WAFL 2024: Peel Thunder’s Blair Bell kicks match-winning goal with 15 seconds left to steal win from Claremont

Blair Bell kicked an incredible match-winning goal with 15 seconds left on the clock to keep Peel Thunder’s premiership hopes alive in a thrilling one-point win over Claremont. Down by a game-high 17 points six minutes into the final term, the Thunder kicked the last three goals of the game in 16 minutes to steal victory from the jaws of defeat, winning the first semifinal 7.7 (49) to 6.12 (48). Fremantle veteran Matt Taberner (three goals) defied a badly dislocated thumb that had him down in the rooms during the last break to kick two late goals. It was Bell who would be the hero though, breaking clear of a pack contest at left half-forward to find space and kick the game-winning goal on the run. The incredible win now sets up a preliminary final against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval next Sunday, with the winner of that game to join East Perth in this year’s decider. Claremont will be left to rue their inaccuracy, having dominated much of the contest because of their ferocity and pressure. They missed numerous standard opportunities in front of goal despite their performance which was the difference in the contest in the end. Disaster loomed for Peel early when star Will Brodie copped a bad cork to his right quad which limited his movement. The midfielder bravely came back on but was clearly hampered by the injury and was not at his match-winning best. Claremont came with a clear gameplan to apply pressure at all costs, laying a whopping 26 more tackles in the first half. It resulted in 10 more entries inside 50 but their inaccuracy meant it was all for very little on the scoreboard with a late Taberner goal ensuring the scores were level at half-time. Peel had to send a sore Brodie forward in the second half which forced Bell to move into the midfield. It worked as Bell’s strength in the contest became a point of difference, with Peel kicking consecutive goals for the first time in the game with Pat Voss finally getting an opportunity after half-time. After kicking only two goals in two and a half quarters, the Tigers had a purple patch of five minutes where they booted three goals to gain ascendency. Alec Waterman (two goals) and Alex Manuel kicked long-range set shots, before Kieran Gowdie kicked another from the goalsquare. Peel needed an early goal to keep in touch because it was such a low-scoring match, but it was Tiger Zac Mainwaring who shook off three earlier misses to kick a goal that extended the lead to 17 points. It looked as if Peel were going to be become the first team since 2016 to be bundled out of the finals in straight sets, but there was one more twist in the tail. Taberner was awarded a free kick in the goal square before kicking a third goal after a strong mark 40m out. Then Bell capitalised on a bit of space and kept his composure in the biggest moment of the season to keep the Thunder’s season alive. SCOREBOARD PEEL THUNDER 2.2, 3.2, 4.5, 7.7 (49) CLAREMONT 1.5, 2.8, 5.8, 6.12 (48) Goals – PEEL THUNDER: M Taberner 3 B Bell T Emmett N O’Driscoll P Voss. CLAREMONT: A Waterman 2 S Alvarez K Gowdie Z Mainwaring A Manuel. Best – PEEL THUNDER: N Erasmus N O’Driscoll W Brodie M Sellwood L Reidy M Taberner. CLAREMONT: B Rogers O Eastland C England Z Mainwaring J Bolton J Maibaum. Injuries – PEEL THUNDER: M Taberner (thumb) W Brodie (leg). Reports: N Wilson (PT) for striking on K Gowdie (C) in the first quarter. M Taberner (PT) for striking J Maibaum (C) in the first quarter. B Hancock (PT) for striking H Davis (C) in the third quarter. Umpires: C Snadden M Adams J Gibb L Jago. Crowd: 2414 at Lane Group Stadium.