THE easing of restrictions in the greater Darwin area meant the return of the Northern Territory Football League Women’s (NTFLW) Premier League to the delight of fans. Despite missing some crucial matchups in round 6, the league returned with a bang over the weekend, with big scores and close contests making round 7 one to remember. With storylines across the league, one that caught the eye is that of Darwin, who maintained their undefeated streak on the weekend, as they continue their pursuit of the top-placed Nightcliff, who have played one more game than the Buffaloes. It is essential that Darwin continue their winning run if they are to continue to compete for top spot, and they did just that over the weekend.

Wanderers Premier Women 2.2 (14) def by. Darwin Buffaloes Premier Women 11.12 (78)

The Buffaloes delivered a commanding performance with their win over the Wanderers on the weekend, taking full control of the game and never allowing their opponents to have a chance. The Buffaloes look one of the league’s premier teams and maintained this reputation over the weekend with a powerful performance. With Nightcliff’s bye still over a month away, Darwin will need to continue to deliver performances of this caliber if they are to keep themselves in the hunt for top spot.

The Buffaloes wasted no time getting themselves on the board, storming away with the first center clearance and booting the ball deep inside their forward-50. It was in the goalsquare where highlight came, with forward Mickey Roberts claiming the crumb from her own marking contest and opening the match’s scoring for the day with a major. The Wanderers looked to return serve almost immediately with an attacking play, but the Darwin defenders were composed under pressure and were able to thwart this. Following this, the ball was locked in the Buffaloes’ half, but the Wanderers held on to not allow Darwin a clean shot on goal in the next 10 minutes. However, the Buffaloes were finally able to conjure their second, courtesy of some magic from Freda Wosomo.

The second term saw the Buffaloes continue to tighten their grip on the game, booting two more goals early in the term to extend their lead. However, a lack of accuracy in front of goal stopped the margin from growing even further. A shot on the run from Kylie Duggan made the margin over six goals at the main break.

The third term started in the same fashion that the second concluded, with Darwin’s Zoe Anderson streaming into an open goal to open the scoring account for the second half. Things continued to look bleak for the Wanderers, but they remained competitive for the minutes that followed, putting a halt to the avalanche of goals that they had seen earlier in the game. The scoring deadlock was broken with Darwin’s Tia Patterson-Dunn converting a set shot as the margin kept growing by the time three-quarter time rolled around.

The final term provided the opportunity for redemption for the Wanderers, but Darwin once again came out firing, with Roberts booting her third of the match. Jojo Gregory booted another two in a row for the Buffaloes, and the game officially entered blowout territory, as Darwin stormed away with their fifth consecutive victory. The Wanderers were able to provide a highlight in the final term, with Djimila Totham bursting away from defenders and booting a classy goal on the run from the forward pocket, but these moments were too few and far between.

For the victors, Molly Althouse was her usual dominant self, controlling the game from the middle of the ground with her impressive decision making and power. Her highlight of the day came in the final term when she laid a crunching tackle on an opponent that resulted in a free kick and deliver an inside-50 for her side. Roberts’ three goals ended up being telling in the dominance of her side, and the Buffaloes will be eager to keep her services on a weekly basis given her other committments.

St Mary’s Premier Women 4.7 (31) def. Waratah Premier Women 4.5 (29)

Fans at TIO Stadium were treated to a thriller on Saturday morning, as St Mary’s held off a determined Waratah side to avoid an upset, as they walked away winners by just two points. Waratah took a four point lead into the final term, with St Mary’s having trailed for the second and third quarters. However, the victors were able to find a way, as they held on to retain third spot on the ladder and keep themselves right in the hunt for a finals spot.

Palmerston Magpies Premier Women 0.0 (0) def by. Nightcliff Tigers Premier Women 4.8 (32)

The Tigers once again demonstrated their class with a 32-point triumph over the Magpies on Saturday afternoon to remain unbeaten after their first six games. The Magpies could simply not conjure any offensive rhythm throughout all four quarters with their opponents proving too strong, storming away with a win that amounted to over five goals, despite the inaccuracy in front of goal.

Tracy Village 1.0 (6) def by. Southern Districts 7.7 (49)

The Districts continue to turn their season around with their second consecutive victory after taking down the bottom-placed Tracy Village on Sunday afternoon. Despite a poor start to the season, the Districts appear to be turning their season around, winning two on the trot and looking awfully dangerous for their upcoming opponents. The Districts led all day and if they can maintain this form, their charge up the ladder may come sooner than first thought.