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Five players to watch from each team in the Men’s and Women’s Premier League grand finals
The stars will come out to play in the Men’s and Women’s Premier League grand finals at TIO Stadium on Saturday.
And the NT News has highlighted five key players from each side who are expected to influence the outcome, from a first-time Gwynne medallist to a gun recruit drafted from Western Australia who has the ability to rip a game apart.
CHECK OUT THE FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH PER CLUB
Waratah
Jayden Magro
One of the most explosive players in the league when on song, Magro, 25, slotted the second highest number of goals (39) this season despite not always playing in the forward line. He leads the club by some measure for inside 50s, so he’s just as damaging when in the midfield, and collected 22 touches against St Mary’s in week one of the finals. Keen to collect his second senior premiership after winning one in county Western Australia as a 21-year-old.
Brodie Carroll
The league’s top tackler, co-captain and ABC Player of the Year, is an essential part of the Tahs mix. Not just an in and under player with the second highest number of clearances for Tahs, he also has the ability to drift forward and kick a goal, with 18 this year. Coming off hot form with 22 touches and a goal against Nightcliff in the qualifying final.
Daniel O’Dwyer
Waratah’s key back is likely to take Jackson Calder again after the big forward was kept to just one goal, St Mary’s seven in total – and just two after quarter time – in the qualifying final in week one of finals. Also recorded four rebound 50s in that match, the second highest in the game.
Dylan Collis
After switching to defence, the Victorian has given the Tahs some polish from half back. And his numbers are indicative of his importance to the club in 2021-22: First for disposals (330), second for intercept marks and third for both rebound 50s and inside 50s. Collis also comes into the grand final with a strong finals campaign so far, with 38 touches across Waratah’s two finals.
Abe Ankers
The Alice Springs midfielder showed his worth on Foundation Cup day with a best on ground performance, and has had an impact despite only playing eight Premier League matches this year, kicking 12 goals. His absence was felt in a 78-point smashing by Saints in round 16, but returned to accumulate 33 touches over the two finals.
St Mary’s
Nate Paredes
The first year captain has steered his side well this season, letting his performances do the talking. He topped the league in clearances (83) and inside 50s (90), proving his worth in the Saints’ supply chain. Always dangerous through the middle or around the fringes.
Nick Yarran
The livewire has had a sensational season for his club, picking up the NT News Player of the Year in the process. Years of playing rugby came to the fore in the season, becoming the side’s top tackler (54). Has pace to burn and will be crucial alongside fellow speedster Joseph Salmon, crumbing the likes of Jackson Calder.
Jackson Calder
What a year it has been in front of goal for the Green Machine’s big forward. Slotting 58 majors in the regular season was enough to earn him the coveted Dennis Dunn prize. But a regular goal scorer is always after their next big haul, and Calder will be eager to kick a winning score in the grand final. The match-up against Tahs defender O’Dwyer will be crucial to the contest.
Dylan Landt
The 2020-21 NT News Player of the Year picked up where he left off last season. Would have featured highly once again if he played more but 175 disposals from seven regular season games is nothing to sneeze at. Will be on the hunt to put his big boot on show and would love a goal or two on the big stage.
Jack Kluske
Wasn’t a part of last year’s heartbreak against Nightcliff but will be integral to Saints’ redemption mission. With four goals against Wanderers in the first semi final, Kluske has been one of the stars of the finals series. Picks up enough of the footy, too, averaging 15.1 disposals a game.
Nightcliff
Eliza Morrison
The Tigers co-captain was at her classy best on Saturday, cooly slotting two important goals in the final quarter to snatch victory just when Waratah threatened to take the game away.
Cassie McWilliam
The agile forward was influential on Saturday, especially in the third term where she snapped one of the goals of the game and was involved in another, as the Tigers threatened to kick clear.
Sophie Hatzismalis
The quality defender managed to curb the influence of the explosive Aggie Singh in the preliminary final as the Tigers got home by just two points. Singh may have kicked two – and whose set shot late in the third term was costly – but was deathly quiet by her standards for a good chunk of the match.
Lauren Gooden
The tall yet mobile key position player was also threat for the Tigers in their two-point win over Waratah. Physically intimidating and a thumping kick, Gooden is also more than capable when the ball hits the turf, making for a tough match up for the Buffettes.
