The NT News predicts who will win in the grand finals of the 2022-23 NTFL season
A new NTFL champion will be crowned this weekend as the Premier League sides face off in the grand finals. We’ve analysed each grand final and predicted who will win and why.
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After an 18-week season and four weeks of finals it’s all come down to this, the NTFL grand finals, but who will emerge on top?
In the women’s competition, an in-form Waratah unit will take on minor premiers PINT in the contest that kicks off at 4.15pm.
Meanwhile, the Waratah men are hoping to break their 23-year-long title drought against minor premier winners Southern Districts.
Waratah vs PINT women
Expect nothing less than a thrilling contest when the exciting Waratah take on the current benchmark side, PINT, in the women’s grand final.
The Queenants finished the season as minor premiers but with two weeks out of the action found themselves caught out in the semi-finals against Tahs.
And four goals down three quarters into the prelim final against St Mary’s it looked like PINT would be knocked out of the competition entirely.
But PINT pulled off a final-quarter surge to remind everyone they were minor premiers for a reason.
They’ve won all but two games this season, with one of those losses being the semi-final to their big dance opponents.
Dominant ruck Jasmyn Hewett was best on ground in that final spell kicking true twice to put her side ahead, and PINT will be hoping for another big showing from her.
Amy Chittick and Steph Lawrence have both been in fine form in the goal kicking department all season, while Reni Hicks and Sarah Ingram are important contributors in the midfield.
Meanwhile, Waratah are riding a high knowing they’ve been the best side in the finals series, so far.
St Mary’s and PINT both sat ahead of Tahs on the table at the end of the regular season but come finals time Waratah beat them both.
And if their momentum holds for the grand final they will have their ninth premiership sealed up.
Steph O’Brien and Annabel Kievet will be looked to for another big performance each, with their all-round skills crucial to how Waratah’s midfield operates.
Then there’s the x-factor of Aggie Singh down back with the livewire able to race away from her opposition to kick a goal at a moment’s notice.
However, Waratah have lost the talents of Lisa Miceli for this grand final bout, while long-time lynchpin Lisa Roberts has been a significant loss all year.
If Waratah have the start they enjoyed last time around they could build an insurmountable score but PINT are back on song and that makes them dangerous.
Our tip - PINT by eight points
Waratah vs Southern Districts
The two best sides from the men’s premier league, Waratah and Southern Districts, are set to go head-to-head in what’s expected to be a thrilling grand final.
They’ve been the top two for the majority of the season and while the Crocs had the better of this contest during the season it was Waratah who won out in the semi-final.
Crocs received a massive wake-up call in that match, following a disjointed preparation in the lead-up to finals.
Districts bounced back in stunning fashion the week after seeing off defending champions St Mary’s in the prelim final on the back of a pressure game their opponents could not live to.
Now they’re back facing Waratah once again with their sights set on a first premiership since 2018.
The Crocs more than have the personnel to get the job done from defenders Frazer Driscoll and Michael Bowden to their big full forward Sam Dunstan.
But games are won and lost in the midfield and that’s where the league’s best ruck Matt Dennis is expected to shine with skipper Dean Staunton, Luke Smith and Jake McQueen also playing big roles.
And if a certain Cam Ellis-Yolmen makes a return for this one the side have themselves a bulldozer who just cannot be tackled.
Personnel is one area Waratah are not lacking in quality, particularly up forward where Darcy Hope and Jayden Magro have reigned all season.
They will keep the Districts defenders busy all evening with plenty of ball coming their way from skipper Brodie Carroll and Robbie Turnbull, while Arnold Kirby has himself another duel with Dennis.
And Districts aren’t exactly short down back either with vice-captain Dylan Collis and Jack O’Sullivan proving a handful for any set of forwards.
Key to Waratah’s game plan in recent weeks has been their composure learning plenty of lessons from last season’s grand final loss and the Round 17 ill-disciplined defeat to St Marys.
Tahs are a fit side who know how to grind out a win even in the most difficult of circumstances, and they will need their composure to counter the Districts’ pressure game.
We asked AI ChatGPT who it thought would win this one, and it went with Tahs by 10 points, but then it also thought Carlton would win the AFL season opener.
At this stage Tahs by a tight margin is a safe bet, or will the league’s longest drought continue for another year?
Our tip: Waratah by 12 points
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PRELIM FINALS
The prelim finals are done and dusted, and the grand final sides are locked in.
But what did we learn from another enthralling week of NTFL footy?
In the women’s premier league it was minor premiers PINT who struck back late to take the win against St Mary’s.
And in the men’s comp St Mary’s tasted defeat again, losing to a suffocating Southern Districts outfit.
