NTFL 2023-24: Watch Waratah v Darwin Buffaloes women’s elimination final live stream

Just two weeks after the Buffs pulled off an upset against this same opponent, they have now been left shellshocked by a 103-point loss - and on the grandest of stages. Watch the REPLAY.

Spurred on by a five-goal outing from the returning Jenna Singh Lippo, Waratah breezed past the 100-point mark in eliminating Darwin Buffettes from this season’s Women’s Premier League competition.

The Buffettes were supposed to hold the slight mental edge having beaten last year’s runners up in their last meeting just two weeks earlier.

But the return of a host of their top performers gave Waratah a distincct advantage as they surged to a 17.10 (112) to 1.3 (9) win.

Singh Lippo was the pick of the returning players, coming back from injury to star with her five goals, including at least one in each quarter.

Midfield dynamo Stephanie O’Brien dominated with the possessions and outmuscled her opponents in another strong display.

Stephanie O'Brien in the Waratah vs Darwin Buffettes 2023-24 NTFL women's elimination final. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The Buffettes brought the pressure early on with two-time best and fairest winner Molly Althouse throwing herself into every contest.

While their defence, led by Sophia Mauboy, kept them in the game in the opening period, the floodgates soon opened.

Waratah club great Lisa Roberts and captain Kierra Zerafa made a great combination through the midfield as they piled on 10 goals in the second half.

Zerafa, Naomi Celebre and Laura Smith all kicked multiple goals. Celebre got all three of her goals in a final quarter.

Score:

Waratah: 3.2 7.6 11.8 17.10 (112)

Buffaloes: 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.3 (9)

Goals:

Waratah:

Jenna Singh Lippo 5

Naomi Celebre 3

Alysha Healy 2

Kierra Zerafa 2

Maya Netherway 2

Laura Smith

Stephanie O’Brien

Victoria Winstanley

Buffaloes:

Janna Ransome

Best:

Waratah:

Stephanie O’Brien

Jenna Singh Lippo

Maya Netherway

Lisa Roberts

Kierra Zerafa

Buffaloes:

Molly Althouse

Machaelia Roberts

Keanne Hart-Aluni

Grace Doughty

Lucy Louis

PREVIEW

A second-half swoon has a once-promising Waratah women’s NTFL season on the brink.

Three defeats in a row has dropped them into the eliminator against a team who surprisingly beat them two weeks ago.

It wasn’t that long ago that a seven-game mid-season winning streak had the Tahs dreaming of a top three finish - and the double finals shot.

The NT News and KommunityTV will be there to stream every moment of the first finals match of the day from 12.15pm on Saturday.

The Tahs, last season’s runners up, cemented themselves as a finals-bound side early on, but injuries and player unavailability conspired to allow Nightcliff to slip in underneath them.

Waratah will play the Darwin Buffettes in the women's elimination final.

But in a real boost to their prospects, skipper Kierra Zerafa, Jenna Singh Lippo, Lisa Roberts and Stephanie O’Brien, who all missed the last match against the Double Blues, have been listed to return for the finals.

Meanwhile, the Buffettes will be looking to replicate their against the odds Round 17 victory.

Two-time best and fairest winner Molly Althouse will be expected to pull off some magic, while Machaelia Roberts and Nicole Schimtt were among the standouts last time these sides met.

A full replay of the match will be posted here at the end 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.

LAST TIME(S) THEY MET:

Round 8: Waratah won 9.16 (70) to 1.0 (6)

Waratah were at the top of their game early in the year, beating all comers except for the league’s top two, PINT and St Mary’s.

The pre-Christmas period was particularly strong for them, as evident by this crushing victory of the 2021-22 premiership winners.

Stephanie O’Brien was a clear standout, kicking two goals and she was also a constant menace in the contest. It’s little wonder the fly-in has been in her side’s best players in four of the five games she’s played this season.

Defender Ruby O’Dwyer and a slew of goals from Erin Hunt, Singh Lippo and Hayley Finning helped last year’s runners up to a big win.

Meanwhile, the Buffettes struggled, missing a load of players, with their only goal coming from Mali McLeod, who has only played two games since.

Round 17: Buffaloes won 7.7 (49) to 3.5 (23)

One of the biggest reversal in fortunes of the season so far.

The Buffettes had dropped out of the top five after shock losses to Palmerston, Southern Districts and the Tiwi Bombers.

But with the shot at finals on the line, the Double Blues played their most complete game in some time.

They started slowly, but once the second quarter rolled around, the Buffettes dominated with Machaelia Roberts and Molly Althouse both key instigators in the big win.

One of the best performers on the day was defender Sophia Mauboy, who cut off Waratah’s attacking ploys.