IT was a round of the best versus the worst as the top teams got the better of the bottom sides in convincing wins. Waratah was the first juggernaut of the round, defeating Tracy Village by 98 points. This is also the second week in a row that the Razorbacks have been kept scoreless. The Saints put up a fight against Palmerston in the first half but were ultimately blown away in the second half. Elsewhere, the Southern Districts smashed the Queen Ants, keeping them to one behind for the day. The last match was the exception to previous games, where a fight to avoid the bottom of the ladder saw Nightcliff and the Wanderers battle for their first win of the year. In the end, it was the Eagles who claimed the four points and sang their song for the first time this season.

WARATAH  4.0 I 9.5 I 9.9 I 12.17 (89)
TRACY VILLAGE  0.0 I 0.0 I 0.0  I 0.0 (0)

GOALS:

Tracy Village: Not Supplied.
Waratah: L. O’Shea 5, L. Miceli 5, B. Martin, M. Gault.

BEST:

Tracy Village: A. Henderson, Z. Clarke, M. McCartney, E. Ienco, A. Ogilvie-Mitchell, S. Bailie-mace
Waratah: M. Gault, L. Roberts, S.Bishop, J. Kolodziej, M. Reisinger

Tracy Village was very competitive early on in the season, but in the past two weeks, they have failed to score a single point. Lisa Miceli led the way for Waratah, kicking another five goals for the third week in a row, but she was not the only Warrior to kick a bag. Lauren O’Shea pushed forward to bag five of her own, meaning the Razorbacks had no answer for the tall timber of the Warriors. The defence of Waratah was nothing short of perfect. Lisa Roberts and Sharona Bishop built a wall in the backline that Tracy Village couldn’t even dint. Under-18 representative, Madeline Gault ran amok in the midfield and up forward, kicking a goal. She was named best-on-ground, and although she is already a premiership player she appears to have taken her football to the next level.

PALMERSTON MAGPIES  2.1 I 6.6 I 10.10 I 13.14 (92)
ST MARYS  3.0 I 5.0 I 7.3  I 8.4 (52)

GOALS:

Palmerston Magpies:  N. Medbury 4, S. Bush 2, J. Stassi, T.May, H. Davey.
St Marys: Not Supplied.

BEST:

Palmerston Magpies: F. Puruntatameri, N. Medbury, S. Bush, H. Davey, B. Byers
St Marys: Not Supplied

If Natasha Medbury keeps up this form, she could be awarded the Gwynne Medal at season’s end. Medbury has been dominant in the midfield this year, but her ability against St Marys to push forward from the centre and kick four goals was remarkable. However, Freda Puruntatameri has become equally as important, voted the best player on the day, Puruntatemeri’s run and carry from the half-back line has been vital for Palmerston this season. St Marys played well in the first half, only to chase the Magpies’ tail feathers in the second. The Saints have been more competitive in recent weeks, but unlike last week where they were able to snatch a win in the last quarter, they were simply outdone by the better side.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 5.2 I 9.5 I 11.9 I 12.12 (84)
PINT  0.1 I 0.1 I 0.1  I 0.1 (1)

GOALS:

Southern Districts: Not Supplied.
Pint: Not Supplied.

BEST:

Southern Districts: E. Miller, K. Patterson, T. Holtze, I.Sleeth, J. Hoes
Pint: Not Supplied

After several poor seasons, the Southern Districts have announced themselves as heavyweights in this year’s competition. Tahlia Holtze and Ebony Miller are showing their class each week as they continue to blaze from the midfield and give their forwards ample opportunities in front of goal. The overall team performance kept the Queen Ants to one point, showing that Pint was unprepared for the manic pressure that the Crocs produced. In the first quarter, the Southern Districts kicked five goals, and from there it was a feeding frenzy for the Districts. The Queen Ants seem to have no problem defeating the teams below them, but when it comes to battling the real contenders of the NTFL Women’s competition, they get shown up in poor performances. As for the Crocs, they appear to be Waratah’s number one threat in claiming the 2018/2019 premiership.

WANDERERS 2.1 I 2.1 I 3.2 I 7.2 (44)
NIGHTCLIFF 1.1 I 1.2 I 1.2  I 3.4 (22)

GOALS:

Wanderers: L. Allia 4, A. Moreen 2, C.Boyd.
Nightcliff:  Not supplied.

BEST:

Wanderers: D. Peckham, I. Briston, L. Motlop
Nightcliff:  Not supplied

Eight rounds and no wins made this game a battle of pride. It was a tight match where the Eagles and Tigers kept trying to claw ahead in the seesawing contest. The final outcome was the Wanderers proving that little bit better, with Lee-Anne Allia and Under-18 representative, Arthurina Moreen as well as Calista Boyd stepping up to the plate and kicking the goals that needed to be kicked. Nightcliff kicked two goals late but never seemed to have the momentum to catch the Wanderers. The Eagles will face the Razorbacks next week and after Tracy Village’s poor performance in recent weeks, the Wanderers may get their second straight victory. The Tigers had their opportunity against the Eagles but sadly fell short, meaning the Tigers are destined to repeat their poor form from last year.