Olivia Hatzismalis
The sister of Sophie has been a dominant force in the ruck, with skipper Morrison talking up her impact during the week.
Darwin Buffettes
Kylie Duggan
The Buffettes captain is super versatile and has been able to play in just about any position this year according to coach, Mel Taylor. A competitive beast, who is also a star basketballer and has signed with fledgling NBL1 club Darwin Salties, Duggan has been able to get the best out of fellow star, Molly Althouse, who was rewarded with a Gwynne Medal on Sunday night.
Molly Althouse
The star ruck will be riding high on confidence after scooping her first Gwynne Medal after a dominant season, two votes clear of her nearest rival in Waratah’s Lisa Roberts, and has been in discussions with an AFLW team. Has spoken publicly about her desire to avenge last year’s premiership loss to PINT so expect a big game from the 19-year-old.
Ebony Miller
Was perhaps the best on ground in the semi-final win over Nightcliff and will be looking for another big showing in the granny. Can kick goals, or help set them up, and knows what it’s like to win at this time of year following a premiership with Crocs in 2019-20.
Dom Carbone
Returns after a spell down south with Hawthorn’s VFLW squad and adds another cog to the Buffettes machine. Had a great start to the year, and though she hasn’t played any of the finals, yet should slip right in. One to watch for her ability in the contest.
Freda Wosomo
The Rising Star nominee has had a massive year. A constant threat in attack for the Buffettes who always looked to get involved. Showed her talent and potential in Territory’s representative team.
The Green Machine gets revenge on recent nemesis Nightcliff
ST MARY’S got their sweet revenge for successive grand final defeats by knocking Nightcliff out in the prelim final after grinding out a massive 15.8 (98) to 5.10 (40) win.
It’s the 2020-21 grand final rematch but this year after both facing defeat to Waratah it was also a fight for survival for both sides with the winner set to move into the 2021-22 grand final.
St Mary’s were off to the races right away, eager to get revenge for successive grand final defeats, and after a couple of quick disposals Dylan Landt nailed the opening goal within a minute.
The Tigers though, the three time premiership winners that they are, stuck in there and managed to turn the flow of the game.
Shaun Wilson was industrious around the midfield while Cam Ilett and Tom North proved important points of disposal up forward.
And soon enough John Butcher, whose exploits in the last grand final will be well remembered by the Saints, was knocking goals in.
Saints skipper Nate Paredes settled matters down and brought his side back on top with some nifty midfield run and carry’s while Shannon Rioli and speedster Nick Yarran were also busy.
That forced the ever potent Tigers’ backline including Daniel Bowles, Nathan Brown and Ryan Nyhuis to work overtime.
An apparent injury to the league’s leading goal scorer Jackson Calder on the cusp of half time would have sent alarm bells across the Green Machine’s list.
His return to action in the second half only bolstered the Saints’ confidence and hunger and he cemented his return with a strong mark and goal.
And from there it seemed to all go Saints way with their own backline including Matt Green, Kieran Parnell and Grant Gallus forcing Nightcliff out of the contest while Lucus Jellyman-Turner turned defence into attack.
Jack Kluske also had another immense performance scoring two goals and nailing disposals and will be a potent weapon come grand final time.
“I’m over the moon with that but there’s still one more win to go so that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kluske said.
“It’s unbelievable to break that run. To see those guys that have lost those two grand finals this happy makes me proud.
“We just grinded them out. They’ve got a lot of skill, a lot of talent but in big, big finals like this you’ve just got to have heart, you need to want it more and we wanted it more.”
Coach Anthony Vallejo was proud of his side’s performance but reiterated after two losing grand finals the job was not done.
“It was a really good win over a quality side, three time winners so I’m happy about that,” Vallejo said.
“We’ve been down this road before these past two years and played in two losing grand finals so it’s about redemption and the job isn’t done.
“Our whole game style of tackle pressure all around the ground was massive. The intensity of it for four quarters was excellent and we grounded them down towards the end.”
Nightcliff for their part continued to dig in each and every contest working to get the scores but in an unusual twist for a side with such pedigree were unable to score a major after half time.
Captain Phil Wills called it devastating not to be playing for a premiership fourpeat but noted his side would be ready once again next year.
