Finals places locked in after last round of regular season fixtures
The post-season is upon us after the final round of WPL regular season action. Read final wrap of season 2024-25 here.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The final weekend of regular season WPL action has come and gone, with finals now on the immediate horizon.
With the final five having already booked their spots, the results only impacted the bottom of the table.
Out at Gardens it was Waratah who pulled off a defensive 7.3 (45) to 2.0 (12) victory over the Darwin Buffaloes.
The Tahs got out to a healthy lead early in the piece, adding to the tally before the big break.
The Double Blue were all at sea in the second half, going scoreless in the third and fourth.
The result saw Waratah and Darwin both remain in seventh and sixth place respectively, ending both side’s seasons.
Elsewhere St Mary’s handed Southern Districts a 77 point defeat in a 12.17 (89) to 2.0 (12) scoreline.
After kicking four majors in a row, the Green Machine proceeded to kick eight straight behinds to take a 32-0 lead.
It was one-way traffic for the remainder of the contest, Caitlin Sargent top scoring with five goals for Saint’s, one in the third and four in the last.
As a result, St Mary’s maintained its second place on the ladder, a win behind PINT, while Districts also kept its position at eighth.
The closest contest of the round saw Nightcliff Tigers beat the travelling Palmerston Magpies in a 9.9 (63) to 3.6 (24) result.
Both sides had qualified for finals already, but it was the Tigers who stood tall, namely Lekaiya Rabbit, Eliza Hand and league-leading goal kicker Cassie McWilliam.
The final match of the round was another one-sided bloodbath suffered by luckless Wanderers.
PINT’s Queenants mauled the Eagles in a 26.21 (177) to 0.0 (0) result.
A number of PINT’s players lapped up the opportunity in front of the uprights; Gold Coast Suns’ Jordan Membrey bagged seven goals while Steph Lawrence, Kenidee McNamara and Casey Morris all slotted five.
ROUND 17
PINT walloped an overwhelmed Tiwi Bombers to win 13.10 (88) to 3.5 (23) in a rebound performance following their loss to Saint’s last round.
It was all one way traffic for the premiers in the first half, punishing the Bombers seven majors to one, Jordan Membrey and captain Reni Hicks leading the charge.
The Bombers fought back with a good third quarter spell with two goals from Jelena Tipungwuti.
However the champions put their foot down in the final period, snuffing out any momentum Tiwi possessed on the attacking front, kicking five goals to the Bombers’ two behinds.
Greenants’ Paige Sheppard and Zoe McWhinney earnt best on nods while Tipungwuti was the visitors best with her two goals.
Out at Tracy Village Southern Districts showed the dearth of talent concern at the bottom of the table, beating Wanderers 15.24 (114) to 0.0 (0).
The Crocs first victory since Round 2, which also came against the Eagles, was headlined by the goal kicking efforts of Eva Harris who hit four.
Nine other Districts players kicked a major with youngster Bonnie Brown and Cate Twaddle bagging a brace.
The loss is the Wanderers 15th of the season meaning they are one game away from suffering back-to-back winless seasons.
Elsewhere the Palmerston Magpies put on a defensive clinic against Waratah, winning 10.7 (67) to 2.1 (13).
The Pies got underway early in the piece, putting on a 27-0 lead in the first before stagnating in the second.
Waratah kicked 12 of its 13 in the second before being shut-out in the second half.
Marika Carlton, Jorja Davey and Ella Ward were among the visitors best while Waratah’s Brittany Daly, Jamilla Cranny and Lilly Rydon earned best players nominations.
The Nightcliff Tigers thwarted Darwin Buffettes’ finals hopes with a 10.7 (67) 0.1 (1) thumping in a performance in which the home side led from the off.
Gabrielle Deller and Georgia Johnson got plenty of the ball out of the middle early as
Gracie Roy and Chloe Jacobs set the tone in front of goal with first quarter majors.
League leading goal scorer Cassie McWilliam later had her way of things with three goals.
