Tigers and Bulldogs to go around on Tiwi football’s biggest day

The 52-year-old Tiwi Island Football League is set to put on a show when Imalu and Walama contest the 20-21 grand final

Imalu and the Tapalinga Superstars contest the 2012-13 TIFL grand final. Graham Puruntatameri hunts the football down. Picture: Michael Franchi.

ALL plane, boat and car rides lead to Tiwi Oval on Bathurst Island on Sunday for the Tiwi Island Football League grand final.

Minor premiers the Imalu Tigers and the Walama Bulldogs (formerly Irramuru) will do battle for the title of 20-21 premiers at Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island.

Three-time premier Walama beat Imalu in the second semi-final and will fancy their chances against the 17-time TIFL champions.

Imalu overcame the Tuyu Buffaloes in a typically hard fought preliminary final to earn another shot at the Bulldogs.

Both sides have been out of the grand final action for long stretches.

Imalu last played in a premiership decider in 2011-12 when they lost to Tuyu, while Walama has not appeared on grand final day since beating the Muluwurri Magpies by two points in the 2014-15 decider.

In a twist, both players who tied for the league best and fairest medal (Ted Whitten Medal) will be opposed on Sunday.

Imalu’s Bradley (Langer) Mungatopi and Walama goalkicker Kim Kantilla were announced as joint winners earlier this month.

Jikalarruwu Footbal Club’s young gun and St John’s College student, Anthony Munkara, won the best first year player award and JB Kelantumama the David Kantilla goalkicking trophy.

The Brother Pye Medal, awarded to the best player on the ground in the grand final, is the only other individual award up for grabs.

TIFL spokesman Willie Rioli Sr said there has been unprecedented interest in this year’s grand final.

“I’ve heard the ferries are booked out and so are a number of plane flights, so charter flights and your own boat, or ship if you’ve got one, will have to be your transport if you want to come to Bathurst Island,’’ he said.

The grand final is scheduled to kick off at 2.30pm on Sunday.

A proposed TIFL-Santa Teresa curtain-raiser finally got the go-ahead last night, pitting the star studded Centralian community side up against an emerging Tiwi side at 11am.