“It’s devastating. It was a really good opportunity to get the fourth one in the row but it wasn’t our day,” Wills said.
“The boys worked extremely hard but the ball just wasn’t bouncing our way. The boys put in so much effort.
“We’re just going to come back bigger and better next year. We’ve got some good young kids coming through so the future is bright for the club.”
Score:
Nightcliff: 3.3 5.5 5.7 5.10 (40)
St Mary’s: 4.2 7.4 12.6 15.8 (98)
Goals:
Nightcliff: J Butcher 3 S Wilson J Bowen
St Mary’s: J Calder 4 S Rioli 2 J Kluske 2 A Heppell D Landt N Yarran J Robinson J Long J Salmon
Best:
Nightcliff: J Kluske L Jellyman-Turner M Green N Yarran D Landt
St Mary’s: D Bowles C Ilett J Butcher T North N Brown
Waratah into their first NTFL grand final since 2008
WARATAH have stormed into their first NTFL grand final since 2008 with a massive 10.8 (68) to 7.7 (49) win over reigning premiers Nightcliff Tigers.
Reigning premiers Nightcliff have been the form side all season and looked strong in the opening exchanges taking swift control of the footy.
However, as they did against St Mary’s in the qualifying final the Tahs bullied their opposition at every contest and made sure their presence was known.
That hardness around the ball and strong pressure game unhinged the usually composed Tigers and soon enough Cam Arnold had two goals to his name within the opening minute.
Tah’s midfield shone in restricting Tigers of ball with usual suspects Will and Dylan Collis alongside Brodie Carroll and Abe Ankers standing out.
For their part Nightcliff tried to get things moving but seemed sluggish after a week off and didn’t find themselves on the board until Ryan Mu booted one through late in the quarter.
But the Tahs pressure didn’t let up at that slip with backline maestro Daniel O’Dwyer locking down any momentum gained from the big forwards.
Jayden Magro and x-factor machine Kurtley Silver were also busy constantly on the hunt for scores using their pace to force Nightcliff into many a foot race.
Nightcliff finally found some go forward in the third quarter booting four unanswered goals which lifted them back to level pegging.
Daniel Bowles and Ryan Nyhuis put in massive shifts down back while Shaun Wilson peaked up across the field to try and ignite a win from his side.
However, just as soon as the Tigers found themselves back in Waratah lifted the intensity up to a whole new level with captain Carroll showing off his driver of a left boot.
Another massive goal, this time from Ankers, in the fourth got the Waratah faithful on their feet and it was then that many of them realised they would be heading into the grand final.
“We worked really hard for a long time to get here. To get the result and to get into that grand final which we haven’t done for a lot of years means so much,” Ankers said.
“We do this for our supporters and our volunteers. When we walked back in that room everyone was smiling. It’s just so nice to give back to those that have given so much for us.
“We knew what we wanted to get. Every one of us was on the same path, there wasn’t bloke out there that didn’t put their head over the footy when they needed to.
“We knew if we could get the pressure we could get the result. We just needed to defend first and turn that into attack so that we could score. We were just so ready to do it for each other.
“This win is something I will never forget but the job is not done yet. We’re hell bent on getting that flag. We don’t just want to play in the grand final, we want to get the chocolates as well.”
Nightcliff continued to try and build some momentum trying to spread the ball across the outside of the field but the Tahs were hot on their heels at every mark.
Instead Waratah extended their lead in the final quarter and go into the grand final knowing they’ve now beaten both of their potential rivals.
Score:
Nightcliff: 1.2 2.3 6.7 7.7 (49)
Waratah: 2.3 4.5 7.5 10.8 (68)
Goals:
Nightcliff: S Wilson 2 R Mu C Ilett R Morris K Emery W Derksen
Waratah: B Carroll 3 A Ankers 2 C Arnold 2 K Silver H Kitschke W Collis
Best:
Nightcliff: S Wilson D Bowles C Ilett R Nyhuis J Jones
Waratah: B Carroll D Collis A Ankers D O’Dwyer C Arnold
St Mary’s power into prelim final
A trio of Jack Kluske goals in the third quarter created a mountain Wanderers couldn’t overcome in the blistering heat, as St Mary’s kicked away after halftime to win by 64 points in the Men’s Premier League first semi-final.
