Claremont Tigers keep the Territory quiet after half time
The Northern Territory’s women’s team went down to Claremont in a heart-breaking match at TIO Stadium.
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The Northern Territory’s women’s team has suffered its first loss in its brief history, held to just two behinds after half time to lose by 11 points at TIO Stadium on Sunday evening.
The NT, who had got the better of Glenelg and Woodville-West Torrens in previous rep encounters, faced a far tougher foe in the reigning WAFLW premiers Tigers, particularly after quarter time.
When Maria Rioli marked on the goal line early in the second to put her team 14 points up, it looked like Claremont might have been short of a gallop.
However, led by an influential Rebecca Tuckey and Adele Arnup’s two, third quarter goals, Claremont roared back into the contest.
The home side dropped easy marks and gave away two 50m penalties, in a momentum-shifting second term, just as the Tigers began lifting themselves off the canvas.
The Tigers eventually won 5.3 (33) to 3.4 (22).
Earlier, the Territory utterly dominated the open quarter, led by PINT’s six-point machine Steph Lawrence across half forward.
But it was defensive pressure within its forward 50 from Tiwi Bomber Shaqkayla Bading, stripping her opponent of the ball, which set up the Territory’s first major through St Mary’s star Billie Byers.
And on the rare occasion the ball entered Claremont’s forward 50, Buffette Elisa Niki was an impassable defensive force in the black, white and ochre.
The pattern continued early in the second, with Reni Hicks showing great vision to find a leading Byers, whose set shot was marked by Rioli inches from the line.
However, the script was flipped as Claremont clawed their way back into the contest as the leather was locked within their attacking half for the rest of the term.
It took seven minutes into the second, but Claremont finally got on the board through a marking Brooke Elliott who converted dead in front from about 20m out.
Despite some nice defensive work from Jemma Iacono, two 50m penalties gifted Claremont valuable territory with Amalie Moe’s ugly looking punt somehow floating through.
The Territory reasserted control through a terrific running goal to Tayla Hart-Aluni, against the flow of play, but it would prove to be the home team’s last score of significance for the rest of the contest.
And it was quickly answered, too, by perhaps the greatest goal seen in women’s representative football at Marrara.
Deep in the right hand pocket at TIO’s airport end, Jayme Harken’s banana split the middle, lifting a healthy crowd out of their seats.
It was a sign of things to come as Claremont simply outworked the Territory in the contest, were first to the ball and their defence efficiently spat out the NT’s forward entries, with Tuckey particularly impressive.
In a low scoring tussle, the match was split wide open by the busy Arnup, who marked strongly at the top of the square to put her team seven points up.
She would then run onto a Claudia Wright roost to slot her second, enjoying the kind of room to move the NT forwards could only dream about.
Rhiarna Myatt had the chance to slash the margin midway through the fourth but missed, and it would be the Territory’s last real chance to draw closer as Claremont pushed numbers back.
Summing up the Territory’s poor second half, Crystal Browne’s shot after the siren sailed right of the big sticks.
After the game, a disappointed Territory coach Mel Taylor felt some umpiring decisions went against her team at important times, but said Claremont was easily their toughest opponent from three seasons of rep footy so far.
“The umpires’ calls went against us when it really mattered,” Taylor said.
“The balls didn’t stick.
“The girls played their hearts out ... it just didn’t fall our way.
“I just feel like I’ve let down the Territory. You never want to be the coach that loses and not keep the winning streak going.”
NORTHERN TERRITORY: 1.2 3.2 3.2 3.4 (22)
CLAREMONT: 0.0 3.3 5.3 5.3 (33)
Goals
Northern Territory: Billie Byers, Maria Rioli, Tayla Hart-Aluni.
Claremont: Adele Arnup 2, Amalie Moe, Brooke Elliott, Jayme Harken.
Best
Northern Territory: Steph Lawrence, Tayla Hart-Aluni, Jemma Iacono, Molly Althouse, Elisa Niki.
Claremont: Rebecca Tuckey, Adele Arnup, Charlotte Tompkin, Jorja Elisseou, Kate Orme.
