Hau-Tze Rock and Rianna Ryan named Round 5 NTFL Rising Star nominees
A Nightcliff Tigers teenager who has impressed with his ability and work rate and a Buffaloes debutant who wowed have claimed Rising Star nominations. Read how they performed.
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A young Tiger who has had a sensational start to his time in the NTFL Premier League has been rewarded with a Rising Star nomination for his consistent efforts.
Nightcliff’s Hau-Tze Rock has stunned early this season scoring goals and getting the crowd going on a weekly basis to cement his place in the side.
Rock is exciting on and off the ball and brings a strong work rate to each of his performances that has impressed his coaches.
Coach Leigh Crossman said the Round 5 nominee had been impressive so far this season after already showing his intent to play through the preseason.
“He did all the preseason with us, and showed a fair but of what he can do in our practice matches,” Crossman said.
“He’s been really consistent, which is one of the most pleasing things for a kid playing in his first season of senior football.
“His statistics and impact on the game has reflected that consistency, he’s been able to hit the scoreboard, is very coachable and knows how to find the footy.”
Rock has been playing up forward and through the wings in his first few games of senior footy, and has four goals from four matches.
And though the Tigers lost to the Tiwi Bombers at the weekend, he was one of the shining lights with a two goal outing.
“He’s playing up forward, but has also played through the wings, as time goes on his game will evolve and he might end up being a midfielder,” Crossman said.
“With where we’re at currently playing on outside suits his game, he has the speed, is quite elusive, is hard to tackle and loves taking the game on, which are all attributes we love in a young kid.”
Darwin Buffaloes’ first win of the season in the women’s competition was marked with a Rising Star nomination for Rianna Ryan.
The debut made an instant impact bringing spark and dynamism to the outfit that will see her return again as the side looks to maintain its winning ways.
Ryan scored a popular goal on her debut that contributed to their 5.8 (38) to 3.4 (22) win against Southern Districts.
It’s actually her first game in any grade for the year, but she was impressive across junior levels last season with eight games in the under-16s best players.
ROUND 4 - Thaine Bake (Wanderers) and Bonny McKean (St Mary’s)
A new Wanderers recruit burst onto the scene with a point to prove against Palmerston, and made an impression in their win to earn the Round 4 Rising Star nomination.
Thaine Bake arrived in the Top End a few months back and it was through a work connection with Muk Muk’s young gun Tyson Whyte that he ended up with Wanderers.
And he has quickly settled in, finding his place in the squad and putting out a strong performance in the side’s first win of the season against Palmerston.
Bake had a bit of a delayed start to his time in the Premier League side after hurting his back preseason, but a strong outing in the reserves got him the selection.
And he paid the faith back with a strong showing against Palmerston including 17 touches and a goal to put himself in the seat for the Rising Star nod.
Coach Aaron Motlop was impressed with the performance of the young man from Bendigo, and said he had adapted well to a new position on the wing.
“He plays around the footy as an onballer normally, but we needed him to play on the wing and he adapted pretty well to it,” Motlop said.
“He got a bit of the footy, he was able to make a couple of tackle and impact the play defensively and also got a goal, which was good for him.
“He’s pretty coachable, he’s willing to learn and he’s come in with the aim of trying to prove himself to a new playing group in which he only knows one person.
“We’ve seen him bring a lot of energy to the group and he’s a positive young man, and those are all really good strengths to have as an individual and footballer in a team environment.”
Motlop was also impressed with fellow youngster Sonny Smiler, another Wanderers junior who made a good showing of himself in the 14.12 (96) to 9.10 (64).
Meanwhile, the St Mary’s women pulled in their second Rising Star nomination in as many rounds when Bonny McKean got the nod.
McKean was named in her side’s best in its first win of the new season, a 5.12 (42) to 4.6 (30) win over Waratah.
The young gun, who has previously played in the Coates Talent League for the GWS Academy got plenty of the ball in her third game of the season, after only playing one game last year.
ROUND 3 - Ryan Bonham (Palmerston) and Shakalia Gardiner-Dunn (St Mary’s)
A young New South Wales recruit who has been in the Sydney Swans academy has made an immediate impression at Palmerston and picked up the Round 3 Rising Star nomination.
Ryan Bonham, who is also still playing under-18s for Palmerston, had a strong showing for the Magpies in their recent drought breaking 13.20 (98) to 5.11 (41) win against the Buffaloes.
The young gun from NSW featured heavily in the match first from half back, and later in the thick of things down the wing to make his mark on the victory.
His 13 touches were complimented by two scoring assists and four marks as the Magpies flew to victory against their new cross town rivals.
Coach Mark Tyrrell was impressed with Bonham’s performance alongside a host of young talent that came in for the match.
“He’s a super fit, young kid who’s pretty driven to success and is very mature for his age,” Tyrrell said.
“He along with seven or eight other under-18s players came in for us for, and he just led, he plays like an adult, held down a wing and was very impactful in doing so.
“We started him at half back, but he’s pretty driven and wants to be where the action is so we moved him to the wing, a bit through necessity but also because he was ready for it.”
Palmerston’s win was a huge relief for the first year coach who had to scrap together a team following nine injuries to key personnel including captain Shaun Wilson.
Nathaniel Lampton, Tyson Mattiazzo and Joel Munnich were among a host of younger players that came in to cover the hole.
