PEEL has welcomed Clayton Collard, Johnny Bennell and Daniel Murray into its mix for the 2010 WAFL season and coach Trevor Williams hopes they can have big seasons to help the Thunder and put themselves back on the AFL radar.
Collard (Fremantle and Richmond), Bennell (Collingwood) and Murray (Brisbane Lions) found themselves on the AFL scrap heap before they knew what hit them, but all now come to Peel with a hunger to play well and prove those that delisted them wrong.
In return, Williams is looking at the trio to help him form a team that is more than competitive in 2010 in his first year at the helm as senior coach.
Bennell, pictured, showed signs of his potential brilliance late in the 2008 season with Peel and that saw him drafted by Collingwood, however, the Magpies delisted him at the end of last season.
The 20-year-old excitement machine found that hard to take, but is now coming into the season looking terrific and ready to tear into Claremont this Saturday at Bendigo Bank Stadium.
Williams is excited about what he could do in 2010 now that he's focused on doing the best he can.
"Johnny has that X-factor about him and similar to Clayton Collard in some ways in what they can offer up-forward. He has that Indigenous brilliance about him and he can do some special things," Williams said.
"He was obviously disappointed about also being out of the AFL system, but over the last month he has started to look really good and he should have a great season."
Collard spent time with both Fremantle (played one game in 2006) and Richmond, and also kicked 41 goals in 26 games with South Fremantle in 2006-07. Things didn’t pan out with the Tigers or in Melbourne for the classy forward.
When South Fremantle games record holder Marty Atkins joined Peel Thunder as football manager this year, after holding the same role at the Bulldogs when Collard was playing, Clayton and older brother Brad signed up.
Now Williams is especially looking forward to seeing what Collard can do as one of Peel's main forward targets.
"Clayton is not looking too bad and we are excited at what he might be able to offer us up-forward," he said.
"His arrival is thanks to Marty Atkins and their previous association at South Fremantle and he could be a great pick up."
Murray only spent one year on Brisbane's rookie-list after being picked up from East Perth, but he now returns to the WAFL hungry to show the AFL scouts that he is capable of matching it with the best ruckmen going around.
Williams has also enticed Jacob Williams back to WAFL football and he's looking forward to seeing his new ruck duo in action with Zac Beeck returning to East Perth.
"Daniel has had a good pre-season and he was obviously very disappointed after being a rookie with Brisbane and delisted after just one year," he said.
"He had to work through that and was keen to re-establish himself in the WAFL to give himself an opportunity to re-enter the AFL and we have the same hopes for him. He will get the opportunity to lead the ruck along with Jacob Williams.
"He has spent the last couple of years playing with Bunbury in the south-west, but he's had a big pre-season and is looking great."
Peel also has its strongest ever AFL-listed contingent with Brock O'Brien, Hayden Ballantyne, Michael Barlow, Jesse Crichton, Anthony Morabito, Will Schofield and Jordan Jones all likely to spend at least some time with the Thunder.
"We make no secret of the fact that we need those blokes playing for us when they are available," Williams said.
"We won't see much of Ballantyne or Morabito I imagine, but Brock O'Brien is working his way back, Jesse Crichton should give us a good young midfielder and we would love to see Michael Barlow, but Fremantle is pretty keen on playing him now too I imagine."
