palmomagpie
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ROUND 8
NTFL 2024/25 Season
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palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #27
ROUND 9
Crazy to think we've just hit the halfway point of the season already. After 9 games, we have Jackson Calder on 31 goals, with Will Farrer second on 18 and Matt Shannon on 17. Looking like Calder's year again. Ladder-wise Southern Districts were finally beaten in a tough contest with St Mary's last week, who now share equal top spot together. Tahs, Tiwi and Nightcliff make up the remainder of the top 5 - with the rest of the comp just making up numbers. Wanderers have made a climb out of the bottom 2 though, with the two Palmerston clubs struggling at the bottom (Buffs only have 2 points due to a match being called off).
~
In Round 9, Nightcliff had a huge chance to make a statement against Southern Districts, fresh off their first loss, at home on Friday night. However, they just never seemed to match them, going down by 53 points and never claiming the lead. Steven Motlop starred for Districts with 4 goals, with interstate recruit Connor Giddings 2nd best. For Nightcliff, it just never seemed to get going, with only 6 goals scored for the game. A huge game looms this weekend against Tiwi at Gardens Oval, with 0 points and 1% seperating the two in 4th spot.
~
Speaking of Tiwi, they were handed a 32 point win after their home match at Wurrumiyanga was called off in the 2nd quarter due to intense weather. Photos on facebook show torrential rain and extreme lightning strikes. Probably a good thing for Palmy, after letting Tiwi get a 7 goal first time in those conditions, it could have ended a lot worse. The game was supposed to be a big occassion, with WAFL star and ex Saint Matthew Parker making his Tiwi debut.
~
At TIO Stadium, Saints easily accounted for Buffs with a 96 point belting. 6 goals to Calder, outscoring the Buffs himself, 5 to Jaden McGrath and a BOG performance from recruit/QAFL star Ryan Crisp enough to absolutely smother the Buffaloes. Champion and skipper Jarrod Stokes kicked 3/4 of the Buffs goals and should keep his head up. A tough clash awaits them next week at Norbuilt against the Crocs though.
~
In the final game of the round, Tahs only just scraped over Wanderers, taking the 4 points with an 8 point victory. 2 goals to the Eagles with 4 and 3 minutes remaining would have had the Tahs on edge, before 2 steadying behinds in the last 90 seconds locked the win in. Tahs were well served by Bailey Scott, interstate recruit/Essendon VFL footballer, and Tanner Lovell. An improved Wanderers side put in a huge effort, with WAFL recruit Cody Leggett kicking 2 and claiming BOG. I think come Australia Day, the rematch between these two will be a classic.
Crazy to think we've just hit the halfway point of the season already. After 9 games, we have Jackson Calder on 31 goals, with Will Farrer second on 18 and Matt Shannon on 17. Looking like Calder's year again. Ladder-wise Southern Districts were finally beaten in a tough contest with St Mary's last week, who now share equal top spot together. Tahs, Tiwi and Nightcliff make up the remainder of the top 5 - with the rest of the comp just making up numbers. Wanderers have made a climb out of the bottom 2 though, with the two Palmerston clubs struggling at the bottom (Buffs only have 2 points due to a match being called off).
~
In Round 9, Nightcliff had a huge chance to make a statement against Southern Districts, fresh off their first loss, at home on Friday night. However, they just never seemed to match them, going down by 53 points and never claiming the lead. Steven Motlop starred for Districts with 4 goals, with interstate recruit Connor Giddings 2nd best. For Nightcliff, it just never seemed to get going, with only 6 goals scored for the game. A huge game looms this weekend against Tiwi at Gardens Oval, with 0 points and 1% seperating the two in 4th spot.
~
Speaking of Tiwi, they were handed a 32 point win after their home match at Wurrumiyanga was called off in the 2nd quarter due to intense weather. Photos on facebook show torrential rain and extreme lightning strikes. Probably a good thing for Palmy, after letting Tiwi get a 7 goal first time in those conditions, it could have ended a lot worse. The game was supposed to be a big occassion, with WAFL star and ex Saint Matthew Parker making his Tiwi debut.
