Darwin Buffaloes charge with 10 goals in third quarter during big win over Tiwi Bombers in NTFL Round 1, Brodie Foster kicks six

ON the back of a 10-goal third quarter, Darwin Buffaloes turned a halftime deficit into a big 24.14 (158) to 14.10 (94) victory against Tiwi Bombers at Gardens Oval yesterday.

Darwin Buffaloes’ Joseph Collinson kicked three goals in his team's win over Tiwi Bombers in Round 1 NTFL action. Picture: Glenn Campbell

ON the back of a 10-goal third quarter, Darwin Buffaloes turned a halftime deficit into a big 24.14 (158) to 14.10 (94) victory against Tiwi Bombers at Gardens Oval yesterday.

The game opened frenetically with both defences working overtime.

But it was the Bombers who settled first with goals to bulky forward Angus Byrne and a

brace from midfielder John Tipiloura, before Buffaloes registered through Brodie Foster.

Two 50m penalties and a goal to Harley Puruntatameri enhanced the feisty Tiwi opening.

A late six-pointer to Buffalo half-forward Ishmael Palmer ensured his team also finished the term with some sense of achievement.

Buffaloes opened the second term with a goal to Palmer inside the first minute.

But a free kick to Byrne in the goalsquare evened the ledger early in the quarter.

In a goal feast, Collinson goaled after a strong mark at half-forward, which was followed up by Palmer and Michael Coombes, and at the 10-minute mark Buffs hit the front.

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A late flurry of goals by both teams resulted in the islanders leading by a mere three points at the long break.

A pack mark and goal to Foster restored Buffs’ lead and when he repeated the dose with a clever goal less than a minute later, the double-blues had some scoreboard breathing space.

With Coombes dominating in the midfield, another sequence of Buffalo majors, including a long bomb from Bradley Stokes, followed.

And they essentially stitched up the game in that term.

First-year Buffaloes coach Cameron Stokes was pleased with the win but had some stern words for his charges at the first break.

“Even though we trailed at halftime it was at quarter-time that I let the players know I wasn’t really happy with the way we started,” Stokes said.

“That said, the Bombers are a quality side and we expected them to shine at some stage so I was happy with our final three quarters.

“We won it in the third where our key forwards in (Daniel) Kaipara, Brodie Foster and Ishmael Palmer dominated.

“Our midfield was scrappy early but lifted in that second half and were able to get some quality ball to the forwards.”

TIWI BOMBERS 5.4 8.7 13.10 14.10 (94)

BUFFALOES 3.2 8.4 18.7 24.14 (158)

GOALS

Bombers: N Scagliarini 5 J Tipiloura 3 A Byrne 2 H Puruntatameri P Heenan R

Farmer P Kantilla

Buffaloes: B Foster 6 I Palmer 4 J Collinson 3 C Abala 3 J Stokes 2 M Campbell 2

L McKenzie 2 M Coombes B Stokes

BEST

Bombers: N Scagliarini J Tipiloura A Byrne R Farmer P Heenan

Buffaloes: B Foster M Coombes I Palmer D Gordon C Atkinson