The Peel Football and Netball League have created history, winning their first Division 1 Landmark Country Championships title, defeating South West by 30 points on Sunday.
The Cavaliers went into the decider at Medibank Stadium full of confidence. Unbeaten in their qualifying matches, including a win over the five time defending champions South West in their Regional Clash, Peel jumped out of the blocks quickly with key forward Joel Houghton kicking the first two majors of the game before the clock had reached the four-minute mark.
A quick snap out of the pack by Division 1 fairest and best Jesse Gribble extended the Cavillers lead and a dominant first term was capped off with a goal to former Perth Demon Aaron Zucconi.
Peel’s 23-point quarter time lead didn’t last too long however with South West’s Anthony Tsalikis goaling twice inside a minute to reduce the margin to only 11 points. Joel Mahar was the next to find the big sticks for the reigning champions and when Simon Parry kicked truly from beyond 50 Peel’s lead had been whittled away to only four points at the main break.
Following the break South West found the lead for the first time since early in the match on the back of a goal to Matt Michael. Peel though went on to kick four of the next five goals, including two majors to Houghton, to take an eight-point lead into the final change.
Any chance of South West getting the early jump again though was snuffed out thanks to back to back goals to Brad Holmes.
A second goal to Michael gave South West hope though when Holmes kicked his fourth a couple of minutes later the game was all but over. Two late goals to Houghton would be the icing on the cake of Peels first ever Division 1 title.
Houghton was superb up forward with six majors and Holmes finished with four to both be amongst Peels best. Former Peel Thunder Captain Brendon Jones (pictured) standout performance through the middle of the ground saw him awarded with the Landmark Medal as fairest and Best in the Grand Final.
For the South West Tsalikis and Michael both finished with two goals whilst Parry, Tom Harper and Curtis Guglielmana were among the best players on the ground for the losing side.
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