~
At TIO Stadium, Saints easily accounted for Buffs with a 96 point belting. 6 goals to Calder, outscoring the Buffs himself, 5 to Jaden McGrath and a BOG performance from recruit/QAFL star Ryan Crisp enough to absolutely smother the Buffaloes. Champion and skipper Jarrod Stokes kicked 3/4 of the Buffs goals and should keep his head up. A tough clash awaits them next week at Norbuilt against the Crocs though.
~
In the final game of the round, Tahs only just scraped over Wanderers, taking the 4 points with an 8 point victory. 2 goals to the Eagles with 4 and 3 minutes remaining would have had the Tahs on edge, before 2 steadying behinds in the last 90 seconds locked the win in. Tahs were well served by Bailey Scott, interstate recruit/Essendon VFL footballer, and Tanner Lovell. An improved Wanderers side put in a huge effort, with WAFL recruit Cody Leggett kicking 2 and claiming BOG. I think come Australia Day, the rematch between these two will be a classic.
palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #28
ROUND 10
A huge shock result to start off Round 10, with Wanderers grabbing their 4th win of the season, stunning St Mary's by 16 points at Gardens Oval on Friday night. Saints grabbed the lead a few times late in the 1st quarter, and again early in the 2nd, before 3 within 5 minutes from the Eagles pushed them 13 points up - and they held the lead from there. Not a good result for the Saints, who were breathing down Districts neck, and now sit a win and a heap of % behind them. Wanderers were best served by Victorian recruits Billy Crofts and Riley Calvene. St Mary's Jack Landt was consistent again but not enough to secure the win.
In the second game, Nightcliff belted Tiwi in a big game at Gardens. What was a battle for third spot, Nightcliff were just too strong. Well served by returning AFL premiership player Brandon Parfitt, Nightcliff had class all over the ground that was too much for Tiwi to contain. 6 goals from long-term tiger Zachary Derksen, with ex Hawk Fergus Greene kicking 2 and Kye Declase 3. Whilst not as impressive as the Crocs, Nightcliff are a good side who clearly can still pull some tricks out of the bag. For Tiwi, hopefully it's not the end of a dominant run, as they're doing some wonderful things in the comp and holding a lot of clubs accountable.
Game 3 - ouch. Steven Motlop slammed in 9 goals as Southern Districts produced a whopping 203 point victory over Buffaloes at home. Not a complete shock but the magnitude of the win + the lack of score from the Buffaloes is quite concerning. It's the curse of Palmerston at the moment. A dark day for the Buffs, with no best players even named for the match (at time of writing anyway). I feel for them, but am glad at least that was more than Palmys loss (at least until this weekend). For Districts, everything and everyone went right. Motlops 9, multiple bags of 3. Only 6/22 players didn't kick a goal. The crocs are just too powerful and should blow this season away - they have the perfect mix of locals and recruits and will be very hard to knock off their perch.
The final game of the round is nothing to write home about - Palmy and PINT played a snoozefest on Saturday night that eventually ended with PINT winning by 43. I'm liking that in most games we aren't getting blown away quickly anymore, and long term we look better; just frustrating to still be so low with 1 win. If Buffs weren't such a sh** show right now, we'd be in strife. Onwards and upwards though!
A huge shock result to start off Round 10, with Wanderers grabbing their 4th win of the season, stunning St Mary's by 16 points at Gardens Oval on Friday night. Saints grabbed the lead a few times late in the 1st quarter, and again early in the 2nd, before 3 within 5 minutes from the Eagles pushed them 13 points up - and they held the lead from there. Not a good result for the Saints, who were breathing down Districts neck, and now sit a win and a heap of % behind them. Wanderers were best served by Victorian recruits Billy Crofts and Riley Calvene. St Mary's Jack Landt was consistent again but not enough to secure the win.
