Top 10 stars of Northern Territory Football League’s 2021-22 season
There are a host of ex-AFL stars dominating in the NTFL, including one who recently clocked up 150 games. Check out who you can see in our live streams.
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The Northern Territory Football League has a history of drawing star players to pull on the boots.
It has also produced a swag of homegrown greats over the years.
Ahead of Eddie Betts’ return to the field to play in the NTFL for Palmerston this weekend, we have listed 10 of the competition’s biggest names this season.
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1. Eddie Betts (Palmerston)
Undoubtedly the league’s biggest drawcard this season, former Carlton and Adelaide star Betts will debut for the Magpies on Sunday against Southern Districts, in a game tipped to draw several thousand spectators. After retiring from the AFL in August, the mercurial 350-gamer has headed to Darwin, not only to play but work within remote communities. Last year Betts was the player most fans wanted to see when he featured for Carlton against Gold Coast in the Top End. The new Geelong assistant is expected to line up until the end of 2021. “I’m really excited to get stuck in with Palmerston,” Betts said. “It’s a bit different to what I am used to but I can’t wait to start and help out.”
2. Dane Swan (Waratah)
The 2011 Brownlow medallist is making his debut for Waratah on December 4, also against Southern Districts. Warriors director of football Chris Bryan, a former Collingwood teammate of Swan’s, convinced the 37-year-old to join the club after hearing him joke about having a kick in Darwin. “I was at the gym when I heard Dane say that and I thought ‘I’ve still got his number, I’ll give him a call’,” Bryan said. “Dane and I had a good connection when we played together at Collingwood and I couldn’t be more pleased with this. Full credit to the Waratah club for backing me.” Waratah coach Ryan Ayres said having a player of Swan’s calibre would be a huge coup for the club’s seniors and juniors. At this stage it is tipped to be a one-off appearance.
3. Harry Taylor (Southern Districts)
The two-time Geelong premiership defender made his debut for the Crocodiles in a 62-point loss to Wanderers on Saturday. Taylor, whose 280-game career with the Cats ended last year, arrived in the NT after booting a competition-high 85 goals for Northampton in Western Australia’s Great Northern league this past season. The 35-year-old is not facing Eddie Betts in his Palmerston debut on Sunday, but will play more games that are yet to be confirmed. Like Betts, he has joined Geelong as an assistant for the 2022 campaign.
4. Aaron Davey (Palmerston)
Darwin-born Davey was a fan favourite at Melbourne, where he played 178 games and booted 174 goals from 2004-13. The 38-year-old still looks as fit as during his AFL career and lines up alongside his brother, Alwyn.
5. Alwyn Davey (Palmerston)
Alwyn and his brother, Aaron, have helped lure AFL great Eddie Betts to the Magpies this season. Betts said Alwyn, a 100-game ex-Essendon goalsneak, had joked that he had every pocket in the competition named after him. Alwyn turned 37 in May.
6. Matt Campbell (Darwin Buffaloes)
The goalsneak is 34 but he has hardly slowed down since the end of his 82-game AFL career with North Melbourne in 2012. He is still dangerous around goals, kicking three for Darwin in its Round 5 loss to reigning premier Nightcliff. His last match for the Kangaroos was their 2012 elimination final defeat to West Coast.
7. Raphael Clarke (St Mary’s)
The 85-game ex-St Kilda player won the Chaney Medal as best on ground in last season’s extra-time grand final loss to Nightcliff. Clarke, 36, celebrated his 150th top-tier NTFL match in Round 2 this campaign.
8. John Butcher (Nightcliff)
Butcher was a cult figure at Port Adelaide during an AFL career that spanned from 2011-16 and featured 34 games. Drafted at pick 8 in 2009, the Victorian was renowned for his high marking and ungainly goalkicking. At Nightcliff, he is a three-time premiership hero. In 2018-19, he played alongside his brother, Danny, to help the Tigers snap a 54-year flag drought. They paired to win another grand final the next season. In March, he snapped the game-tying major with six seconds remaining to send the premiership decider into extra time, where Nightcliff prevailed over St Mary’s.
9. Cameron Ilett (Nightcliff)
Ilett has never played in the AFL but many NTFL observers believe he has been unlucky not to. He has won two Nichols Medals as league best and fairest, one Chaney honour as the top player in a grand final and eight premierships. Ilett played for St Mary’s before switching to Nightcliff in 2017/18, becoming a crucial part of the Tigers’ three-peat these past three seasons. Ilett has played VFL for Essendon, SANFL for Port Adelaide and is captain of the NT Thunder’s Team of the Decade. He won a NEAFL best and fairest and was in the competition’s team of the year six times. Ilett is on track to play his 200th Premier League game this weekend.
10. Shannon Rioli (St Mary’s)
The younger brother of ex-Essendon player Dean Rioli and Hawthorn great Cyril Rioli is a long-time NTFL star and crowd favourite. Fleet-footed and crafty, Rioli was also a two-time premiership winner with the NT Thunder and named on a wing in its Team of the Decade. The former St Mary’s co-captain is set to play his 200th top-flight game this weekend.
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