Teams and players to watch in Round 14 of the 2023-24 NTFL season
From a huge encounter between two of the league’s top sides, to a group of matches that will have an impact on the season Round 14 will be a big one. We’ve analysed who will win and why.
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There’s not much separating the top sides, and with some massive encounters still to come Round 14 will be a big one.
The match of the round will come between Southern Districts and PINT, two sides still in the chase for the minor premiership and the finals double chance.
But outside that St Mary’s and Nightcliff are both in the hunt for percentage boosters, while Buffaloes and Palmerston will be hoping to snap their respective losing streaks.
Southern Districts vs PINT
Southern Districts and PINT will face off in the game which is undoubtedly the match of the round, and will play a major role in where these sides end up come season’s end.
The two sides sit tied on the Premier League table at present, just one match behind the league leaders, and with five games remaining this is a pivotal tie.
Districts are the favourites following an absolutely belting of sixth placed Darwin Buffaloes last week, and will be eager to continue that momentum.
The Crocs will be expecting plenty of use of the ball out of the midfield with Matt Dennis and Wyatt Ryan a supreme ruck pairing.
Matt Johnston and Jed Anderson have also had brilliant seasons in the area, and Jye Bolton has been strong of late, with all three ball magnets when they need to be.
From there it’s a matter of feeding the ball down to Jarrod Brander and Jonathon Ross, who each scored five against Buffaloes, and they could have a field day.
Rain is expected to play a major part and the Crocs they can’t play the wet conditions the same way they did against Saints in Round 12.
Save for a late resurgence the big-bodied side was outclassed by Saints’ ability to surge and take on the contest, if Districts can get that under control they can win this encounter.
PINT are another side which is taller than most and despite being in just their second year of Premier League footy are not to be underestimated.
They are almost certainly playing finals for the first time ever and have the firepower to truly make an impact once they get there.
They were thrashed by Districts last time they met, but this side is a different beast to the one that played early in the year.
Steven Motlop is a constant influence and has done brilliantly since shifting to the backline alongside Brad Ryan and Harrison Maher.
Connor McDonald is in form and will hold his own against his ruck opposition, while Lochie O’Brien returns to the fold.
PINT’s only issue is they aren’t a side which posts massive scores against the big sides, and against Districts that might be where the battle is won or lost.
Our tip: Southern Districts
Darwin Buffaloes vs Palmerston Magpies
This is the battle of two sides that really need a reverse in fortunes after a disappointing start to the 2024 half of the season.
Despite being on a five-game losing streak the Double Blues are the favourites and should have the necessary tools to get the job done.
Skipper Jarrod Stokes remains one of the best players in the competition, and the likes of Nick Yarran, Hassan Ahmat-Watkins and Kokwam Niki are always dangers around the goal.
Baxter Mensch is the side’s main fly-in this time around and he is expected to get plenty of the ball against his former side.
But this needs to be a statement from Buffaloes, they need to prove that should any opportunity of returning to finals, however remote, present itself they will take it.
And with the Tiwi Bombers climbing the table they need to build some percentage to at the very least hold down sixth place.
For Palmerston this has been a season to forget, that has been established, but maybe this is a match they target to overcome their winless season.
They are without many of their best including Phil Wills and Ashton Hams, but there’s a solid group of young players here that a foundation could be built around.
Waylon Davey and Lucas Edmonds both have moments of magic in them, and matches could be built around them.
However, any way you look at it this is a match which should be going in the Buffaloes favour.
Our tip: Darwin Buffaloes
Tiwi Bombers vs Nightcliff Tigers
The Nightcliff Tigers will by no means underestimating their Tiwi rivals when the two sides meet in what promises to be an exciting face-off.
Nightcliff are sitting pretty at the top of the table, and with a bye still to come the outfit needs to win and win big to hold down a top three position.
There’s added reason for Nightcliff to want to win this one with club stalwart and premiership winning captain Nathan Brown playing his 200th match.
