AFTER a weekend of rest leading into the annual Australia Day clash, the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League returns for Round 15. With the top four all but locked in (barring a miracle), the most important race now comes in the form of shaping the finals standings. With just four weeks until half of the competition begins their offseason, each win is crucial for those inside the top four, with the possibility of a home final on the line. Things kick off tomorrow, when the round’s action starts with the traditional Australia Day clash, which has plenty of repercussions moving forward.

Waratah vs. Wanderers

Wednesday, January 26 @4pm
Gardens Oval

In what is likely to be the match of the round, the Wanderers will travel to Gardens Oval to take on Waratah on Wednesday afternoon. With these teams occupying two of the top three spots on the ladder, this is set to be a cracking contest and the perfect way to kick off proceedings for what should be an entertaining round of footy.

Waratah are currently sitting nicely in second spot on the ladder with 10 wins, two losses and a draw next to their name so far this season. They trail the ladder-leading Tigers by just half a game and have a game and a half up on their opponents this weekend. The side is also coming off a dominant performance over the Magpies, which only furthered their premiership credentials. The Warriors face a formidable opponent this weekend, in what will be a true test of character and execution. However, if Jayden Magro can produce a similar performance to last week (20 disposals and seven goals), then they may prove hard to stop.

The Wanderers have done well to lock themselves inside the top four with a record of nine wins and four losses after 14 rounds of action. As mentioned above, they are a game behind the Warriors in the standings, so if the results go their way, then they could see themselves sneak up a spot into second in the standings by the time the season wraps up in a few weeks. This quest starts on Wednesday, as they will need to take down Waratah in order to close the gap. The Wanderers also have not hit the field since January 8th, where they defeated the Magpies. They will be fresh, but will also need to avoid any rust that may come from this extended break.

AROUND THE GROUNDS:

The action will continue a few days later, when the Nightcliff Tigers play host to the Tiwi Bombers at TIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the first match of a double-header at the ground. The Tigers have remained the benchmark side of the competition after 14 rounds of action. They have lost just two matches so far this season, and will enter this match heavily favoured. While the Bombers will be eager to cause an upset, they face an uphill battle given they are the only side that is yet to claim their first win.

Remaining at TIO Stadium, the Southern Districts will be looking to keep their season alive when they take on St Mary’s on Saturday night. The Districts are still a mathematical chance to make an appearance in the finals come season’s end, but a lot of things will need to go their way. This includes their match this weekend, and St Mary’s are no easybeats, given they have lost just three of their 13 matches this season, so they will be favoured in this matchup.

The final match of the round will see the Palmerston Magpies welcome the Darwin Buffaloes to Cazaly’s Arena when the two sides face off on Saturday night. These teams are unable to make the top four for the rest of the season, but there will still be plenty to play for in this match. Both clubs have won just three games for the season, so there will be plenty of bragging rights on the line, as well as the opportunity to potentially finish the season in a better position, which will build some momentum for next season.