In the second game, Nightcliff belted Tiwi in a big game at Gardens. What was a battle for third spot, Nightcliff were just too strong. Well served by returning AFL premiership player Brandon Parfitt, Nightcliff had class all over the ground that was too much for Tiwi to contain. 6 goals from long-term tiger Zachary Derksen, with ex Hawk Fergus Greene kicking 2 and Kye Declase 3. Whilst not as impressive as the Crocs, Nightcliff are a good side who clearly can still pull some tricks out of the bag. For Tiwi, hopefully it's not the end of a dominant run, as they're doing some wonderful things in the comp and holding a lot of clubs accountable.
Game 3 - ouch. Steven Motlop slammed in 9 goals as Southern Districts produced a whopping 203 point victory over Buffaloes at home. Not a complete shock but the magnitude of the win + the lack of score from the Buffaloes is quite concerning. It's the curse of Palmerston at the moment. A dark day for the Buffs, with no best players even named for the match (at time of writing anyway). I feel for them, but am glad at least that was more than Palmys loss (at least until this weekend). For Districts, everything and everyone went right. Motlops 9, multiple bags of 3. Only 6/22 players didn't kick a goal. The crocs are just too powerful and should blow this season away - they have the perfect mix of locals and recruits and will be very hard to knock off their perch.
The final game of the round is nothing to write home about - Palmy and PINT played a snoozefest on Saturday night that eventually ended with PINT winning by 43. I'm liking that in most games we aren't getting blown away quickly anymore, and long term we look better; just frustrating to still be so low with 1 win. If Buffs weren't such a sh** show right now, we'd be in strife. Onwards and upwards though!
palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #29
ROUND 11
Well we are now at the midseason/Christmas break. Darwin had the bye/long break, and appears it was much needed coming off the massive 203 whalloping.
The opening game was a Friday night clash between Waratah and PINT, at DXC Arena. PINT at the moment are very hard to read, especially after such a great year last year. Beating Tahs before the break would have been a huge statement, but alas, they were unable to get the job done and went down by a cruisey 37 points. Tahs had the leg up the whole match, with PINT sitting 2-3 goals down for most of the match. Tonner Lovell and Scott Carlin were yet again best on ground, with VFL recuit and 2nd gamer, Will Fordham kicking 2. For PINT, they battled hard but couldn't get it done. 3 goals to Brad Ryan was a highlight.
Saturdays opener was the match of the round, with the Tiwi Bombers handing St Mary's their second straight loss, grabbing the win by just 7 points. After going down by 1 point in Round 8 heartbreak, Tiwi avenged the loss with an exciting win to show they really can handle the big time. Saints were 8 points up with 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd term, before 2 quick goals gave Tiwi a 4 point 3QT lead. Then over a 2.5 minute period mid way through the final term, Tiwi kicked 2 goals & 2 behinds to extend their lead to 18 points. St Mary's replied with 2 goals to get within a straight kick, before Nathaniel Cooper kicked what would end up the sealer with 5 minutes remaining. The loss keeps the Saints in 2nd, but with only 1 win and % seperating them and 5th placed Tiwi.
The Saturday afternoon game was honestly a surprise result as well. Palmerston lost by 85 points to Southern Districts, which is painful in a normal context. But after what the Crocs did to us last time + Buffs last week, going down by double figures is a win in itself. At 3QT, it was only 38 points seperating them both, before a 7.7 to 0.2 last quarter blew the margin. Districts ended the year with yet another huge recruit coming in, with Tom Clurey being flown up to debut. Clearly the Crocs wanted a huge win to sign off 2024, so we did quite well in combatting that. Stats for the game unfortunately are skint, with results not even being posted for a few days after. Hopefully Palmy can gather some confidence that this didn't blow out, and take this confidence to get a good result in our return match against Wanderers in January.
