The 2012-13 TIO NTFL Season will commence on Saturday October 6, 2012 after the fixture was ratified at the AFLNT Board meeting on Monday night.
The 2012-13 TIO NTFL Season will commence on Saturday October 6, 2012 after the fixture was ratified at the AFLNT Board meeting on Monday night.
The Central Australian Redtails and the Banks Bulldogs will enter the NTFL on a four week trial from rounds one to four, with the Red Tails hosting the first ever NTFL Match at Traeger Park in Round 1 against St Mary’s Football Club who will travel to the red centre to test the best of what Central Australia has to offer.
"The fixture takes into account a host of complexities with the introduction of the Central Australian and Banks Football Clubs on four game trials, but will enable a far more even competition to take place with all premier league teams matching up twice against each other through out the season," said AFLNT Football Operations Manager Anthony Venes.
The draw marks the return of NTFL action to Bathurst Island with the Grand Final rematch set down for a round two showdown at Nguiu Oval and will provide the opportunity for the Tiwi people to see the 2011-12 Premiership Flag raised before the game.
"We have been working extremely hard with the Tiwi Island Land Council, the Tiwi Bombers and other key stakeholders on the island to ensure their oval will be up to standard for the Round Two and other scheduled matches and we are confident they will all go ahead as planned."
With the current resurfacing of TIO Stadium taking place premier league matches will not return to TIO Stadium until Round 3.
"Following the success of the turf management plan in 2011-12 we are working with the NT Government to continue to ensure the surface is looked after, but this provides further opportunity for regional venues to host premier league fixtures and also makes use of the other fantastic facilities the top end has to offer, including the brand new $10m facility out in Palmerston which will host their first game in Round 2."
A number of key highlights for the year are also set out with a number of key club and league milestones being achieved throughout the 2012-13 TIO NTFL Season.
A summary of these highlights include:
- Round 1-4 Central Australian Redtails & Banks Bulldogs four game trial
- Round 1: Inaugural NTFL Match played at Traeger Park
- Round 2: St Marys 60th Anniversary Match (1952 v Darwin)
- Round 5: Palmerston/North Darwin/Internationals Football Club 40th Anniversary
- Round 6: Hall of Fame Round (Hall of Fame, Saturday November 10th, 2012)
- Round 7: beyondblue Round
- Round 8: Women’s Round
- Round 11: Umpire Appreciation Round
- Round 14: TIO Seatbelts Save Lives Round – Palmerston v Tiwi Bombers
- Round 15: Heritage Round
- Round 16: 25th Anniversary Southern Districts Football Club
- Round 17: Call to Arms Cancer Round
- Round 18: Bombing of Darwin Round.
The 2012-13 TIO NTFL Seatbelts Save Lives Final Series will commence on Saturday 23rd February with the season coming to an end at TIO Stadium on Saturday 16th March, 2013.
DOWNLOAD THE FULLFIXTURE