NTFL coach Chris Baksh has called Saturday night's representative match against SANFL premiers Woodville-West Torrens a showcase of the Territory game and WWT rival Jade Sheedy an opportunity to put some important structures into place.
The SANFL premiers are shooting at a third successive flag and the Territory a fifth successive win over SANFL sides, which has all the ingredients for a genuine representative clash.
Baksh led the Territory Buffaloes to a win over Glenelg in last year's fixture and knows the importance of this match in terms of pride and strengthening the Territory's football pedigree.
"They're (WWT) always going to be a big challenge coming from the SANFL, but it provides an opportunity for our boys to showcase our league and what representative football means to them,'' Baksh told the AFLNT website.
"It's unfortunate we can only fit 24 into the side, but with our captain Braedon McLean leading a strong group with players in Jarrod Stokes, Abe Ankers, Brodie Newman, Ben Archard in the ruck, Jackson Calder up forward and Nick Yarran and Liam Holt-Fitz around the goals we're right to go.''
"We're not as tall as we'd like to be, but I've got a great mix of players who can play quick, fast footy on the outside and use the ball really well.''
Woodville-West Torrens counterpart Jade Sheedy expects plenty of leg speed an quick ball movement in line with Territory football's offensive style of game.
Already a two-time premiership coach since joining the Eagles in 2020, Sheedy's playing resume includes the 2002 Magarey Medal he won in a tie with then Sturt teammate Tim Weatherald in the club's premiership year.
Sheedy views the trek north as twofold - implementing team structures and getting out of Adelaide to bond as a team.
"We want to have a bit of fun and take the game on as well, so we're bringing up a pretty young squad with a lot of players included who haven't played league footy,'' he said.
"It's why we want to give them a taste against what will be a good representative side from the NT, with a mix of players who have played a lot of league and AFL footy.
"Troy Menzel (Carlton and Adelaide) and Riley Knight (Adelaide) will be among them and Joey Sinor, our two-time best and fairest winner and our vice-captain also coming up.''
Sheedy's Eagles are poised to snatch a third successive SANFL senior flag, a process he says carries on from the 2021 grand final win over Glenelg, when the focus was on being better than they were the year before.
Team lists can be found here.
