Blight addition crucial to Peel's growth in 2023Saturday, September 16, 2023 - 2:44 PM - by Chris Pike

JACOB Blight wanted to make a move in 2023 that would be best to help him chase his AFL dream and things couldn’t have turned out better than joining Peel Thunder and it just happened to be they were chasing a key defender too.
    
Blight played his formative years in Albany at Railways before beginning to play colts football with Claremont in 2019. He spent the next four years continuing to develop with the Tigers including making seven league appearances in a premiership contending team.

However, the 21-year-old knew that it was now or never to make a move to give him the best chance to chase his AFL dream and he felt the best way to do that might be to move on from Tigerland.

Initially Blight felt he might move to Victoria but when Peel coach Geoff Valentine got in touch to let him know he was after a key defender and with what the partnership with the Fremantle Dockers also provided, he didn’t need much convincing.

It's turned out to be a match made in heaven as well with Blight having an outstanding season as the anchor of the Peel back-line. He had such an impact that he was named the centre half-back in the WAFL Team of the Year.

Not only that, he was instrumental in Peel also finishing the home and away season in third position before beating Subiaco in the qualifying final, then losing to East Fremantle narrowly in the second semi-final and now with a preliminary final against the Lions ahead this Sunday at Mandurah's Lane Group Stadium.

Wanting another chance against East Fremantle

Blight had a tremendous second semi-final performance on an individual front holding East Fremantle match-winner Jonathon Marsh goalless, and he would love another chance at the Sharks in next Sunday's Grand Final at Optus Stadium.

However, he's certainly not looking past this Sunday's preliminary final battle with Subiaco and knowing how tough the Lions will be to overcome with a Grand Final position on the line.

"I think even just reflecting from last week and when we get our tails up, and momentum going, we are a hard team to stop," Blight told 91.3 SportFM.

"Of course we can't look past Subiaco this week because it's going to be a very tough match in itself this week, but if we do get to a Grand Final, I think we've got the goods. 

"I think our best is the best but our biggest challenge going forward is playing 120 minutes of good footy. If we do that, I feel like we can beat any team."

Job last week against the Sharks

Looking back on last Saturday's second semi-final against East Fremantle at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, even though Peel ended up falling five points short, Blight couldn’t have done more.

Not only did he hold Marsh scoreless and to just six kicks, but he had 16 possessions and five marks himself to continue his breakout season where he's continued to prove himself an elite key defender of the competition.

"It's always a little daunting I guess coming up against some of those better forwards because you know that any little mistake, or little bit of space you give them that's their opportunity to kick a goal or get their day started," Blight said.

"I guess I give credit to my athleticism and I have a really strong gas tank for someone my size and in my position, and with my physical strength. 

"So I thought on someone like Marsh, I backed in the work rate that I possess and the one-on-one contest work that I believed I would be strong in. I felt like the more that I made him work and run, then the better off I was going to be and lucky enough it seemed to go in the end."

Another finals battle against Subiaco

Before even thinking about a potential rematch with East Fremantle in the Grand Final, Blight's sole focus is now on Subiaco in this Sunday's preliminary final. For him it could be a match up on anyone from Ben Sokol to Ryan Borchet to Luker Kentfield to Jack Mayo.

"I don’t think we're nervous at all and our main focus is playing four quarters of footy," he said.

"It's been quite evident in the last few weeks that we haven’t played four quarters and have really only had one or two good quarters, but have still managed to stay in the game. 

"I think going into this week our main focus is to play all four quarters, a full 120 minutes and if we do we're pretty confident that we can get the job done."

Reasons for such a strong season

Blight had managed just seven games at league level over the last two years with Claremont. That wasn’t through any fault of his, it's a strong Tigers team he was trying to force his way into so there was no blood bad when both parties decided to separate.

What the powerfully built Blight wanted was just the chance to develop himself in all areas to chase that AFL dream. He has no question that everyone involved at Peel with the support of the Dockers deserve a lot of the credit for just how well he has played in 2023.

"My personal success I reckon is a big credit to the coaches I've got here at Peel," Blight said.

"Having Geoff Valentine and Tendai Mzungu as my two main mentors at the club, and then having access to them throughout the whole pre-season and having the opportunity to go to Fremantle and train throughout the summer as well fast tracked my development, and overall understanding of the game. 

"It's a huge credit to them and obviously then playing alongside players like Joel Hamling, Nathan Wilson, Trav Colyer and those guys who have been around the AFL system for a very long time. I've been very fortunate in that regard and a lot of credit goes to those people."

Decision to join the Thunder

Blight had made the decision that it would likely be in his best interests to move on from Claremont at the end of 2022. He just wasn’t sure where it would be for him to go to get the best out of himself and that would be best for his development.

In the end, when Valentine and Matt Rosa from the Thunder got in touch he knew that everything they could offer in terms of a role as a key defender but then also to spend time at the Dockers would be his best option.

It's fair to say it's turned out well and he couldn’t be happier with the decision he made.

"It's an interesting story because I was really quite ambitious about wanting to move to Melbourne to chase a spot at an AFL club," Blight said. 

"But the thought process behind it was to make it to the AFL which is my ultimate dream and desire to do, I feel like submerging myself amongst AFL players on a weekly basis was at least going to give me a chance. 

"That way I could not only see how they operate throughout the week, but also rise to the standard and put my best foot forward. I wanted to then play alongside them and hope for the best so that's why I chose Peel. 

"Then of course speaking to Geoff Valentine and Matt Rosa, there was a bit of a vacancy in the key backs department in Peel even though Fremantle did recruit some key backs. 

"Spots were potentially there for the taking, but I put a lot of hard work and commitment into my footy over the pre-season and put my best foot forward when I needed to. Luckily enough I've been able to keep my spot throughout the whole year."

Areas to continue to improve in 

The one thing that has stood out to anybody who has spent anytime watching or working with Blight is his commitment to hard work and willingness to leave no stone unturned to continue to improve himself in all areas.

He's always had size on his side and is a mountain of a man, but with that he's had to continue to improve on his agility to make sure he can also move well enough to play against more mobile opponents.

Working on his hands and all-round skills has been a focus too, but more than anything it's been a focus on just working on his mental approach and not letting things play on his mind as much that has been just as important in his continued development too.

"I've had a lot to work on not just with my football, but myself as a character as well and dealing with resilience and things like that," he said. 

"I did a lot of work on my character when I moved over to Peel Thunder just so I could handle tougher situations a lot better and any potential setbacks.

"But in terms of my football, there's always been a bit of a knock on my agility and changing direction. I feel like I've worked on that already but it's an area that I can still get better with and also just minimising mistakes.

"Whether it's a miskick or bad handball, just things like that I can still tidy up during the year but in terms of athleticism and my kicking and things like that, I think I'm quite competent. It's just more about fixing up the smaller, minor details."

Playing alongside AFL premiership defender

Another bonus for Blight in joining Peel has been the chance to get to spend plenty of time with 91-game AFL veteran and Western Bulldogs premiership defender Joel Hamling.

He remains on Fremantle's list and added another four games to his AFL career in 2023, but the combination Blight has formed with him in the Peel defence has been crucial to the Thunder's success and will be again in Sunday's preliminary final against Subiaco.

"Joel is such a great friend and mentor already of mine, and any little bit of advice I can have here and there, he's always there to help me," Blight said.

"In terms of playing, we're pretty dialled in and we know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and to some degree might look out for each other at times as well. 

"We've got a pretty good synergy going with knowing who's going to take the mark or who's going to stay down, and little things like that. He's first class at what he does."