Darwin avoided going home without a score when Zoe Kurnoth knocked through a behind at the top of the third quarter.
It didn’t stall the run of Nightcliff, however, who continued to up the tempo using their experience across the ground to pile on more points and double their half time score by the match end.
ROUND 16
Nightcliff did the double in the Battle of the Beaches as the women followed up their male counterparts with a resounding 91 point victory in a 16.9 (105) to 2.2 (14) result.
The visitors were pumped from the outset, determined to not only secure four points for finals ramifications but to deliver club and team favourite Sophie Hatzismalis a win in her 100th match for the Tigers.
It was a disappointing result for Waratah who ahead of the clash had been on a three-game winning streak.
A slow first quarter from the home side allowed Nightcliff to build a stable lead that it never relinquished.
Void of serious attacking chances Waratah were sitting ducks for the Tigers who pounced in front of the uprights.
New recruit and Brisbane Lions Academy small utility Zimra Hussain bagged six in her third outing for the Tigers while Hatzismalis kicked three, as did Chloe Jacobs.
The win means Nightcliff will finish the regular season third overall at a minimum.
St Mary’s dealt back-to-back flag winner PINT its first defeat in more than 700-days in a statement performance, securing a 6.2 (38) to 2.6 (18) victory.
With both sides in a red-hot patch of form into the contest it was the Green Machine who actually controlled the majority of the clash, leading for the majority of the day.
Saint’s Paula Pavic showed what she’s made of in the ruck contest up against Jasmyn Hewett, who has twice won the women’s best and fairest medal.
Emily Forshaw and Janet Baird were everywhere defensively pressuring the Queenants to make mistakes when set up, while Ciaralii Parnell enjoyed one of her best games of the season.
Impressively, despite having the lead established in the fourth the Saints never relented, as they did earlier in the season, and built on the margin instead.
Nadia von Bertouch scored twice while Caitlin Sargent had three majors to her name to establish their side’s win against the team that beat them in last year’s grand final.
Palmerston did a number on the Double Blues in a potentially finals defining match-up.
The Pies were victors in a 15.13 (103) to 3.0 (18) scoreline, putting them in fifth place and four points clear of Darwin.
The perfect rebound performance after a bitterly disappointing one-point defeat to Tiwi last round, the Magpies ran riot across the park all morning.
The Buffettes were kept pointless in the first half all the while Palmerston’s pocket-rocket Markia Carlton inflicted the bulk of the damage with five majors in the same time frame.
Palmerston didn’t relent in the second either, adding 45 points to the tally in a percentage boosting performance.
Elsewhere the Tiwi Bombers kept their finals hopes alive with a 7.5 (47) to 2.4 (16) win over the struggling Southern Districts.
Tiwi got out to a nice lead early, managing to restrict Districts’ go ahead despite missing a few key players.
Tiwi hit a wall in the final quarter going pointless, fortunately the quick start was more than enough of a buffer.
Usual suspects Jessica Nannup, Maria Rioli and Kimberly Cunningham had solid performances for the Bombers while Bobbie Brown was the Crocs’ best.
ROUND 15
The match of the round saw the Tiwi Bombers clinch a heart-stopping 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 upper hand 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 fourth when Saraya Mauboy-Hudson kicked the visitors’ lone score.
Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn was the Saints’ best, earning her eighth best on ground 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 Oval, 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 14
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.
Last year’s runner ups kept a top two finish alive, now eight points clear of Nightcliff Tigers.
The Buffettes continued their finals charge, 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.
Namely 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.
More Coverage
Originally published as Finals places locked in after last round of regular season fixtures
‘Forgotten history’: Project to turn the page on Top End’s literary past
A new project is aiming to turn the page on Darwin’s ‘forgotten’ literary prowess, bringing the Northern Territory capital into the spotlight. Find out how.
Qld business donates whopping $57m to Alice Springs program
A Red Centre sporting organisation has received a whopping donation from a Queensland company. Find out more.