Lachlan Tardrew can continue his brilliant post-Christmas form in which he has been the leading ball magnet, and in the midfield he has plenty of support in Brodie Filo and Cooper Dahms.
But defence, incidentally where Brown plays, is where the Tigers are best and current skipper Ryan Nyhuis, Mitchell Norton and Lewis Rinaldi will be out to suffocate the Tiwi offence.
The Bombers are a side full of excitement and x-factor, known for forcing shootouts and catching their opposition by surprise.
And those are not traps the Tigers will want to full into if they want to keep their double chance ambitions alive.
Captain Brendan Kantilla and scoring ace Kim Kantilla exemplify the Tiwi way of playing and will be out to scare their opposition.
Former AFL player Sam Darley is another who has had a great season and alongside the likes of Rhett Jordan and Brock Orval brings experience to this young side.
Youngsters such as Thaddeus Puautjimi and Karlson Kantilla are the ones to watch out for, with both likely to have busy outings.
But this is Nightcliff’s game to lose and with the way they play on defence they might be the best placed in the league to hold off the Tiwi scorers.
Our tip: Nightcliff
St Mary’s vs Wanderers
St Mary’s return fresh from their bye round eager to score big against a Wanderers outfit, which has struggled this season.
The traditional rivals have enjoyed many fierce encounters, but in this match it’s hard to see past St Mary’s, who have been one of the trailblazers of the season.
Nichols Medallist Dylan Landt has easily been one of the stars of the season and promises to be a constant around the ball in this encounter.
But it’s not a one man show at Saints with former captain Nate Paredes and young import Seth Harris able to shine in the midfield when they need to.
Expect the ball to find its way to full forward Jackson Calder plenty who is still in the hunt for his third consecutive league leading goal kicker accolade.
He won’t be without support up front with Tex Korewha making a return after missing the post-Christmas match.
Wanderers will be drawing on their history and rivalry with Saints to inspire something here, but they know an upset will not come easy.
Coach Aaron Motlop will play for the second time this season, while the likes of Nathan Arbon and Jaxon East will need to collect plenty of the ball to make an impact.
Captain Mitch Taylor will be put under plenty of pressure down back, but he has proven time and again how solid he is in defence.
If they’re to win they will need to play the conditions better, and as proven in Round 12 Saints know how to play in the rain.
Our tip: St Mary’s
What We Learned Round 13
There were plenty of big talking points to come from an NTFL round where the sides contesting finals truly separated themselves from the rest of the pack.
PINT, Waratah, Nightcliff and Districts all pulled off massive victories in the Men’s Premier League, and their Women’s counterparts also got the job done as well.
Check out all the big talking points from Round 13.
Buffaloes completely outclassed
The Darwin Buffaloes’ hopes of making finals hit another obstacle on the weekend, and this one may have completely ended their campaign.
The Double Blues drew the short straw in that they had the extra week off over the Christmas break, meaning everyone else got to shake off the rust earlier than them.
And they were completely off the pace as a result, unable to post even a solitary point until midway through the second quarter, by which point the game had long since been won.
They now sit three games off the pace of the sides in the finals bracket, and will need a minor miracle to reverse their fortunes.
In stark contrast Southern Districts played with the killer mentality necessary for a side with a goal of a finals double chance.
The Crocs had 80 points on the board by half time, which would have come as a shock to anyone looking at this matchup after the first few games of the season.
But even with big ins such as Mitch Robinson, Rhys Mathieson and Baxter Mensch there was little Buffs could do against the Districts tide.
The home side were everywhere with Jed Anderson and Nakia Cockatoo hugely influential, while Jarrod Brander and Jonathon Ross enjoyed a feast up front.
As much as this was a match about Buffaloes’ chances of making finals fading all but completely, it was also a match about the dominance of the Crocs.
