NTFL 2024-25 live stream: Watch Waratah v Nightcliff Tigers in Round 16
Waratah and Nightcliff both have plenty to play for when they clash in the annual Battle of the Beaches with a top three spot still a chance for both. Find out how to watch the match LIVE.
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Waratah and Nightcliff meet in the annual Battle of the Beaches, both with the goal of breaking back into the top three for a finals double chance.
The NT News and KommunityTV will stream every moment of this clash from 4.30pm on Saturday.
The golden shovel is on the line in the Round 16 encounter at Gardens Oval, but with the tightness of the league and just three rounds left it’s the win and the top three spot they crave.
Waratah had a great run of form ahead of the Christmas break, a period where they only suffered two defeats, including against their next opposition in the Tigers.
They’ve had just as many since, against Tiwi and Districts, though both were incredibly tight games in which they were fighting for the win the whole way through.
A win in the Foundation Cup against Wanderers helped steady the ship and will have given the players some necessary confidence.
Scott Carlin has been a constant influence for the side, while a group of imports such as Bailey Scott and Riley Irvin have made real impacts for the squad.
Tanner Lovell is another who has been in elite form of late with his run and carry, a key pickup from Geelong West alongside Nick Hoare and Maxwell Kelly.
“I’m loving being up here in Darwin, the lifestyle is great and the footy is fun and is such a good standard with so many former AFL and state players as well as some great locals,” he said.
“It was great to beat Wanderers after a couple of losses to get one on the board, with those two we felt we lost it more on our own even though Tiwi and Crocs played very well.
“We’ve got a pretty clear game plan and coach Rick Nolan is great at making it obvious what he wants from us, so if we stick to that it will go a long way in helping us play our best footy.
“We need to win this week to get into the top three, with the unpredictability of NT footy you need that second chance particularly with the wet making close games we could lose easily.
“We’re pretty confident in how we’re going, but we know the other teams are going well too so a win here is crucial in our push towards the flag.”
Nightcliff, meanwhile, were as high as second just a week ago ahead of their defeat to the Crocs, but the tightness in the top spots means the loss has knocked them down to fourth.
The Tigers have all the pieces themselves with Brodie Filo, Lachlan Tardrew and Brandan Parfitt dominating possessions through the middle when they play.
Goal kicking issues from the start of the season have mostly been worked out too with Boyd Bailey and Brett Kennedy usually able to impact the play in the forward 50.
Kyle Fitzgerald has played an important role in that success and will be eager to see his side back on the winner’s list after the Districts defeat.
“The boys are feeling pretty confident ahead of this one and know that if we put our best foot forward the result will look after itself,” Fitzgerald said.
“Against Districts we knew we were good in patches, we have some work to do and it’s good not to be perfect at this time of year so we need to sharpen our tools and get over the line in this one.
“This will set up our season for the rest of the year, top three is the goal we’re all chasing, which makes this a massive game we need to win.
“They’re a very well-drilled side and well-balanced too so we’re looking forward to a tough battle, which games between us usually turn out to be.”
The full match replay will be available at the conclusion of the game.
The NT News and AFL Northern Territory have come together in a partnership to live stream both the men’s and women’s Premier League games for this TIO NTFL season.
Women’s Preview
The Nightcliff women will want to make a statement when they travel to Gardens Oval for the Battle of the Beaches, but come against a Waratah outfit on a strong run.
The Tigers are bound for a top three berth but following back-to-back defeats post-break against St Mary’s and PINT they will want to fine tune as much as possible ahead of finals.
A big win against Districts last round was a strong start and now they turn their sights on a Waratah outfit that after a slow start have won their past three matches.
Cassie McWilliam will be a focus point up forward, while leaders like Sophie Hatzismalis and midfielders such as Gabrielle Deller and Zara Hurley will be expected to create plenty.
Sally Evans has been another strong pickup for the Tigers in season 2024-25 and will be hoping to make a strong showing of her own against the Tahs.
“We’re really excited, we haven’t played Tahs in a while and we know they’re going to give us a good game,” Evans said.
“As much as it hurt the losses out of the break came at the right time, they gave us a lot of learnings and plenty to fight towards.
“The win against Districts has given us a bit of momentum after those losses, we’ve found some structure and flow in our team which is really exiting going into the weekend.
“It’s been great at Nightcliff, they’ve welcomed me with open arms and it definitely feels like family, I’m grateful to everyone at the club in making it my most enjoyable season of footy so far.”
Meanwhile, Waratah have been gaining momentum of their own this year with plenty to show for their post-Christmas matches after only one win prior.
Dominant showings against Districts and Wanderers showed the young side are heading in the right direction, but they would be most pleased with the defeat of finals bound Tiwi.
They won’t be favourites once again when they take on Nightcliff but the growing confidence driven by leaders such as Brit Daly and Ruby O’Dwyer will give the side the feeling they can at home.
Lily Tatsula is one something more to play for being her 100th game for the club, including juniors, and she said the vibes were up around the side of late.
“We’ve come together nicely as a squad in the past couple of weeks and we’ve been happy with our progress since the break,” Tatsula said.
“This is basically our finals because we’re not expected to make it, so it’s about playing to keep building as a team and carry momentum into next season.
“For us it’s been about building, recognizing we have been a bit disconnected and just lifting each other up to build that connection going forward.
“That will be important in this game, we need to focus on our strengths and know where we can improve especially at home, we love playing here and want to get the win.
“As my 100th game for the club including juniors I’m very proud and grateful for everything Tahs have given me and for keeping me sticking around.”
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