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PINT pull off late comeback
The Queenants staged an impressive four-goal final-quarter comeback to secure their spot in the Women’s Premier League grand final.
The Green Machine led by four goals heading into the final quarter, but just when they had their sights on the big dance, the minor premiers struck back.
Sarah Ingram and Casey Morris went up a gear in the final quarter, feeding their forwards in Amy Chittick and Steph Lawrence.
But it was when star ruck and Adelaide Crows premiership player Jasmyn Hewett made inroads forward the PINT were able to hit the front.
And once they started to hit the scoreboard in the fourth quarter they were almost unstoppable.
It was a devastating loss for St Mary’s who had been the better side for the first three quarters.
AFLW star Danielle Ponter, who was a midweek doubt, was the clear standout in the side booting three goals including one in the opening minute of play.
However, in the space of a quarter the Green Machine’s season was undone and instead it is PINT who move on to the grand final.
The Queenants’ however will know they won’t be able to rely solely on fitness when it comes to their match against Waratah.
Player Ratings PINT vs St Mary’s women
3. Amy Chittick (PINT)
2. Jasmyn Hewett (PINT)
1. Danielle Ponter (Saints)
Districts bring the pressure
Southern Districts are into their first grand final since the 2018-19 season on the back of a massive prelim final win.
The Crocs used a heavy pressure game, tackling hard at every contest to force Saints out of the contest.
For some it was an unexpectedly dominant showing from the men of Fred’s Pass, who had dropped their match to Waratah the week before.
Skipper Dean Staunton was inspirational on his return, racking up the possessions and putting the hurt on his opposition in the midfield.
It was a clear sign of what Districts were missing while he was suspended, and Kaine Stevens also made an impression on his return to the side.
The league’s premier ruckman Matt Dennis was another who was absolutely dominant whether it was winning the tap outs or kicking a 70m goal.
Add all these components together, along with some game time which the Crocs were missing in the semis, and Districts more than proved why they finished top of the table.
Their speed to the contest and on the ball forced the reigning premiers to make errors and the Crocs were all too happy to make the most of them.
Now they have their confidence back, setting up a very interesting rematch against Waratah in the grand final.
The Tahs beat them before, but it was Districts who had the better of the contests during the season.
This one will go down to the wire.
Player Ratings Southern Districts vs St Mary’s
3. Matt Dennis (Districts)
2. Dean Staunton (Districts)
1. Jake McQueen (Districts)
Saints’ disappointing day
For Saints it was a disappointing day at the office as they came off worse in almost every department when put against Districts’ pressure game.
But it was a lack of pace in the forwards that hampered the side the most, as they once again relied too heavily on full forward Jackson Calder.
Almost every entry into the forward 50 relied on Calder, and with Frazer Driscoll keeping him out of the contest it became an increasingly hard task for the side.
Nichols Medal winner Dylan Landt once again moved into the forward line, and while there he did manage to create a few opportunities.
However, Landt being further forward deprived the Green Machine of one of their best midfielders putting extra pressure back on those in the middle.
And with no real go forward from those ranks Saints struggled to compete with the suffocating way in which Crocs played the game.
It’s an area Saints will perhaps look at further next season, needing an extra forward, or at least some extra pace in those ranks to get the most out of their game plan.
Calder is clearly one of the best at what he does, consecutive Dennis Dunn medals speak to his ability, but Saints just need someone else in those areas to take the pressure off.
Perhaps Kyle Emery would have been that man, with his move from Nightcliff heavily suggested, but he did not materialise in a Saints jersey this season.
If the Green Machine are able to properly secure him next season, or someone of his ilk, Saints will have the dual kicking options they need.
Waratah played the waiting game
In both the men’s and women’s premier league competitions, Waratah won the major semi-finals, giving them a spot in the grand final.
This weekend, they will coincidentally face the same opponents they defeated in those semis.
For the men’s team, this is an opportunity to end their long-standing premiership drought, as they haven’t won since the 1999-2000 season.
It’s also a chance for many of the players to redeem themselves after losing in last year’s grand final.
Although they have a strong team and proved themselves against the Crocs two weeks ago, Waratah knows better than anyone to not become complacent.
Dylan Collis and Jack O’Sullivan will be looked to in the back line, while the side will be hoping Darcy Hope and Jayden Magro can finish their chances in front of goal.
As for the Waratah women’s team, they have the most successful record in the competition with eight premierships under their belt.
They defeated PINT in the semi-finals and have players like Aggie Singh, Steph O’Brien, and Kierra Zerafa in excellent form, making them a strong contender for yet another win.
In addition to their men’s and women’s teams, Waratah’s Premier League Reserves and under-18s sides are also in grand finals, making it a big week for the club overall.
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