he is one who we know we can count on. We are hoping he will have a few mates as well.

"A few of them are coming off the Pavlich game and there's also the issue of getting back up after a big game and the end of Freo's season and we are addressing that.

"We've got this challenge against East Perth ahead of us and we just have to make sure our mindset is right, but certainly some of the inclusions will strengthen our side."

Since East Perth and Peel have been partnered with West Coast and Fremantle respectively they have had some tremendous contests including in last year's finals series and Shepherd is expecting nothing different this Sunday.

"East Perth and Peel have had some great competition over the last year or two," Shepherd said.

"We know each other really well and we are great competitors on the field, and get along really strongly off it. We know it will be a strong, well fought game and we are hoping at the end of the day we are the ones who come out victorious.