On the topic of Wanderers, they played the final match of the round against Nightcliff on the Saturday night at TIO. Nightcliff surprised nobody and beat them by 47 points to reclaim 3rd spot before the break. Despite only kicking 4 goals, they fought valiantly with Cody Leggett getting BOG and kicking a goal. Veteran Mitchell Taylor also had a fantastic match. For Nightcliff, it was a must win and they delivered. Brandon Parfitt scored a goal, with Kye Declase kicking 4. Nightcliff get to enjoy a longer break, with the bye in R12, before returning for a huge "battle for 2nd" clash with St Mary's in Round 13.
Just another thing as we hit the break, here are the top 5 goalscorers so far:
1. Jackson Calder - St Mary's - 33 goals (avg. 3.3)
2. Will Farrer - Southern Districtcs - 21 - (avg. 2.1)
2. Matt Shannon - Southern Districts - 21 - (avg. 2.1)
4. Chris Nield - PINT - 20 (Avg. 2.2)
5. Jak Trewin - Wanderers - 17 (Avg 1.7)
Well we are now at the midseason/Christmas break. Darwin had the bye/long break, and appears it was much needed coming off the massive 203 whalloping.
The opening game was a Friday night clash between Waratah and PINT, at DXC Arena. PINT at the moment are very hard to read, especially after such a great year last year. Beating Tahs before the break would have been a huge statement, but alas, they were unable to get the job done and went down by a cruisey 37 points. Tahs had the leg up the whole match, with PINT sitting 2-3 goals down for most of the match. Tonner Lovell and Scott Carlin were yet again best on ground, with VFL recuit and 2nd gamer, Will Fordham kicking 2. For PINT, they battled hard but couldn't get it done. 3 goals to Brad Ryan was a highlight.
Saturdays opener was the match of the round, with the Tiwi Bombers handing St Mary's their second straight loss, grabbing the win by just 7 points. After going down by 1 point in Round 8 heartbreak, Tiwi avenged the loss with an exciting win to show they really can handle the big time. Saints were 8 points up with 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd term, before 2 quick goals gave Tiwi a 4 point 3QT lead. Then over a 2.5 minute period mid way through the final term, Tiwi kicked 2 goals & 2 behinds to extend their lead to 18 points. St Mary's replied with 2 goals to get within a straight kick, before Nathaniel Cooper kicked what would end up the sealer with 5 minutes remaining. The loss keeps the Saints in 2nd, but with only 1 win and % seperating them and 5th placed Tiwi.
The Saturday afternoon game was honestly a surprise result as well. Palmerston lost by 85 points to Southern Districts, which is painful in a normal context. But after what the Crocs did to us last time + Buffs last week, going down by double figures is a win in itself. At 3QT, it was only 38 points seperating them both, before a 7.7 to 0.2 last quarter blew the margin. Districts ended the year with yet another huge recruit coming in, with Tom Clurey being flown up to debut. Clearly the Crocs wanted a huge win to sign off 2024, so we did quite well in combatting that. Stats for the game unfortunately are skint, with results not even being posted for a few days after. Hopefully Palmy can gather some confidence that this didn't blow out, and take this confidence to get a good result in our return match against Wanderers in January.
On the topic of Wanderers, they played the final match of the round against Nightcliff on the Saturday night at TIO. Nightcliff surprised nobody and beat them by 47 points to reclaim 3rd spot before the break. Despite only kicking 4 goals, they fought valiantly with Cody Leggett getting BOG and kicking a goal. Veteran Mitchell Taylor also had a fantastic match. For Nightcliff, it was a must win and they delivered. Brandon Parfitt scored a goal, with Kye Declase kicking 4. Nightcliff get to enjoy a longer break, with the bye in R12, before returning for a huge "battle for 2nd" clash with St Mary's in Round 13.