This is a dangerous side making a charge at the right time, and with the personnel they have are a real chance of going all the way.
Districts women’s big scalp
It has been a rebuilding year for the Southern Districts women’s side with plenty of young guns getting in on the action.
As a result wins have been few and far between with just two victories to their name prior to Round 13, both coming against bottom placed Wanderers.
Despite initially trailing the Crocs took their chance against the 2021-22 premiership winning Darwin Buffettes they kept the game close enough to give themselves a chance.
And when the final quarter came they broke away winning 6.9 (45) to 5.1 (31) and taking the major scalp that has so far eluded them in the 2023-24 season.
Captain Megan Craufurd, Emma Forsyth and Michala Collins were among the standouts for Districts, while young gun Cate Twaddle scored a goal and earned the Rising Star nomination.
The win didn’t come against a Buffettes side lacking talent with proven performers such as Kylie Duggan, Machaelia Roberts, Ellie Niki and Tania Dhu among the opposition.
But eight scoring shots to two in the final quarter would put any side in the winners books and that’s exactly how it worked for Districts.
The Crocs still have a long way back to their 2019-20 title victory, but a win such as this puts their young players in good stead for the seasons to come.
And with games still to play against similarly placed sides such as Palmerston and Tiwi before the end of the season they may come away with a couple more wins, and potentially a finals berth.
No bounce back for Pies
Generally when a club parts way with their coach, or welcomes someone new in, the side experience a bounce in performance.
But there was no response from the Magpies after dismissing coach Josh Heath in the week leading up to their encounter with the Nightcliff Tigers.
Instead Palmerston was rolled by the largest margin of the season, and with a score line of 31.27 (213) to 1.4 (10) it could have been a whole lot worse.
The Tigers did not follow the script when it came to their opposition and instead played one of the most dominant games in recent history.
VFL player Lachlan Tardrew was dominant with 43 touches, four goals and four score assists in a best on ground showing, complimented by the efforts of Cameron Wild, Brodie Filo and Cooper Dahms.
The Tigers weren’t merciful around the big sticks with 16 of their number scoring goals including defenders Mitch Norton, Nathan Brown and Billy Henderson.
And for their efforts they went straight to the top of the table as outright leaders, one game ahead of each of Waratah, St Mary’s, Southern Districts and PINT.
For Palmerston, there was very little to talk about and very little to show from another shocking result in which a response never came.
Alexander Paech was the side’s standout, but they need a full team showing if they want to claw back some respect, or a win, this season.
And time for that first win of the season is very quickly running out.
Waratah clinch cup
Waratah broke away late against the Tiwi Bombers to put their hands on the Maurice Rioli Cup once again, in what was the least one sided match of the round.
In a round full of blowouts with Wanderers, Palmerston and Buffaloes combining for just six goals, some credit has to go to Tiwi for holding in there against the reigning premiers.
The Bombers, coming off three straight wins, gave a solid account of themselves with the likes of Thaddeus Puautjimi showcasing their talents.
However, Waratah ultimately came away with the win, pulling clear in the third quarter and keeping the scoreboard ticking all the way to a 16.19 (115) to 8.4 (52) win.
Jayden Magro kept his spot on top of the goal kicking safe with a five goal performance, but the likes of Scott Carlin, Lachlan Cassidy and the returning Eddie Morris did plenty to get the ball to him.
Arnold Kirby had another one of his typically strong performances, while the team including skipper Dylan Collis, Jack O’Sullivan and Will Clark ran the show down back in the second half.
It was that period after half time where Waratah won the match, slowing the ball down after a helter skelter opening half to take control.
And though Tiwi tried to make an impact there, they couldn’t match the composure of their rivals in the same way they had managed earlier in the match.
After the loss coming out of the Christmas break it was exactly what Waratah needed, as being run over the top of would have set them off the pace.
But as it is they remain in the race for the double chance, while Tiwi will continue to cause problems for the rest of the competition.
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