Claremont star eyeing a move to Darwin
Territory football recruiters should keep a close eye on Claremont forward Jacinta Valentini on Sunday.
The 22-year-old West Perth product, whose social worker partner’s parents live in the NT, is eyeing off a move to Darwin as early as 2025.
Valentini, part of the Tigers squad which will take on Mel Taylor’s Territory team at TIO Stadium, will be looking interstate for fresh opportunities once her teaching studies are completed at the end of next year.
“I’ve been there a few times, it’s great,” Valentini said of Darwin, who first travelled to the Territory from Perth by car.
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“I am planning to move there for a year or two in a couple of years, hopefully.
“I think it will be a good opportunity to move up there, I think it will be different to here, which is what I want.
“The only thing is the weather, I’m not sure how well I’d go up there.”
That is one area of Sunday’s game where Valentini will need to be prepared, with a forecast of 34 degrees and a possible storm.
It’s not the only move she’s planning, though.
Valentini, an Under 18 All Australian member in 2018, is also looking for a shift into the midfield for the Tigers in 2023, which could start on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the 2022 WAFLW premiership player said she had been instructed by coach Jack Schwarze not to underestimate their Territory opponents.
“(He said) go in with very high expectations,” Valentini said.
“We’ll give them competition I think.
“We’re confident, but we’re not too confident, we don’t want to go in cocky.
“(But) the way we are travelling is probably better than ever.”
Northern Territory team:
FB: Jasmine Ware, Elisa Niki, Jessica Fatnowna
HB: Sophie Hatzismalis, Cassie McWilliam, Jemma Iacono
C: Tatyana Perry, Reni Hicks, Rhiarna Myatt
HF: Maria Rioli, Molly Althouse, Kylie Duggan (c)
FF: Amy Chittick, Mickayla Ward, Shaqkayla Bading
FOL: Jasmyn Hewett, Sarah Ingram, Steph Lawrence
Interchange: Kierra Zerafa, Tikesa Docherty-Cole, Tayla Hart Aluni, Crystal Browne, Christy Landwehr, Billie Byers, Rhania Hewitt
Emergencies: Matisse Hunter, Zoe McWhinney, Madeline Jeans
Territory confident they can get the edge on Claremont
A core of skilled young players will take centre stage as the NTFL women’s representative side hopes to defend its undefeated record against Claremont.
Darwin Buffettes coach Mel Taylor is at the helm after her Women’s Premier League premiership victory last year, and in a slice of history, she becomes the first-ever female coach of an NT rep side.
And though she knows her Buffettes best, including last year’s Gwynne medallist Molly Althouse, she’s made it clear she’s here to represent every club.
“It’s an honour. I’m not coaching the Buffaloes, once we get out here we are representing every club,” Taylor said.
“I’ve kind of deleted Darwin Buffaloes for now to be honest and am here to represent the Northern Territory.
“I’m the first female coach to coach the NT rep side, and while we’re disappointed she’s not playing, Lisa Roberts is here (as an assistant coach) as well so females are driving it this year.
“We’ve had some really good training sessions, with some really good numbers throughout our training sessions.”
After belting Glenelg and Woodville West Torrens in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the NT women now turn their sights to their toughest foes so far.
In previous years, the NT would automatically play the women’s side of the same team the men faced.
But in 2023, the men are facing WAFL premiers South Fremantle, while the women will take on women’s champions Claremont.
It’s a challenge Taylor and her charges will be licking their lips at, hoping their match fitness and natural talent will overcome their rival’s experience.
Among the more experienced players in the women’s side is last year’s rep game best on ground Althouse plus Jemma Iacono, Mickayla Ward and Sophie Hatzamalis.
But it’s the explosiveness and skills of Maria Rioli and Tatyana Perry that Taylor believes will catch the eye of what she hopes will be a strong supporter base.
“We’ll give them a good run for their money and I hope they’re well prepared, because I know the girls in our squad will make them work for it,” she said.
“They’ve won a premiership together so they know how they play together, but at the end of the day they have no idea about our group and that plays into our hands.
“Our group is very skilled and the physicality is well and truly there, there’s a lot of exciting players so if we do get a turnover it will be straight through the goals.”
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