NTFL 2024-25 live stream: Watch Nightcliff Tigers vs Wanderers in Round 6
The Nightcliff Tigers burst free in a second half blitz at goal to down a Wanderers side that showed plenty of early fight. Watch the full match REPLAY.
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Nightcliff Tigers shrugged off a poor opening half to overcome Wanderers on home soil in a second half in which they got plenty right.
Both sides were up for the contest in the highly physical match played with shortened quarters as a result of the NTFL’s heat policy rules.
But in the end the 2023-24 grand finalists got its head in the game, running away to a blowout 15.14 (104) to 3.3 (23) victory.
The outfits seriously struggled to find any fluidity in the opening term, hampered by nesting plovers that took no prisoners when guarding their clutch.
A very low scoring term was followed by a more offensive period as the Eagles constricted the Tigers all over the park, allowing nothing to penetrate the back line.
Wanderers put up a mighty fight, in the absence of the heart and soul defender Mitch Taylor, Nathan Jones-Cubillo and Dylan Dos Santos stepped up to make an impact.
The Tigers too were down troops, something that was highlighted in its scoring conversion, with the absence of Tristan Singh Lippo forcing them down a prime scoring option.
However, the addition of quality players such as Marley McGregor and Lachlan Tardrew allowed the outfit to go on an all-out assault in the final quarter.
Wanderers were incapable of continuing its solid work at the back as the Tigers redeemed themselves by kicking eight goals in the period and ballooning the score past a ton.
“Leigh told us at the break that we needed to stop falling into their defensive traps and commit to how he and we want to play,” McGregor said.
“We were just being too rushed with the ball, particularly inside 50 which kept seeing us turn over the ball too easily and too often.
“To be fair they were defending us pretty well in the first half but yeah, we definitely switched on and lifted up a gear or two following the break.”
McGregor said consistency among the playing group and of course accuracy in front of the uprights are two intangibles his team are continuing to wrangle with.
“Like all sides we have new players all the time so I think sometimes, mainly in the first halves, we can look a bit out of it, trying to find rhythm,” he said.
“But as a group we started to click more as the match went on and we just wore down Wanderers by the end.
“In terms of scoring I know that the fourth helped us get more of an even spread, goals win matches and if we do everything correctly but fail at the most crucial point, we won’t ever win.
“So that’s something we always think about and I guess we just need to do whatever we can at training to make sure we are hitting with more accuracy.
“Particularly choosing when to go for goal, the highest percentage shots is what we really need to get better at.”
SCORE
Tigers: 2.5 3.7 7.11 15.14 (104)
Eagles: 0.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 (21)
GOALS
Tigers: Brett Kennedy 3, Kye Declase 2, Zackary Derksen 2, Brodie Filo 2, Boyd Bailey, Riley Baldi, Alex Paech, Pete Politis, Lachlan Tardrew, Ben Vile
Eagles: Davin Ferreira, Cody Leggett, George Wilks
BEST
Tigers: Marly Mcgregor, Riley Baldi, Alex Paech, Brodie Filo, Lachlan Tardrew
Eagles: Cody Leggett, Jaxon East, Dylan Dos Santos, Max Johnson, Daniel Fuller
PREVIEW
Wanderers will have their sights set on securing a major NTFL scalp, as a wounded Tigers return to the field on Saturday.
The NT News and KommunityTV will stream every moment of the Round 6 clash from 6.30pm on Saturday.
The Muk Muks will believe Nightcliff are ripe for the picking after a tough showing against Tiwi last weekend.
The Tigers were behind from the outset against the Bombers, and failed to come up with enough answers for their free-flowing football.
But Nightcliff knows how to regroup, and they will look to leading onballer Brodie Filo to lead them out of trouble at Nightcliff Oval.
The Tigers home field has proven to be a happy hunting ground for them so far this season, and they will be determined to keep their unbeaten run at home alive
Wanderers will come into the clash off the back of a difficult loss to St Mary’s, but it was a game in which they showed plenty of their potential.
Jaxon East has proven himself as a premium ball getter, leading the competition for disposals, while Max Johnson has produced plenty of fight in the ruck.
If the Muk Muks continue to click and show the spark they’ve hinted at a few times in recent weeks, this side has the ability to pull off a major scalp.
Watch the full replay 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.
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