Mindil Aces and Hellenic to contest major Football Northern Territory titles

The Mindil Aces can cap off a sensational year with four senior titles, but Hellenic pose a significant threat in a majority of those finals. Catch up on the latest FNT action.

The Mindil Aces can cap off a sensational year with four senior titles, but with three of their grand finals against a strong Hellenic they won’t have it all their own way.

The Aces have been the best side all year in the men’s premier league with just one loss and two draws to their name from 21 fixtures.

In the meantime they’ve dominated with 77 goals scored and just 19 against leaving little wonder why Uche Okwara (17), Charles Eriku (16) and Sam Burgess (15) all sit in the top five goal scorers.

The only man who has been more prolific than the trio is Hellenic’s Simon Bell, who against proved crucial in his side’s 6-1 battering of Darwin Olympic in the prelim final.

Eriku is an Ace’s junior who broke into the premier league side as a teenager before moving down south.

He returned to the club this season and has torn it up placing third in the golden boot race from the wing as his side claimed the minor premiership, and believes his side can now go all the way.

“It’s always a great feeling to win,” he said.

“Coming back home and doing it with the club I started with is a special feeling, it hits different.

Charles Eriku scoring for the Mindil Aces vs Darwin Olympic. Picture: Ariel Pendlebury

“We’ve obviously got the premiership but we’re not going to stop there, we’re planning to go all the way.”

The women’s premier league is a similar story with Mindil set to face Hellenic in that final too after claiming the minor premiership in that competition.

Last time the side’s met it was a 4-1 victory to the Aces with Cassie McWilliam and Annie Waugh among the scorers.

Hellenic recovered in the prelim final as they beat Darwin Hearts 3-1 as a result of a Sophia Makrylos hat-trick, and will be hoping for more of the same in the final.

Aces’ centre midfielder Jariah Kirby is another junior to return to the club this season after a year off and has been in excellent form playing box to box while also being pivotal with set piece delivery.

“The season has definitely had its fair share of ups and downs,” she said.

“From injuries and near losses, to coming back from seven points down and securing the minor premiership.

“I think a huge part of Mindil’s success this season is the camaraderie and amount of fun this group has, not only on the park but off it too.

“It really has an impact on how we play from the willingness to show up for each other to the work rate on the day.”

Mindil will face Palmerston Rovers in the men’s reserves, who they beat 3-2 in the semi-final, and Hellenic in the women’s reserves, who had the wood over them last time out.