PINT produced the upset of the 2022-23 Men's Premier League season when it beat the high flying Palmerston on Saturday night.
The Greenants climbed to sixth position on the ladder with their impressive 11.11 (77) to 3.12 (30) win over a Magpie side that caught a big dose of the goalkicking yips without Eddie Betts in the goalsquare.
A four-goal to nothing first quarter fired out early warning signs for a PINT side intent on making the finals in their first year in the elite Premier League competition.
Spearhead Chris Nield booted four goals, full back Tom Gaden kept dangerous Magpie spearhead Will Farrer quiet, ruckman Brock Carter was a driving force, and captain Matt Ryan was a big target at centre-half-forward.
Coach Shannon Motlop was rapt with his side's endeavour and ball movement after four consecutive losses.
"I think Palmerston was a little bit down personnel wise,'' Motlop said. "But I noticed before the game Eddie Betts had kicked a large number of their goals.
"That made me wonder if they could kick a big score, which meant keeping their main forward target Will Farrer quiet and Tom Gaden was able to do the job.''
Waratah had to work hard to beat the Darwin Buffaloes in Saturday's twilight game at TIO Stadium.
The ladder leaders trailed at half time after the Buffaloes' running players banged on five goals in the first and second quarters to lead by 15 points.
But a five-goal to one-third quarter by the red and whites grabbed the lead for the first time, with midfielders Scott Carlin and Edward Morris in everything.
Tahs boss Ryan Ayres thought his side was always in the contest despite the Buffaloes' early dominance.
"They put a bit of a margin on us in that first half so we had to work to get back into it without some regular first team players due to sickness and another lad didn't get on a flight up here.
''So credit to the boys who came in late, they were able to perform really well for us against a good side in Buffs.''
Darcy Hope and Jayden Magro were goalkicking targets all match, both of them booting four goals in the morale boosting win.
Southern Districts established themselves as genuine premiership contenders with a big win over Wanderers at Tracy Village.
The Crocodiles were back to their running best on a day when ace ruckman Matthew Dennis was absent, booting 13 goals to six in a performance that stamped them as a serious chance to win their fourth senior flag.
Defender Frazer Driscoll displayed all the courage and strength of a maneating crocodile with a best on ground performance and Districts' midfield and forward line players always had the match under control.
St Mary's beat the Tiwi Bombers by eight goals at TIO Stadium despite a stuttering start under the early afternoon sun.
It was Saints' fifth win in a row since losing three of their first four matches, the 15.18 (108) to 9.6 (triumph lifting them into the top three for the first time this season.
Coach Anthony Vallejo said the 2pm start had caught his side off-guard despite the early timeslot being locked in pre-season.
"It was pretty tough for some of the players, let me tell you it was pretty hot out there and it took the players some time to adjust,'' Vallejo said.
Dylan Landt and skipper Nathaniel Paredes found plenty of the football and first gamer Jack Chiswell impressed Saints officials with some strong work in the ruck.
