Written by Grey Morris for AFL Northern Territory
The Northern Territory's Football League women's side got back on the winners' list on Wednesday night when they beat the visiting Essendon's VFLW team by seven points in a low-scoring affair at TIO Stadium.
First-quarter goals by Steph Lawrence and Emma Stark were enough to hold off the gallant Bombers on a day where only three goals were scored.
The 2.5 (17) to 1.4 (10) scoreline was an indication of the game's toughness on a playing surface softened up by 60mm of rain the day before the game and in the lead-in to match time.
Both sides failed to kick a goal after quarter time when desperate defence from both sides combined with a slippery surface and drizzling rain where the temperature still climbed into the late 20s, made finding the ball and doing something with it a difficult assignment.
Buffaloes skipper Jasmyn Hewett won the best on-ground medal after another four-quarter performance where she gave her on-ballers an armchair ride.
Territory coach Rick Nolan said the wet weather had turned the match into a stoppage game when the Top End's traditional heat and humidity would have been a better option for his players.
"We wanted a Territory-style game instead of a wet and slippery match that probably suited Essendon more than what we would have liked,'' he added.
"We've trained for eight weeks for this match, so to get a win when we had to dig deep when Essendon came at us a few times is a good feeling.
"We had to change our ways a bit, there were too many stoppages in the first half and we wanted to play Territory-style football and I think we did, even if it didn't show up on the scoreboard.''
Jo Miller around the ball, Jemma Iacono down back, Palmerston pair Marika Carlton and Tatyana Perry on a wing and a forward flank, Maighan Fogas and Mickayla Ward also impressed for the home side.
Essendon's assistant coach Steph Cain said her players had shown a lot of intent on a night when the simple things were made harder by the wet and steamy conditions.
"Our group are only a couple of weeks into their pre-season while the NTFL are 15 weeks in, so to make it a contest when it was particularly hard for both teams was good to see,'' Cain said.
"The rain and the slippery surface was tough enough, but the humidity certainly added a different perspective so we had to try and acclimatise in the last day and a bit.''
Tiwi Bomber Freda Puruntatameri led the way for her Essendon teammates by getting her hands on the football several times and doing something with it.
The Bombers' ruck Jaimee-Lee Morrow was another master controller for the club on a night when the club could hold its head up high despite the narrow loss.
Rewatch all the action via the AFLNTv YouTube Channel