“The win was a massive relief, we just had so many things go wrong from the start of the first game,” Tyrrell said.
“It was a pretty stressful week knowing we have only a few opportunities to win games this year and we didn’t want that one to slip by so it was good to get it.”
Meanwhile, Shakalia Gardiner-Dunn was named the women’s Rising Star after a starring role for St Mary’s in their very near victory against reigning premiers PINT.
Saints dominated for the majority of the grand final rematch putting pressure on their rivals and kicking the early points to push ahead.
Gardiner-Dunn was a key part of that push scoring two goals, including one in the fourth that kept her side ahead into the dying stages of the match.
And while it was not to be in the end as the Queenants chased down the win, Gardiner-Dunn’s performance was rewarded with a nod in her side’s best players for the game.
Her standout performance came just a day after she kicked three goals for her under-18s side against Southern Districts, while she also got a Premier League best players nod in Round 1.
ROUND 2 - Daniel Murphy (Southern Districts) and Taelah Smith (Palmerston Magpies)
A Southern Districts cross-code young gun showed his ability to play right across the ground on his way to winning the Round 2 Rising Star nomination.
Dan Murphy, 17, is a Crocs junior through and through and showed his budding talent with a three goal performance in just his second Premier League outing.
Districts beat Wanderers 21.18 (144) to 9.6 (60) with Murphy named among his side’s best by the club for his work rate and ability to pop up where needed.
Districts’ coach Shannon Rusca said he had been impressed with how quickly Murphy had taken to the top level of the game.
“He did awesome for what was just his second game of Premier League footy,” Rusca said.
“We played him in various roles like on a wing, as a small forward and as pressure forward and we thought he accounted for himself very well out there.
“He and his family have been involved in the football club for a long time, with Dan being a junior right from under-12s, so it’s fantastic to see him progressing through the ranks.”
Murphy has made a name for himself as a cross-code athlete having won the 2024 NRL NT Rising Star after a strong year with the Palmerston Raiders.
“These accolades are just deserts for him,” Rusca said.
“Anyone who knows Dan knows that his work rate is second to none, you could be out at the ground even for the offseason and he will be having shots at goal and refining his craft.
“He’s finding his feet at Premier League level now and will fit in where he can add value, but whatever instructions we give him he has been able to complete, he’s very coachable.”
Nightcliff’s Hau-Tze Rock impressed for the second time in as many rounds and is in clear contention to claim a nomination in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Palmerston’s Taelah Smith was named the women’s Rising Star after an impressive showing in the Magpies’ first game of the season.
The Palmerston women beat Waratah 5.12 (42) to 2.2 (14) with Smith scoring three of her sides goals, and bringing the pressure for much of the match.
It was her first goal that broke a stream of behinds for the Magpies, and produced the boost her side needed to push on and secure a rare win against a side they’ve historically struggled against.
Meanwhile Nightcliff’s Kate Martin impressed, as did Jayla Thorne who scored two goals for Wanderers in a tough match against the Crocs.
ROUND 1 - Frances Tipungwuti (Tiwi) and Keanne Hart-Aluni (Buffaloes)
A Tiwi youngster who showed intensity on and off the ball and plenty of promise has been named the opening round Rising Star nominee.
Frances Tipungwuti displayed a mature performance befitting his strong build up to the NTFL season, which included a full Tiwi Islands Football League season with the Muluwurri Magpies.
Off the back of that and a preseason where he has put in the hard yards alongside a Bombers outfit gunning for a strong season he showed what he’s made of in Round 1.
Tipungwuti got plenty of the ball with 17 disposals to his name, where he showed off his speed, but it was determination in defence that caught the eye of coach Patrick Bowden.
“He played a really mature game of football, particularly when he had the ball in his hands, and he got a lot of the ball,”
“His defensive work was also really good, he had a couple of rundown spoils and couple of tackle efforts that were really good, so all up I was happy with his performance.”
Tipungwuti played a couple of games for the Bombers in the 2023-24 season, but early signs are already pointing to him having a few breakout performances this season.
“He’s just a young fella who played a couple of games for us last year and we’ve kept an eye on him since then,” Bowden said.
“He played the whole season in the TIFL for the Muluwurri Magpies and had a really great season, and would have polled quite high in the best and fairest there.
“And he’s had a great preseason, barely missed a session and with form being a sign of preparation he’s done a great job preparing for the season.”
The Bombers kicked off their season in style beating Wanderers 19.9 (123) to 9.12 (66) to post one of their best Round 1 performances in quite a few seasons.
“We had a lot of confidence before we played that game, we just want to play a Tiwi brand as we did and continue the way we play,” Bowden said.
“PINT will be different this week in the way they structure up, so we’re going to have to try and handle that and continue to play our way.
“If we can handle their pressure then I think our pressure and offensive work should make it a really good game.”
Meanwhile, Darwin Buffettes Keanne Hart-Aluni was the standout youngster in the women’s competition scoring two goals as her side almost came back to beat PINT.
The reigning premiers got out to a quick lead in the opening quarter, but the Double Blues showed their stuff in the periods to follow to almost topple their foes.
Hart-Aluni was one of the standouts in that period and scored two goals in the come from behind surge, in which she showed her natural ball playing skills for all to see.
Saints’ Shakila Gardiner-Dunn, Tiwi’s Rosie Wilson and Districts’ Sophie Sawyer were among the other top young players in the women’s competition.
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