The accurate Green Machine slotted seven unanswered goals at TIO Stadium in the all-important premiership quarter against an injury-hit Eagles after the game was delicately poised at the long break.
Kluske’s sublime snap from the boundary line ended the contest following a brief Wanderers riposte in a momentum-shifting second term.
St Mary’s had too many answers at ground level in front of the sticks as former Eagle Joseph Salmon also bobbed up with five majors and Wanderers lost Simon Bates and Liam Patrick to injury.
Earlier, some Nate Paredes brilliance opened the Saints’ scoring account, kicking the pill over his shoulder while being slung in a tackle from the goalsquare.
However, the battle quickly evened out with both sides enjoying a solid share of forward entries.
Free kicks gift wrapped six-pointers to Bates and Marcus Totham, before a Mitchel Taylor-guarded Jackson Calder also got his name on the goalkickers’ list through a defensive infringement.
Then, in an ominous sign for the surviving Premier League finalists, the Green Machine began humming at maximum capacity, piling on a quintet of rapid-fire majors as it got the edge on the centre bounces against a Jobastin Priest-less Wanderers.
The slickest of handballs from Calder allowed Salmon to stroll in for his first of five, then Blake Cooke crumbed a pack brilliantly to sneak one home through the outside of his right boot.
Precision passes from Nick Yarran and Jacob Long spotted Salmon and Josh Smithson respectively for additional majors as St Mary’s closed out the first term on the cusp of a contest-killing onslaught.
A Calder left foot snap from the pocket was the only blemish on the St Mary’s scoresheet.
However, after another Calder miss early in the second, the Saints’ lead was slowly chiselled away by a blue and gold revival, controlling the ball from half back as St Mary’s struggled to enter its forward half with any clarity.
Big man Darren Shillabeer matched Pardedes’ first term finesse and then some, somehow getting a boot to a mid-air ball in the right hand pocket, sending it goal-bound from a tight angle.
In a total reversal, it was St Mary’s back six that was suddenly under siege as Wanderers controlled play.
When a Keenan Smith-Thompson snap bounced over the hands of a Saints defender, and Shane Thorne converted a down field penalty, St Mary’s were in serious danger of coughing up its lead.
However, in the third, the airport end continued to favour the bulk of scoring as Kluske ran rampant and Nick Yarran rediscovered his talent for defensive pressure.
After getting boot to ball from a mass marking spillage in the goalsquare, Kluske then put the contest beyond doubt with that brilliant, boundary line snap — a 36-point lead felt like a ten-goal buffer.
Post-match, Joseph Salmon admitted his team had been “bullied” in a 15-point loss to Waratah last Saturday night.
In his best performance for the year, and playing deeper than normal, Salmon said he only had goals on his mind at TIO.
“I told myself during the week I had to come out and kick a bag,” Salmon said.
“We wanted it more (today), we put our heads over the ball.
“We were bullied (last week), so we had to bully Wanderers.”
SCORE:
ST MARY’S: 7.1 7.4 14.5 17.9 (111)
WANDERERS: 2.2 5.2 5.4 7.5 (47)
GOALS:
St Mary’s: J Salmon 5 J Kluske 4 J Calder 3 N Paredes Z Robinson B Cooke J Smithson A Heppell.
Wanderers: S Thorne 2 S Bates M Totham D Shillabeer K Smith-Thompson J Tipiloura
BEST:
St Mary’s: J Kluske J Salmon N Paredes D Landt J Smithson L Jellyman-Turner
Wanderers: K Smith-Thompson B McLean M Totham B Newman B O’Connell
MORE FOOTY ACTION - NTFL FORM GUIDE
The NTFL semi-finals are upon us and only four teams are left in contention.
We take a look at why each side could win or could lose their finals matches.
MAJOR SEMI-FINAL: NIGHTCLIFF VS WARATAH
NIGHTCLIFF
Why they could win: It’s Nightcliff. They’ve topped the table again this year with only two losses to their name. Expectations are high but this is a side that has more than once lived up to the lofty expectations that they’ve set for themselves.
They’ve done it before: It can’t be understated how used to winning this Tigers unit is. They’ve won the past three premierships and in doing have built up a winning culture. Coach Chris Baksh will be at the helm for the 100th time this weekend and his experienced side will be looking to do it for him.
