THE weekend is just around the corner which means sides in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League will be gearing up for another round of action after last week’s high-scoring affair. With plenty of matchups across the grounds with heavy implications, there is a lot for NTFL fans to be excited about with Round 9 set to hold a number of intriguing clashes.

DARWIN BUFFALOES vs. TIWI BOMBERS

Saturday, November 27 @2:30pm

TIO Stadium

The first match of three Saturday matches will see the league’s bottom two sides clash as the Darwin Buffaloes take on the Tiwi Bombers at TIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Both sides have been unable to assert themselves to start the season, with the Buffaloes only securing one win to-date, and the Bombers yet to claim their first victory of the season. This weekend provides a perfect opportunity to amend these poor records, with both sides looking to use the matchup as a chance to potentially light a spark in what has been a disappointing campaign to date. The Buffaloes emerged victorious when these sides went head-to-head in round one, claiming a 20-point win as they kicked their season off with a bang. This remains their only victory thus far, but they will be looking to repeat this on Saturday. On the other hand, the Bombers will have revenge on their mind as they look to turn their season around with a win.

NIGHTCLIFF TIGERS vs. SOUTHERN DISTRICTS

Saturday, November 27 @5:00pm

TIO Stadium

Saturday’s second match will see the Southern Districts take on the league’s best side as they face off against the Nightcliff Tigers at TIO Stadium on Saturday evening. The Tigers have enjoyed a stellar start to the season, losing just one of their first seven matches which sees them sitting pretty on the top of the ladder. At their best, they have looked unstoppable, putting on clinical displays as they tear the opposition apart with remarkable efforts on both ends of the field. They will be confident heading into this match, as they look to keep their winning streak rolling, which currently sits at six. In their path are the Districts, who will be looking to cause an upset by taking down the competition’s best. The Districts have endured a poor start to the season, with their record currently sitting at two wins, four losses and one draw, which sees them sitting in fifth spot on the ladder. They trail the team above by three wins, but the best way to amend this would be a win over the Tigers this weekend. However, they will need to bring their best, and build from their performance in last week’s loss to the Wanderers, which saw them reach triple digits in scoring despite not getting the four points.

PALMERSTON MAGPIES vs. WARATAH

Saturday, November 27 @6:30pm

Cazaly’s Stadium

The final Saturday game will see Waratah continue their chase of top spot with a win over the Palmerston Magpies at Cazaly’s Stadium on Saturday night. Waratah currently sit in second position on the ladder, one win behind the Tigers – but only two points behind after playing out a draw earlier in the season – and will be looking to keep up with the ladder-leaders at the minimum; a win over the Magpies will assist this greatly. If results go their way and the Districts upset the Tigers, Waratah may find themselves on top of the ladder. However, the Magpies will be looking to squash these hopes with a shock win over the current second-best team in the competition. Palmerston has not delivered the most stunning of starts to the season, with just two wins coming from seven matches, but there are no certainties in sport, and the Magpies will be looking to stun the league with a victory this weekend.

WANDERERS vs. ST MARY’S

Sunday, November 28 @4:00pm

Tracy Village Oval

The round’s final game will see a ripping matchup, when the Wanderers face off against St Mary’s at Tracy Village Oval on Sunday afternoon. The two sides currently occupy the lower two spots of the top four, with the Wanderers sitting in third spot, while St Mary’s have done well enough to find themselves in fourth spot, behind only due to a draw earlier in the year. Fortunately, the loser of this clash will not be dropping out of the top four, with the teams both sitting three wins above fifth place. However, there will still be a lot on the line in this match, with the opportunity to not only separate themselves from each other, but also potentially move up a spot or two depending on other results around the league. Expect both of these teams to come out firing.