After Cyclone Marcus and a couple of false starts welcome to the final day of the 2017/18 TIO NTFL season for Men’s Premier League and Men’s Division 1! Twenty-two weeks of footy, plenty of highs and the occasional low…there are sure to be history made over the next couple of days.
We have two new contenders vying for top honours in the Men’s Premier League, while in the Men’s Division 1 Waratah have given themselves the chance to go back-to-back.
The Men’s Division 1 grand final also promises to thrill, with Banks the first qualifier coming up against last season’s premiers, Waratah. The Bulldogs finished top of the ladder and defeated the Tahs twice throughout the season. The last win was only six points though, and Waratah have not been overawed coming from fifth spot on the ladder to be in contention today. This one promises to be full of feeling so stay tuned!
In this season’s paramount event, the Men’s Premier League grand final will see a change in procedures, as two clubs who have not played for a premiership in over a decade, face-off.
After suffering two heavy losses to Southern Districts during the regular season, Darwin Buffaloes turned things on its head and got an early jump in a very wet semi final. They inflicted the Crocs’ second loss for the season and booked themselves into today’s big dance. The Buffs team is full of passion and talent and have some big imports but also plenty of names synonymous with Territory footy. The chant of “Buffaloes” will surely fill TIO Stadium...will it lift them to glory?
While over in the Crocs camp, there is a wealth of elite AFL experience, which coupled with the finesse of the local boys has Southern Districts humming. They’ve been around the mark for some years now and have enjoyed a near-perfect season. They know they have what it takes to defeat their opponents and will attack the ball with pace and ferocity. In the stand the Districts fans won’t be intimidated, it’s only a matter of time to see if the players are also up to the task.
After all the excitement of the Men’s Premier League and Men’s Division 1 the focus then shifts to Saturday where some of our younger teams will look to cement themselves as powerhouses of the junior divisions and we find out who will come out on top in the Men’s Division 2 in what will be another great day of Territory football.
The Under 14 Lewfatt grand final will see a new champion for the first time in three seasons. 2017/18 is the first time Banks Bulldogs have entered an Under 14 team and through hard work they’ve certainly earned the right to play in today’s big game. Though they defeated Palmerston twice this season, the Magpies took down a big scalp last weekend and are not afraid to do it again.
How about a rematch of last year’s grand final? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening in the Under 14 Gundersen division. The Saints didn’t drop a game all season and finished top of the ladder. This impressive feat includes the three losses they inflicted on the Tigers, but Nightcliff has won the last four titles in the Gundersen division so know what it takes and won’t lie down without a bite.
Over in the Under 16 Leverence competition, today’s meeting between Tracy Village and Darwin Buffaloes is the sixth time these two teams have met this season. The Buffs have fought hard to make it to today and only lost to the Bushpigs by three points a fortnight ago. If they win today, then the ledger will be three wins-apiece but the only games they dropped this season were to Tracy Village, so it’s sure to be an entertaining affair.
The first game of the day on the main stage is the battle for glory between Nightcliff and Palmerston in the Under 16 Hickman division. This is the battle of the best two after Nightcliff finished first on the ladder, and Palmerston second at season’s end. Remarkably, it is the eighth season in-a-row that the Tigers have made this grand final, but they lost the last two, won the previous four, and have not played the Magpies in any of those games. So today is a new slate.
In Under 18 Boys it will be a replay of the semi-final from a couple of weeks ago and a rematch of last season’s grand final. In the encounter two weeks ago Wanderers led Southern Districts at every break but last year it was Districts who were the victors and also have this season’s win-loss home and away record sitting in its favour, two-one. However, the Eagles lost the 2015/16 final as well, so are hungry for success and are the only team to have beaten the top side. Will it be a case of third time’s a charm or back-to-back premierships for the Crocs?
It’s no surprise to see Nightcliff Spartans contesting the Men’s Division 2 title after the Spartans dropped only one game all season. While they enjoyed last week off, their opponent today, Jabiru, showed real character to win three do-or-die finals to make today’s game. These two teams met once this season, and it was the Bombers who inflicted Nightcliff’s only loss. It was a mere 11 points though, and with the Spartans carrying grand final hurt from seasons 2015/16 and 2014/15 we’re in for a great game.
Congratulations to all finalists, their coaches, support staff and fans on making it to the ultimate game.
Thank you for joining us to see history in the making.