Balance: Nightcliff are solid right across the field with options in every area of the ground. There’s no over reliance on any one player. From the back line featuring Daniel Bowles and Ryan Nyhuis to the forwards where Cam Ilett and Kyle Emery form a dynamic scoring partnership. There’s strength everywhere.
Why they could lose: There’s very few weaknesses in this Nightcliff unit. They have league winners across the field and they don’t seem to rely on any one player to complete their role. But a couple of slow starts in recent weeks may be their undoing against a composed Waratah.
The week off: It’s not much of a weakness but game time is important particularly come finals time. Nightcliff have been slow starters in recent times and would probably have wanted to have some time to work on that area of their game. They instead come in colder than their semi-final opposition.
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WARATAH:
Why they could win: Tahs will be brimming with confidence after claiming its first top scalp for the NTFL season in a 15-point win over St Mary’s, and this could be their best chance to knock off the reigning premier.
Their strong midfield: Waratah boast a strong midfield who can also go forward and kick goals, in Jayden Magro (39), Corey Rich (25) and Brodie Carroll (18), with some X Factor from Kurtley Silver.
Why they could lose: Is Nightcliff a six -goal better team than Tahs? The reigning premiers have the wood over NTFL foundation club, beating them by 35 points way back in round two and then by the same margin in the final round of the year. However, Waratah were without Abe Ankers, Cameron Arnold and Rich in round 18. But can the Tahs defence shut down the Tigers’ multifaceted forward line and keep it a low scoring affair?
Missing an elite goal kicker: One Achilles heel for the Tahs could be the absence of a focal point up forward with goals shared by a number of smaller players who also run through the midfield. The Tigers were able to shut down Magro when it counted in round 18, with most of his five goals coming in junk time.
KNOCK OUT SEMI-FINAL: ST MARY’S vs WANDERERS
ST MARY’S
Why they could win: Saints are hungry. They’ve lost the past two grand finals and have shown all the signs this year of a side on a mission. There’s plenty of unity in the side and every player is after one thing – the premiership flag. They know what second feels like so nothing else matters. Now a week after a qualifying loss they have to regather themselves and refocus on that mission.
Their pace: There are few sides that can outgun Saints when they turn it on. Their tendency to score first and put their opposition on the back foot straight away is one of their biggest weapons. Nick Yarran and Joseph Salmon are true speedsters and true x-factor players. Let St Mary’s play at pace and you’ve pretty much given them the game.
Midfield excellence: This is a midfield coming into its own. Skipper Nate Paredes has been in fine form all season. But having Dylan Landt and Jack Kluske around him as only bolstered the number of possessions Saints get each week. The trio have worked well in tandem and will need to be on song again if their side is to win.
Why they could lose: The loss to Waratah last week would have given Saints’ rivals plenty of hope. Saints looked almost untouchable in the final rounds of the regular season. But finals are a different game and they’re now one slip up away from being booted from the competition. Tahs showed the Green Machine can be beaten with their pressure game, will the Muk Muks take some pointers from that game?
Kicking options: There’s no denying Jackson Calder has had a stellar year in front of goal. But he was taken out of the game against Waratah and in the end that cost Saints dearly. Earlier in the season Nigel Lockyer Jr filled that secondary goal kicker role. Fortunately for Saints they know they have options in the pacey Nick Yarran, the ever busy Dylan Landt and Brandyn Grenfell.
WANDERERS:
Why they could win: St Mary’s will be smarting after an upset 15-point loss to Waratah, so the Eagles will be up against it at TIO Stadium on Saturday. However, with expectations low after being belted by 117 points in the final round, Aaron Motlop’s men might hit the park with nothing to lose. And, they beat the Saints by 17 points in round nine, so they know they can get the Green Machine’s number.
Their blue chip backline: The game changed after quarter time at TIO Stadium on Saturday against Southern Districts through the defensive exploits of the Eagle’s back six - in particular Lloyd Johnston, who provided some dash off half back with six rebounds from 50 and five intercept marks – as the Crocs were restricted to just 2.7 over the remaining three quarters. Wanderers defended strongly all over the ground, especially in a dominant third term, as Braedon McLean also collected 19 touches to find himself in the Eagles’ best.
