Maiden flag for Thunder

Peel beat Subiaco on Sunday to win their first WAFL premiership and end two decades as the league’s whipping boys.

“It is history,” Peel president Bob Ryan said after the 23-point win provided the greatest moment in the club’s two decades of existence.

“It has been 20 years in the making and now we are there we need to stay there and become a powerhouse in the league.

“Subiaco have set a wonderful benchmark, but now we want to get there.”

Powered by 17 Fremantle-listed players, the Thunder overwhelmed their opponents with Peel’s powerful midfield that included rising star Connor Blakely (38 possessions), Ed Langdon (39) and muscular Matt de Boer (30 and 14 tackles).

Blakely won the Simpson Medal to join Sandover Medallists Allistair Pickett and his Dockers teammate Hayden Ballantyne as Peel winners of the WAFL’s major individual awards.

Watched by a crowd of 15,031, Peel used their strength and skill at Domain Stadium to end Subiaco’s bid for a second premiership hat-trick in a decade.

Livewire forward Shane Yarran kicked five goals in the 11.13 (79) to 8.8 (56) result to become only the third WAFL player after Gerard Neesham and Troy Wilson to win consecutive flags at different clubs.

Peel made a bright start and then held off Subiaco’s most compelling charge midway through the third quarter.

The result was a triumph for coach Cam Shepherd, who won a flag as a player for Claremont in 1987, and has been able to get his two distinct cohorts of AFL and WAFL players to gel superbly this season.

“We gained some respect last year, but this win will give us some real belief,” he said.

“It was gladiatorial today but our boys didn’t take a backwards step.”

Chief executive John Ditchburn, who helped convert Peel from a basket case to premiers, said the grand final victory would spark the growth of football in the Peel region.

“This will give us the impetus we have not had for years,” he said.

“We stand for something now and we can now move forward.”

It was the first time since 1965 that a team had won the flag from fourth place and the victory required the Thunder to become the first team in the history of the WAFL to win four consecutive finals matches to claim the flag.

It also provided redemption for Rory O’Brien and Jon Griffin, who were part of the East Fremantle team that lost the 2012 grand final.

“We gained some respect last year, but this win will give us some real belief,” Ditchburn said.