Bombers survive late comeback, Cassie McWilliams kicks six
The Tiwi Bombers kept their finals ambitions alive with a mature one-point victory while Nightcliff and Waratah hit triple figures. Read our Round 15 wrap here.
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The match of the round saw the Tiwi Bombers clutch a one point victory of 7.4 (46) to 6.9 (45) over the North Darwin Magpies that strengthens their finals credentials despite a strong North Darwin fightback in the third quarter.
A scoreless first period put the Pies under the pump, handing Tiwi the upperhand who were ferocious on and off the ball.
The Bombers, with a number of debutants, showed a level of maturity and togetherness you’d hope to see with finals just around the corner.
Maria Rioli was the star for Tiwi with four goals while the relentless efforts in the middle by Courtney Ugle didn’t go unnoticed.
The Magpies’ Kate Grady and Ella Ward were the home side’s best while Markia Carlton had flashes of brilliance throughout the clash.
Elsewhere the Darwin Buffettes were unable to secure four points in Bianca Stokes’ 200th game for the club, losing to St Mary’s in a one-sided 8.13 (61) to 1.0 (6) result.
The 2023-24 runners-up were a class above Darwin across the park, keeping them scoreless until the 14th minute in the four when Saraya Mauboy-Hudson kicked the visitors’ lone score.
Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn was the Saints’ best, earning her eighth best on nod of the season while Paula Pavic and Nikita Long also impressed.
Nightcliff Tigers did a number on Southern Districts, defeating the Crocs 16.9 (103) to 1.3 (9) out at Freds Pass.
After a slow opening term the Tigers were absolutely clinical for the remainder of the evening, particularly in the second and fourth.
Districts had no rebuttal for the attacking waves dealt by Nightcliff, particularly in the fourth in which the women in black and yellow kicked six goals.
Gabrielle Deller was her busy self in the middle but the star of the match was most certainly Cassie McWilliams who kicked six goals – three in the fourth – to take her season tally to a competition leading 30.
In the Foundation Cup at Gardens Waratah sealed its third victory on the trot, raising the bat in a 15.16 (106) to 0.1 (1) thumping over Wanderers.
While Waratah would have liked to kick straighter a win is a win and takes them to 16 points, seventh on the ladder.
Lilly Rydon and Imogen Loftes were the Tahs’ best while Jamilla Cranny kicked five majors.
ROUND 15
The Green Machine has kept chugging along as it avoided a slight scare from the Pies in the NTFL women’ competition.
St Mary’s found itself down 2.2 (14) to 1.3 (9) at the half time break against Palmerston, in what was a very defensive, low-scoring occasion.
The Saints carried a one-point lead into the final quarter in which Peppa Poultney kicked the side’s only major of the period.
St Mary’s ended up scraping its way to a 3.6 (24) to 3.2 (20) win in the end, with Nadia von Bertouch and Tui Wineti the victors’ best on.
Last year’s runner ups kept a top two finish alive, now eight points clear of Nightcliff Tigers.
The Buffettes continued their finals charge, raising the bat in a dominant victory over the still hapless Wanderers.
The Double Blues were up 55-0 at the half, running away to a 16.15 (111) to 0.1 (1) win that saw 12 different goal scorers.
The four points alongside the percentage-boosting result skyrocketed the Darwin side into the top four equation, level at 24 points with Palmerston and Tiwi, however they have the edge on percentage.
Elsewhere, the Greenants and Tigers played out an absolute belter at Mazda Oval in a fierce clash.
The premiers were under the pump from the off, managing seven points in the first 18.
Nightcliff had the lead into the break, up 13.
But, as the saying goes, winners win and that’s just what the visitors did in the second half.
The Tigers’ scoring came to a crashing halt in the third, allowing PINT back into contention.
The Queenants surged working off the efforts of two-time best and fairest winner Jasmyn Hewett to win 9.5 (59) to 6.6 (42).
Amy Chittick was instrumental in front of the sticks getting three while Paige Sheppard had a big day out herself as the side pulled ahead.
For Nightcliff’s part Gabrielle Deller and Sally Evans were constant sources of go-forward, but they were unable to hold their momentum all the way as PINT worked its way to the win.
Waratah continued its great start to the new year winning its second on the trot in a 6.9 (45) to 3.4 (22) scoreline over Tiwi Bombers.
After a poor first half from both outfits it was the second half where the match came to life.
The Bombers were struggling to keep pace with the Tahs who through Jamilla Cranny, Jo-Anna Baltais and Angela Foley stifled the usually potent Tiwi attack.
The visitors eventually kicked into gear in the fourth, kicking back-to-back goals in the space of a minute.
The home side stuck fat and pulled off a well deserved four points.
ROUND 13
It wasn’t billed as such but PINT and Darwin played out the match of the round in a thrilling back and forth contest.
PINT were bolstered by the inclusion of the recently delisted duo of Paige Sheppard from Sydney and Jordan Membrey from the Suns the Greenants as they managed the 6.4 (40) to 6.3 (39) win.
Buffaloes started slowly and their issues were compounded by the loss of Dom Carbone who left the field injured, not to return.
A better second quarter that resembled a backyard game of force ‘em backs more than a premier league match had the score 4.3 (27) to 1.0 (6) in PINT’s favour by half time.
But it was the final 18 minutes of the match where things got interesting.
Brilliant efforts at the back thwarted PINT’s attacking chances while the Double Blue mounted a comeback.
