Postponed Round 13 clash between Tiwi Bombers and Waratah to go ahead

THE previously postponed Round 13 NTFL fixture between Tiwi Bombers and Waratah will go ahead with the match set to go ahead at Gardens Oval on January 22

Both Waratah and the Tiwi Bombers will be raring to get back on the field following postponed game. Picture: Glenn Campbell

THE previously postponed Round 13 NTFL fixture between Tiwi Bombers and Waratah will go ahead with the match set to go ahead at Gardens Oval on January 22.

The matchup, originally due to be played at Wurrumiyanga Oval on January 9, was postponed after Tiwi Land Council cited community concern following the return of local Waratah players from previously declared COVID-19 hotspot in Brisbane.

The two players both returned negative results when tested for the virus, despite one player exhibiting flu like symptoms upon return, though the match was still postponed as a precaution.

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AFLNT community football manager Leigh Elder previously said that the precautionary postponement was necessary in light of the virus.

“The announcement on Friday morning (of various hot spots) of the new strain meant some precautionary measures had to be taken,” he said.

“Our advice is if anyone is in that situation we need to go through a process that is totally run by the health department and this was one of them.”

The new date puts the encounter a day prior the much anticipated NTFL rep game against the visiting Glenelg which could see both sides missing some key players for the fixture.

Waratah currently sit fourth in the NTFL with the game in hand and could be without Abe Ankers, Brodie Carroll, Zach Westerberg, Robert Campbell and Callum Searle who were all named in the original rep squad.

Meanwhile bottom side Tiwi Bombers saw Harley Puruntatameri, Mason DeWit and Adam Tipungwuti named in the rep side with both Fletcher Carroll and Jack Monigatti pushing their case for selection.

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Waratah coach Ryan Ayres previously told the NT News that he and his side were keen to play the makeup game when best available with his side missing out on match time.

“It will be four weeks since we played a game of footy by the time the Palmerston game comes around next week, so we’re pretty keen to get back to match conditions,” Ayres said.