NTFL 2022-23: Watch Wanderers vs Tiwi Bombers Round 8 livestream

A six-goal effort from former Port Adelaide player Steven Motlop has put the Wanderers back on the winner’s list. WATCH THE REPLAY.

Steven Motlop’s trio of third term majors busted the contest wide open against the Tiwi Bombers, as the Muk Muks returned to the winner’s list for the first time in a month by 39 points at Tracy Village on Saturday.

With Shane Thorne also playing the perfect link up man, the Eagles finally found some breathing space in the third term, kicking 4.6, while putting the clamps on a freewheeling Bombers outfit, eventually winning 16.11 (107) to 10.8 (68).

In fact the Round 8 Men’s Premier League game was called off early due to bad light with the only illumination coming from a nearby street.

The only concern for the now 2-5 Eagles was an ankle injury to Daniel Clee who was hobbling after the final siren.

For Wanderers, who desperately needed a win to revive its rapidly fading finals aspirations, Motlop slotted six while Beau O’Connell was equally prolific, nailing two incredibly important first half majors.

Steven Motlop kicked six goals against the Tiwi Bombers. Picture: Roz Lavercombe / AFLNT Media.

Both sides entered the contest with key players either still missing or withdrawals through injury, unavailability or suspension.

For the Bombers, Sam Darley, Harley Bennell and Kim Kantilla – who has returned to South Australia for the Panthers’ pre-season – missed while Braedon McLean, Dane McFarlane and Marcus Totham were also notable absentees.

Earlier, it was an opening quarter mostly played on Wanderers’ terms, with Clee across half back and O’Connell in the middle getting a solid share of the leather.

A great smother from the returning Neil Vea Vea who then picked out to O’Connell brought up the Eagles’ first, while Thomas Motlop was particularly damaging, roving the back brilliantly for his second of the term.

With Brenton Toy barking instructions at quarter time, the Bombers shifted the momentum in the second, with Dwayne Kerinaiua’s terrific running goal the match which lit the fuse.

The non-preferred boot of Nick Hooker, who had been shifted to the forward line, picked out the Waratah Under 18 player for his second of the quarter.

The margin was then trimmed to just seven points as Stanley Tipiloura found the middle through his outside-of-the-boot banana.

Wanderers' Beau O'Connell had a strong performance against Tiwi Bombers. Picture: Felicity Elliott

However, Tiwi’s defence was caught snoozing at times, with Steven Motlop left to wander deep in the left hand pocket, roving a pack and burning away to slot his second major in a burst of brilliance that belonged at the highest level.

And when O’Connell followed that up from close to the paint of 50, it was perhaps the one-two punch that threatened to knock the life out of Tiwi.

The Bombers kept coming though and Eagles coach Aaron Motlop was forced to shift his most potent forward line weapon, the 217-game AFL veteran, into the middle to settle matters.

However, it would be the former Port Adelaide and Geelong forward’s three quick goals early in the third which wrestled back control of the game and Tiwi would never seriously threaten from then on.

Post-match, Eagles co-captain Mitchell Taylor said his charges had never stopped believing despite an ordinary start to the season.

“No doubt, I back the squad that we’ve got, 100 per cent,” Taylor said.

“We’ve looked good on paper. I think we found that click that we needed.”

He said the Eagles had played tempo footy at times in the second half, taking the pace out of the contest.

“Tiwi’s probably the quickest team in the comp,” he said.

“You can’t always go quick …. we possessed it a bit more, moved it around by foot.

“And hit targets going forward.”

Score:

Wanderers: 4.3 9.3 13.9 16.11 (107)

Tiwi Bombers: 2.2 7.4 8.6 10.8 (68)

Goals

Wanderers:

Steven Motlop 6

Beau O’Connell 3

Thomas Motlop 2

Ankin Lewis

Shane Thorne

Thomas Boyes

Ed Simpson

Jack Burke

Tiwi Bombers:

John Tipiloura 3

Stanley Tipiloura 2

Dwayne Kerinaiua 2

Adam Tipungwuti

William Munkara

Patrick Heenan

Best

Wanderers:

Steven Motlop

Beau O’Connell

Shane Thorne

Brodie Newman

Thomas Motlop

Tiwi Bombers:

Michael Dunn

Dion Munkara

Adam Tipungwuti

John Tipiloura

Dwayne Kerinaiua

LIVESTREAM PREVIEW

The Tiwi Bombers and Wanderers will both be giving their all when they clash in a do or die match at Tracy Village Oval.

And the NT News will be there to livestream the game exclusively for you from 4.30pm, Saturday.

They may be the bottom two sides in the league, but they will still be giving it their all when they go head to head each knowing a win could breath life back into their seasons.

Wanderers have struggled in front of goal for the past few rounds, and those inaccuracies have largely been their undoing.

But there is still plenty of talent in this side, and they will need to use all of it to grab the win.

Tiwi are no pushovers this year, and proved that against PINT on the island when they broke their 988 day drought.

Tiwi Bombers take on Wanderers in Round 8 of the NTFL. Picture: Glenn Campbell

They will be down Sam Darley, but expect the hard running, fast paced Tiwi we all know in Round 8.

If you are attempting to cast the livestream or replay to a television, the best result can be achieved by either using a laptop/computer or a mobile phone.

The NT News and AFL Northern Territory have come together in a partnership to livestream Men’s Premier League games for this TIO NTFL season.