Two goals in as many minutes saw the visitors lead diminish to seven.
Jordan Membrey steadied the PINT ship in the sixth with a major, but Darwin weren’t finished yet.
Michelle Sliwinski kicked a goal with 2.30 minutes to go, then wily veteran Kylie Duggan kicked Darwin’s fourth of the term with a minute on the clock.
The lion-hearted comeback wasn’t enough as PINT avoided its first defeat of the season.
At Freds Pass the welcomed inclusion of Waratah legend and dual AFLW flag winner Ange Foley didn’t go unnoticed.
In the red and white for the first time since 2017, Foley alongside Lily Tastula and Kierra Zerafa, led from the front steering their team to a morale boosting 5.11 (44) to 0.4 (4) victory, the second of the campaign.
An odd match that saw kick-off delayed due to a lightning storm, the contest was more or less over in the first term, Waratah scoring 21 points unanswered.
The visitors added to its tally in the second leaving the score 5.6 (36) to 0.1 (1) at the break.
Nayely Borg and Cate Twaddle led a far more controlled Districts quarter in the third, restricting Waratah to four behinds.
The home team’s fourth quarter performance was the most impressive, conceding just the one extra.
Elsewhere, St Mary’s women leapt into the top two after a strong showing against Nightcliff, which will give them plenty of confidence heading into the back end of the season.
The Green Machine were narrow losers to the Tigers in Round 1 of the season, but with an extra week back from the break were the more match fit side in the encounter.
It showed in their early pressure and dominance as they bookended the match with their strongest quarters to win 6.9 (45) to 2.3 (15), their 10th win in a row.
Billie Byers and Paula Pavic held court in the midfield pushing the ball forward and Isabella Turner, the match’s only multiple goal scorer, blazed through the opener.
Nightcliff were sluggish across the board though usual workhorses Gabrielle Deller and Sophie Hatzismalis did have moments of brilliance in the middle.
The enduring poor results of Wanderers continued against Tiwi in yet another blowout defeat.
A 23.14 (152) to 1.1 (7) rout Tiwi were on song from the first bounce, making the Eagles suffer.
A first quarter Maria Rioli hat-trick set the tone for the match, taking the margin to 45-0 into the first break.
Jelena Tipungwuti kicked two quick goals early in the second, a theme for the period as the Bombers peppered the Eagles goal mouth.
Tiwi were in no mood for mercy when they added 44 points to its tally in the second term, using the chance as a percentage boosting injection.
The remaining two quarters were a copy and paste of the first half, Tiwi players scoring for fun.
However the Eagles did manage to snag one maximum in the fourth courtesy of Ashlee Wallis.
The big win was a much needed one for the Bombers who were on the three match losing streak.
ROUND 12
The Darwin Buffaloes have leapfrogged the Tiwi Bombers into the NTFL top five after thrashing their foes, while there was a literal lights out match in the New Years return of women’s footy.
After a poor 0-4 start to the season, the Buffs made it four from five as the Double Blues dealt the Bombers a well played 12.7 (79) to 3.4 (22) defeat.
Darwin showed no sign of its poor early season form in which it would regularly take a deficit into the half, the side stormed out of the sheds, putting up a 34 point gap at the break.
The return of Dom Carbone alongside a firing Molly Althouse and an in-form Roxy Beuzeville led from the front all afternoon long.
A bit of fight from the Bombers in the second half prevented a blowout but was not enough to stop the rampaging Bovinae.
Reigning premiers PINT women are no strangers to lights out performances, but it was one of a rather different nature in their return fixture against Southern Districts.
Three minutes into the 7.30pm encounter on Sunday the light towers at TIO Stadium went out leaving the players and spectators confused while a storm rumbled in the background.
Play was able to resume almost 10 minutes later as some light returned, though one would remain out of commission for the rest of the match.
The strange event seemed to play in the Crocs’ favour early against the undefeated reigning premiers with the majority of the first quarter played in their end, and a Bonnie Brown goal rewarding those efforts.
PINT also missed the goal kicking prowess of Steph Lawrence as while they eventually gained a foothold, did struggle in front of the sticks in the 3.14 (32) to 1.1 (7) win.
Reni Hicks and Paige Sheppard were among the Queenants standouts as they controlled the game, while Jasmyn Hewett showed her talents with a breakthrough goal in the third quarter.
Elsewhere, the Green Machine continued its assault into the new year with a thumping victory over a spluttering Waratah in what was the first match of the round.
Last season’s runner ups got out to a blistering start, 4.4 (28) to 0.0 (0) after the first, extending the lead to 9.7 (61) to 0.0 (0) at the break, led by new Saint Amelia Martin slotting a first half hat-trick in her third WPL run.
St Marys’ radar went somewhat wayward in the third as the side kicked eight behinds and one major.
Their radar was recalibrated in the last, kicking eight, Ciaralii Parnell with four majors in a superb showing, leading her team to a 18.17 (125) to 0.2 (2) percentage boosting victory.
Palmerston Magpies demolished the Wanderers in the battle of the birds.
The hapless Eagles have been suffering through another dismal season and it seems as if the side’s woes are set to continue into 2025.
The Pies were relentless through all four quarters, piling on the points for fun, in a runaway 26.14 (17) to 0.0 (0) win.
Ella Ward put together another best-on performance, kicking five goals for good measure.
Taylah Easton was the other Pie who went gangbusters upfront recording six goals, while the return of Tatyana Perry delivered a level of class the side had been without last year.
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