Just another thing as we hit the break, here are the top 5 goalscorers so far:
1. Jackson Calder - St Mary's - 33 goals (avg. 3.3)
2. Will Farrer - Southern Districtcs - 21 - (avg. 2.1)
2. Matt Shannon - Southern Districts - 21 - (avg. 2.1)
4. Chris Nield - PINT - 20 (Avg. 2.2)
5. Jak Trewin - Wanderers - 17 (Avg 1.7)
palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #30
ROUND 12
I've only just returned from holidays so just posting the 2 rounds since Christmas break. No real ground breaking results for Round 12, expect maybe Palmerston and Wanderers drawing their match. Palmy basically led all day and coughed it up in the last, scoring only 2 behinds to 1.4. Wanderers had 3 shots in the last 3.5 minutes, including one on the final siren, but scored behinds and eventually drew. Other games went as expected, with Tiwi convincingly beating Darwin by 58 points; Waratah continuing St Mary's bad run with a 34 point win; and then Southern Districts getting it done against PINT in a Sunday twilight match at TIO.
I've only just returned from holidays so just posting the 2 rounds since Christmas break. No real ground breaking results for Round 12, expect maybe Palmerston and Wanderers drawing their match. Palmy basically led all day and coughed it up in the last, scoring only 2 behinds to 1.4. Wanderers had 3 shots in the last 3.5 minutes, including one on the final siren, but scored behinds and eventually drew. Other games went as expected, with Tiwi convincingly beating Darwin by 58 points; Waratah continuing St Mary's bad run with a 34 point win; and then Southern Districts getting it done against PINT in a Sunday twilight match at TIO.
palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #31
ROUND 13
Admittedly, I didn't pay too much attention this week with Palmerston having the bye. However, it was a big round in the scope of the comp.
Friday night saw Nightcliff extend St Mary's losing streak to 4 straight, knocking them down to 5th on the ladder and claiming 2nd for themselves. Bags of 3 to ex Hawk Fergus Greene and Nightcliff debutant Blake Launer made the difference, with Ben Vile and Lachlan Tardew the best on. For Saints, it wasn't their worst performance, but pushes them further back down the ladder. Jack Landt kicked 3, Yarran kicked 2 and Josh Smithson was their best player. Unfortunately their streak may end next week against Palmerston.
Saturday saw a fairly dull affair between Wanderers and Tiwi at Tracy Village Oval, with Wanderers finishing on just 2.7 for the day. A cruisy win for Tiwi who have now grasped 3rd place (equal with 2nd) . Kim and Matthew Kantilla combined for 4 and 2 goals, with ex Eagles legend Braedon McLean and former AFL player Matthew Parker dominant.
The third match was much the same - a drab affair between Darwin and PINT that ended up with the Greenants snagging a 6 goal win and keep themselves within any chance of reaching the top 5. The game didn't provide much to write home about, looking like 2 struggling sides just trying to scrape by.
The final match of the round was the big blockbuster. Top placed Southern Districts against Waratah. After a dominant second quarter, Tahs were 22 up at half time and looked the goods. But then a see-saw of goals and momentum throughout the 2nd half saw Districts kick away, kicking 11 goals to 5 and running away with a tight 13 point win at Norbuilt. Liam Odea kicked 4 for the Warriors, with Robby Bartee and Ricky Monti their best. For Districts, Matt Shannon and Steven Motlop each kicked 4 as well, with Jarrod Brander chipping in with 3. A huge lineup for Southern Districts got them over the line and has now all but confirmed them as minor premiers.
With 5 games to go, it appears the finals are already set, with a few small rotations over the next few weeks. Next week will have some huge games, with Waratah and Tiwi battling for 3rd; Nightcliff facing a struggling but tough PINT to hold onto 2nd. With St Mary's playing Palmerston, wins for those teams will be crucial to protect their standings. Should be a good weekend of footy.
Admittedly, I didn't pay too much attention this week with Palmerston having the bye. However, it was a big round in the scope of the comp.