X Factor: The Eagles boast a number of players who can turn on the spectacular, from Thomas and Marlon Motlop, John Tipiloura (who took an absolute hanger against Crocs in the elimination final) to Nichols medallist Beau O’Connell.
Why they could lose: Wanderers are coming from a long way back, having been belted by St Mary’s less than a fortnight ago in a 117-point smashing and could have been slightly off the boil across the final rounds, lucky to beat Buffaloes by a point in round 16. Wanderers will obviously need to find match ups for Jackson Calder and Nick Yarran, who kicked nine and three goals respectively, the last time they met.
Missing their elite goal kicker: The Eagles are without Eddie Simpson (38 goals for the season from just nine games) and it is unclear if Marlon Motlop will play this weekend, after missing the Districts match due to work commitments and seven might not be enough. The heat will be on Darren Shillabeer to kick a bag, who has physical presence but has not quite equated that to a large haul of goals (14 from seven games).
Huge momentum shift sees Waratah leap over St Mary’s
A HUGE mid-game momentum shift and a complete pressure game has seen Waratah beat St Mary’s 8.11 (59) to 7.2 (44) and advance to the major semi-final.
As has become a custom Saints were off to the races from centre bounce with Nate Paredes and Dylan Landt quick to get into the thick of the action.
Newly named joint NT News player of the year Nick Yarran made the crucial quick tap out to veteran Shannon Rioli who slotted the first goal and Saints were away.
However, they were unable to make the most of their early ascendancy as difficult conditions hampered the Green Machine’s love of clean ball.
And Waratah took advantage using their bigger bodies to wrestle Saints off the ball and with Brodie Carroll and Abe Ankers winning the midfield battles the side were well and truly in the contest.
Saints responded though and managed a slew of goals of their own after some quick passages of their own to go into quarter time ahead.
But their premier goal scorer Jackson Calder was unable to cement himself on the occasion with Tahs key back Daniel O’Dwyer marking him all night.
It was that unpinning of Calder that seemed to unsettle the Green Machine and Tahs, who up to that stage hadn’t beaten Saints all year, were able to up their pressure game.
Tahs dominated from there but at first were unable to show that on the scoreboard with some big moves from Jayden Magro and x-factor man Kurtley Silver blotted out by behinds.
That changed in the third quarter as a flurry of goals went the way of Tahs inspired by some neat disposals from Will Collis and Dylan Collis working in tandem through the midfield.
And by the time James Munro slotted his major and was able to unleash his moose dance the Tahs were ahead.
“It’s just a really good feeling to get this. We’ve been thereabouts all year and just haven’t been able to make it click,” Will Collis said.
“But here there was 22 of us that just brought in and played our style of footy and it shows that we’re able to click at the right time of year.
“It all comes down to the camaraderie through the group. We’re a tight knit team but everyone at the club just buys in.
“(That third quarter) was a real momentum swing. We just stuck to our brand of footy and as we did everything clicked for us.”
Defensive pressure was the name of the game in the fourth quarter as Tahs kept their noses ahead and despite their best efforts Saints never looked like scoring in the final term.
Waratah now move on to face reigning premiers Nightcliff Tigers in the first semi-final while St Mary’s find themselves in a do or die encounter against Wanderers.
Score:
St Mary’s: 5.1 6.1 7.2 7.2 (44)
Waratah: 3.2 3.7 8.9 8.11 (59)
Goals:
St Mary’s: B Grenfell 2 J Calder N Paredes D Landt S Rioli J Robinson
Waratah: A Gulden H Kitschke C Rich A Ankers T Cree J Munro W Collis C Arnold
Best:
St Mary’s: D Landt N Paredes N Yarran S Rioli B Grenfell
Waratah: W Collis D Collis B Carroll A Ankers D O’Dwyer
WANDERERS’ BRILLIANT DEFENCE SEALS WIN
A wayward Wanderers have lifted after a lacklustre first quarter to do enough to push Southern Districts aside in the Men’s Premier League elimination final by two straight kicks.
The Eagles should have shut the gate in a dominant third term at TIO Stadium but failed to find the knockout punch.
It was all Crocs in the first quarter, the black, red and white brigade entering its forward 50 almost at will as the Wanderers’ wounds were self-inflicted — gifting goals to Dylan Barry and Frazer Driscoll through some defensive work described post-match by Eagles coach Aaron Motlop as “sloppy”.
