THE Darwin Buffettes wasted no time placing their imprint on the 2022-23 Women's Premier League season with a big win over Wanderers in their opening round match.
With regular coach Melinda Taylor in Alice Springs to attend a friend's wedding, Edward Clarke took over the reins with the club's assistants to guide the reigning WPL premiers to a convincing 17.10 (112) to nil win.
Johanna Gregory's six goals made her the standout player of the game, with the creative Machaelia Roberts, Crystal Browne, Ebony Miller and four-goal forwards Kerri O'Connell and Lee-anne Allia other good players in the big win.
The WPL debut of the Tiwi Bombers women ran out of steam after a spirited start against the Palmerston Magpies in their opening round game at TIO Stadium.
The Jason Bonson coached Bombers led for three quarters and ran to a 16-point lead at the first change with their brand of running football producing a two-goal to nil term.
But the Magpies got back into the match in the second quarter, three-goal forward Tatyana Perry in tandem with Hannah Torsney, Keely Patrick and Natasha Medbury down back and through the centre reduced the Bombers' run.
A four-goal to nil last half by the Magpies, three of them in the last quarter when they booted 3.5 to nothing, won the game.
"We were able to maintain our consistency around the ball for the whole match and it won us the match,'' their coach John-Michael Torsney said.
Bonson said his side had simply run out of legs on what was a big occasion for the now merged Tiwi women and Tracy Village Football Club.
"We only met as a group for the first time on Friday night and with the complexities of distance with training venues on the islands and one here in Darwin it will make for some hard work,'' he added.
"It was an exciting day for the proud women from both clubs, unfortunately we couldn't get the team over the line and credit must go to Palmerston who played well.''
PINT beat last season's grand finalists Nightcliff at Darwin Mazda Oval, holding the home side scoreless after the first quarter to win by 12 points in a game where only three goals were scored.
Queenants coach Rick Nolan watched his side dominate a game where most of the football was played in the PINT forward line.
"We just couldn't score despite the ball being in our forward half for about 80 per cent of the game,'' Nolan noted.
Skipper Casey Morris at centre half-forward was PINT's best in a game played in traditional wet season conditions at the seaside ground.
Midfielders Rhiley Huppatz and Reni Hicks also showed a liking for the muddy conditions, while Hannah Turnbull and Christy Landwehr played their hearts out for the Tigers.
Waratah forward Jenna Singh kicked eight goals in her side's 127-point demolition of St Mary's in Sunday's game at Gardens Oval.
The eight-time WPL champions booted five goals to one in the first quarter and 13 to two in a big second half to run away from their opponents in an impressive start to the new campaign.
Singh's brilliant cameo and major support roles from Madeleine Jeans and Annabel Kievit ensured the red and white jumpers outdid their male counterparts on the scoreboard after they beat Saints by 101 points on Friday.
Skipper Lisa Roberts was philosophical about the 21-goal win, saying while there were a lot of smiles in the changerooms post-match, the coaching staff had identified a few areas the players needed to work on.