Friday night saw Nightcliff extend St Mary's losing streak to 4 straight, knocking them down to 5th on the ladder and claiming 2nd for themselves. Bags of 3 to ex Hawk Fergus Greene and Nightcliff debutant Blake Launer made the difference, with Ben Vile and Lachlan Tardew the best on. For Saints, it wasn't their worst performance, but pushes them further back down the ladder. Jack Landt kicked 3, Yarran kicked 2 and Josh Smithson was their best player. Unfortunately their streak may end next week against Palmerston.
Saturday saw a fairly dull affair between Wanderers and Tiwi at Tracy Village Oval, with Wanderers finishing on just 2.7 for the day. A cruisy win for Tiwi who have now grasped 3rd place (equal with 2nd) . Kim and Matthew Kantilla combined for 4 and 2 goals, with ex Eagles legend Braedon McLean and former AFL player Matthew Parker dominant.
The third match was much the same - a drab affair between Darwin and PINT that ended up with the Greenants snagging a 6 goal win and keep themselves within any chance of reaching the top 5. The game didn't provide much to write home about, looking like 2 struggling sides just trying to scrape by.
The final match of the round was the big blockbuster. Top placed Southern Districts against Waratah. After a dominant second quarter, Tahs were 22 up at half time and looked the goods. But then a see-saw of goals and momentum throughout the 2nd half saw Districts kick away, kicking 11 goals to 5 and running away with a tight 13 point win at Norbuilt. Liam Odea kicked 4 for the Warriors, with Robby Bartee and Ricky Monti their best. For Districts, Matt Shannon and Steven Motlop each kicked 4 as well, with Jarrod Brander chipping in with 3. A huge lineup for Southern Districts got them over the line and has now all but confirmed them as minor premiers.
With 5 games to go, it appears the finals are already set, with a few small rotations over the next few weeks. Next week will have some huge games, with Waratah and Tiwi battling for 3rd; Nightcliff facing a struggling but tough PINT to hold onto 2nd. With St Mary's playing Palmerston, wins for those teams will be crucial to protect their standings. Should be a good weekend of footy.
palmomagpie
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #32
ROUND 14
Some big results this week in the scope of season 2024/25. Starting off the round was a clash between the winless Buffaloes, and the semi-improved Wanderers. To the surprise of all, Darwin finally captured their first win of the season, knocking the Muk Muks by 27 points, and keeping them to 3.10 in the process. Scorewise, the game appeared quite dull, 27-11 at half time. But for the Buffaloes, this is HUGE and gives them some hope for the rest of the season that they can climb off the bottom. As per NT Football with Jackson Clark on Facebook, Bradley Stokes and Lachlan East were best on, with Hayden Brown kicking 2 and the ever reliable Jarrod Stokes also kicking 1 and playing a top match. Despite a "better" year this year, it seems to have fallen apart lately for Wanderers, and whilst their chances were slim, this loss has essentially ended their year. Max Johnson and Nathan Jones Cubillo were their best on a fairly drab day for them.
The second match, and arguably the blockbuster of the round, saw Tiwi outclass Waratah and keep a firm hand on 2nd place, winning by 13 points at Gardens Oval on Saturday afternoon. Ex Hawk and Collingwood player Tom Phillips made his Tiwi impact, kicking a clutch goal at the end to bury the Tahs. Ashton Hams pulled in 30 touches, with Matthew Parker getting 24 and making the best players. For Tahs, it was tight and tense and they fought until the end, despite Tiwi pushing away in the 2nd. Scott Carlin had 35 disposals and a goal, with Brodie Carroll (2 Goals, 19 touches) also playing well. A disappointing result for the Tahs that locks pushes them into 5th, but they'll be looking to bounce back hard next Saturday against Wanderers.