Driscoll enjoyed a particularly dominant start to the game, finding a running Luke Smith by hand for his first of three six- pointers.
Apart from an exciting dash between the arcs by Lloyd Johston, a Marlon Motlop-less Wanderers struggled to get the game on its terms.
A late major through a free kick to Keenan Smith-Thompson was the footballing definition of crucial.
Aaron Motlop may have given his charges a bake at quarter time as the roles were reserved in the second stanza.
Jerome Motlop was taken to the goalsquare, the recipient of a pair of 50m penalties after copping a brainless push on the wing.
And when Marcus Totham accepted a Beau O’Connell handball to convert accurately on the run, the Eagles were suddenly back in the contest in a swift rewrite of the script.
Its defence, led by Johnston and Braedon McLean, suddenly looked like a far more protected zone as Districts lacked the forward line precision and confidence of the first term.
However, the Eagles produced its best quarter of the game when it counted in the third, defending hard across the ground.
A silver service delivery from Mitchel Taylor to Shane Thorne underlined Wanderers’ superior skill in sloppy conditions.
A magnificent mark and set shot from John Tipiloura, followed by an exemplary defensive cut off and goal from Jobastin Priest, were the highlights of the Muk Muks’ premiership quarter mastery.
Then, in a pivotal period of play, and against the flow of the match, Leigh Williams produced two wobbly shots on goal within minutes.
It was Districts’ turn to show some ill-discipline, giving away several 50m penalties as Darren Shillabeer’s snap stunted any thoughts of a Crocs comeback.
Smith’s soccer off the ground cut the margin to just 13 points, but just like the Eagles up forward, Districts burned their chances to draw closer.
Michael Bowden’s faltering set shot from about 25m out felt like the Crocs final chance to steal victory.
After the game, Eagles coach Aaron Stokes said his charges were far more accountable after a “sloppy” first quarter, his defence “magnificent”.
“We just weren’t playing our style of footy,” he said of Wanderers’ opening quarter.
“Unfortunately that’s a little bit ingrained into Wanderers footy… some sloppy efforts.
“You can’t be trying to run your own show (in finals). (But) they responded.”
He said wayward kicking was “not really a recipe for finals success” but the conditions were difficult.
He was also pleased to see his charges respond after a 117-point smashing by St Mary’s in the final round, which he believed was below Premier League standard.
SCORE:
WANDERERS: 1.3 4.6 7.13 7.15 (57)
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS: 4.2 5.4 5.6 6.9 (45)
GOALS:
Wanderers: D Shillabeer 2 K Smith-Thompson J Motlop M Totham J Tipiloura J Priest
Southern Districts: L Smith 3 F Driscoll D Barry J McQueen
BEST:
Wanderers: L Johnston B McLean B Newman B O’Connell M Totham D Shillabeer
Southern Districts: L Smith J McQueen J Ganley J Farrer F Driscoll
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‘See some records broken’: First medals given out as ‘Games with Heart’ kicks off
One of the biggest weeks on the Red Centre sporting calendar is underway in full force, drawing thousands of competitors – some of whom have already taken out the top prize. SEE THE PICTURES.
Fire fears as heritage-listed mural sits forgotten after $3m acquisition
A fire danger period being declared hasn’t spurred the government into action over a site it acquired for more than $3 million – leading to fears an important piece of NT heritage could be reduced to ash.
Ankle monitors no deterrent for young crims as cafe boss hit twice
Two hospitality venues in Palmerston have been ransacked to the tune of about $20,000, with incredible CCTV stills illustrating at least one devil-may-care youth offender wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet.
‘Support us’: Flood-prone community holds emergency meeting with authorities
A remote Top End community with a long history of being hit by floods has met with authorities, calling for greater emergency support and a long-term solution to house their residents.
Darwin soldier claims boozy brawl was a ‘preemptive strike’
A young Darwin soldier has claimed his defence training spurred him to shatter a man’s jaw in a popular Top End nightclub.
REPLAY: Magpies impress in first outing of new campaign
Is this a changing of the guard moment in the NTFL women’s competition? A young Palmerston side has overcome a rebuilding Waratah to kick off their season in style. Check the REPLAY.