Match Report – Keegan's six as Falcons soar over ThunderSaturday, May 22, 2021 - 7:13 PM - by Breanna Redhead

KEEGAN Knott made up for missing out on State selection last week by delivering a match-winning six goal performance to lead West Perth to a 28-point win over Peel Thunder in Mandurah.

Both sides battled it out in the wet weather at David Grays Arena, but it was ultimately West Perth who prevailed, making their mark in the second quarter to build a 21-point gap that Thunder failed to overcome.

The Falcons owed their victory to exciting goal sneak Keegan Knott who dominated the scoreboard with a career-best six goals after being one of the unlucky last players to miss out on selection in the WAFL State Team last week against South Australia in Adelaide.

Triple fairest and best winner Shane Nelson, who continues to lead the league in disposals, added another 37 to his name as well in the win for the Falcons in a dominant midfield display.

West Perth dominated possession in the opening minutes, seeing very little of the ball in Peel’s forward 50. 

However, they were soon overpowered by the Thunder who were able to use their ball movement to cover more ground through their long, clean passes producing multiple goals from Blair Bell.

The Falcons were quick to adapt to the weather conditions in the second term, the forward line working hard to dominate possession, allowing the side to surge ahead thanks to two back to back goals from Knott.

The Thunder were well and truly silenced by the Falcons, who went on to score a whopping six goals, overcoming a 10-point deficit to lead by 21 points at half-time.

The Falcons proved unstoppable in the remainder of the match, continuing to dominate the scoreboard producing another four unanswered goals in the third quarter.

Peel attempted a comeback in the final term, winning the quarter with three but another goal from the Falcons sealed their 28-point victory.

Despite their inability to score, Jackson Merrett was the engine room of the Peel squad, dominating with 37 disposals while Blair Bell secured three goals, followed by Ryan Bennell with two.

KING OF THE BACK DOOR
Keegan Knott has added another six goals to his season, pushing him to the top of the league in goal scoring with 18 goals in seven games. He showed his expertise against Peel, by finding the empty pockets in the forward 50 where he would create several unguarded opportunities, surprising opposition and producing several goals a result.

PEARCE’S WAFL RETURN
Saturday’s game marked the return of Docker Alex Pearce to the Peel Thunder squad, his first WAFL appearance in 1884 days. The player was last seen in the league in 2016, prior to breaking his leg and further recovery complications from a broken ankle in 2019. Pearce made a quiet return to the side with only two disposals.
 

OPTUS WAFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON – ROUND 7

PEEL THUNDER            3.2    4.4    4.8    7.10 (52)
WEST PERTH            1.4    7.7    11.8    12.8 (80)

PEEL THUNDER: Goals – Bell 3; Bennell 2; Western, Cullen.
Best – Merrett, Meek, Bell, Giro, Hancock, Valente, Schofield.
WEST PERTH: Goals – Knott 6; Keitel 3; Moulton, O'Donnell, Peirce.
Best – Knott, Nelson, West, Manzone, Lynch, Pegoraro, Lloyd, Black.