Game 3 didn't really surprise anyone, with St Mary's finally breaking their losing streak and winning by a convincing 45 points against Palmerston. Glad it wasn't a blow out, considering at half time it was 5.6 to 0.4 - but plenty of opportunity presents itself to Palmy to improve. For Saints, it's impossible to look past Dylan Landt as best on. 43 disposals (albeit 31 uncontested) and 6 inside 50's paved the way for Saints to get a wriggle on. Jackson Calder smacked 4 goals in, and Nicholas Yarren was also instrumental. For Palmy, despite the poor start, they fought hard to stay in it and not it blow out. Doing so has helped them hold onto 8th spot by a slither - sit 0.5% above Darwin. Tristan Waack had 20 touches and a goal, captain Shaun Wilson with 16 and Jayden Davey with 12. A lot of work still to go this season, and a huge Saturday arvo game presents next Saturday against Tiwi at Cazalys to make a statement.
The final match of the round saw Nightcliff win by 50 points over a dull, uninspired PINT. Much like Palmy, PINT were only 0.2 at half time but managed to work hard to avoid too much of a blowout. Brandon Parfitt was dominant for Nightcliff, with 37 touches. Lachlan Tardew had 35 touches, 3 goals ad Zach Derksen kicked 4. They've grasped 2nd place, and look likely that they'll be in for some huge battles with Districts in the finals to claim the throne.
Some big results this week in the scope of season 2024/25. Starting off the round was a clash between the winless Buffaloes, and the semi-improved Wanderers. To the surprise of all, Darwin finally captured their first win of the season, knocking the Muk Muks by 27 points, and keeping them to 3.10 in the process. Scorewise, the game appeared quite dull, 27-11 at half time. But for the Buffaloes, this is HUGE and gives them some hope for the rest of the season that they can climb off the bottom. As per NT Football with Jackson Clark on Facebook, Bradley Stokes and Lachlan East were best on, with Hayden Brown kicking 2 and the ever reliable Jarrod Stokes also kicking 1 and playing a top match. Despite a "better" year this year, it seems to have fallen apart lately for Wanderers, and whilst their chances were slim, this loss has essentially ended their year. Max Johnson and Nathan Jones Cubillo were their best on a fairly drab day for them.
The second match, and arguably the blockbuster of the round, saw Tiwi outclass Waratah and keep a firm hand on 2nd place, winning by 13 points at Gardens Oval on Saturday afternoon. Ex Hawk and Collingwood player Tom Phillips made his Tiwi impact, kicking a clutch goal at the end to bury the Tahs. Ashton Hams pulled in 30 touches, with Matthew Parker getting 24 and making the best players. For Tahs, it was tight and tense and they fought until the end, despite Tiwi pushing away in the 2nd. Scott Carlin had 35 disposals and a goal, with Brodie Carroll (2 Goals, 19 touches) also playing well. A disappointing result for the Tahs that locks pushes them into 5th, but they'll be looking to bounce back hard next Saturday against Wanderers.
Game 3 didn't really surprise anyone, with St Mary's finally breaking their losing streak and winning by a convincing 45 points against Palmerston. Glad it wasn't a blow out, considering at half time it was 5.6 to 0.4 - but plenty of opportunity presents itself to Palmy to improve. For Saints, it's impossible to look past Dylan Landt as best on. 43 disposals (albeit 31 uncontested) and 6 inside 50's paved the way for Saints to get a wriggle on. Jackson Calder smacked 4 goals in, and Nicholas Yarren was also instrumental. For Palmy, despite the poor start, they fought hard to stay in it and not it blow out. Doing so has helped them hold onto 8th spot by a slither - sit 0.5% above Darwin. Tristan Waack had 20 touches and a goal, captain Shaun Wilson with 16 and Jayden Davey with 12. A lot of work still to go this season, and a huge Saturday arvo game presents next Saturday against Tiwi at Cazalys to make a statement.
The final match of the round saw Nightcliff win by 50 points over a dull, uninspired PINT. Much like Palmy, PINT were only 0.2 at half time but managed to work hard to avoid too much of a blowout. Brandon Parfitt was dominant for Nightcliff, with 37 touches. Lachlan Tardew had 35 touches, 3 goals ad Zach Derksen kicked 4. They've grasped 2nd place, and look likely that they'll be in for some huge battles with Districts in the finals to claim the throne.
