The battle for the coveted double chance in the TIO NTFL's Men's Premier League moved into overdrive on Saturday when key participants St Mary's and Nightcliff recorded percentage boosting wins.
Third-placed St Mary's destroyed a disappointing Palmerston when Dylan Landt, Jackson Calder and Jack Landt kicked 14 of their side's 20 goals in a 120-point thrashing at TIO Stadium.
The defending premier raced to a 45-point lead at half-time and kicked 12 goals to the Magpies' three points in the last half to boost their percentage in the race for the top three.
Dylan and Jack Landt were in dominant form for the Saints, along with Lucas Jellyman-Turner running out of defence.
Matches against Waratah next week in a twilight fixture at TIO Stadium and old rivals Wanderers to close out the minor round season are must-wins for the premiers, who have Nightcliff looming large in the rear vision mirror.
Across the city at Darwin Mazda Nightcliff Oval, the Tigers unwrapped goalkicking twin towers John Butcher and Sam Overall when the new pairing kicked 13 of Nightcliff's 19 goals in a 70-point win over the fifth-placed Darwin Buffaloes.
But it was dual Nichols medallist Brodie Filo who dominated the match through the middle with a scintillating four quarters of football, while ruckman Jackson Bowen showed the importance of a big man in any side's premiership aspirations.
Coach Chris Baksh said Butcher's seven goals and six from South Adelaide recruit Overall had put the icing on a complete team performance in front of their home fans.
"We played really well, our forward line clicked, the midfield and our big men did their job and the players stuck to the gameplan,'' Baksh said.
The Tigers face a difficult assignment against sixth-placed PINT at DXC Arena next week before winding up their minor round campaign with a 2pm clash with the Tiwi Bombers at Gardens Oval in Round 18.
The goals kept coming at Gardens Oval where former Geelong and Port Adelaide star Steven Motlop booted 12 of the Eagles' 23 goals in a 90-point win over the Tiwi Bombers.
The Eagles shot down the Bombers while kicking seven goals to one in the opening term and another eight in the third term.
It was a brief glimpse of what might have been for Wanderers this season, who had winners on every line.
With Motlop on fire up forward, Mitchell Taylor and Brodie Newman composed in defence and Beau O'Connell, Nathan Arbon and Tom Boyes filling the supply line to Motlop, it was goal heaven for the blue and gold jumpers.
Goals were at a premium at Norbuilt Oval where ladder leaders Southern Districts had to work hard to beat a determined PINT by 34 points to almost seal the minor premiership.
In a game remembered more for lost opportunities in front of goal and spilt marks, Jake McQueen around the ball and up forward, Jack Sexton in a small forward role and ruckman Matt Dennis were standout performers.
PINT again found the pathway to goal hard to navigate and were left to contemplate a big possession game with little return on the scoreboard.
McQueen, the former Essendon and North Ballarat utility, said the game developed into a tough slog from the first bounce.
"Credit to the boys and PINT, we chipped away and were able to stay in the game against an opposition that played well,'' he said.
"PINT play a similar style of game to us, so we knew it was going to be a tough game and it turned out that way.''
