ROUND 16 will have a different feel to it with confirmation during the week that the Tiwi Bombers have had to withdraw from the 2022 Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League competition. With ongoing COVID-19 protocols making it too difficult, the league will finish off the final three rounds with seven teams, and Southern Districts will have a bye this weekend.

WARATAH vs. ST MARY’S
Saturday, February 5 @ 6:15pm
Gardens Oval

A top three clash opens proceedings on Saturday night at Gardens Oval with the second place Waratah hosting third placed St Mary’s. The Tahs’ sit just two points off top of the table Nightcliff, with St Mary’s only really within striking distance if they can get up here. A loss, and the Saints can bid farewell to a top two finish, with only two rounds remaining after this one. A win however makes it more interesting. Though nearly impossible, if Palmerston was to stun Nightcliff, Waratah would grab top spot with a victory.

Both teams are relatively even across the board, but Waratah has proven to be an effective outside team that can also do its fair share of inside work. The Tahs lead the league in handball receives and forward 50 marks, whilst St Mary’s is in the leading tackling side in the competition yet also being the most potent in attack with 100.6 points per game on average. Nathaniel Paredes is having another outstanding season for the Saints, leading from the front with Nick Yarran and Lachlan Taylor among the other impressive standouts. For Waratah, Dylan Collis, Brodie Carroll and Jayden Magro among the players to watch in the clash. Magro is third in the league goal kicking with 13 majors, 12 off St Mary’s Jackson Calder (45).

NIGHTCLIFF TIGERS vs. PALMERSTON MAGPIES
Saturday, February 5 @ 6:30pm
Nightcliff Oval

Over at Nightcliff Oval, the ladder leaders will be looking to put away the seventh placed Palmerston. Though the Magpies have notched up three wins, two have come against Tiwi Bombers and one against the sixth placed Darwin Buffaloes, and Palmerston have won just one of their past 11 games. In the earlier clash between these sides, the Tigers got up by 34 points with 26 scoring shots to 12, 10.16 (76) to 6.6 (42) at Cazaly’s Arena. The Tigers have hardly put a foot wrong all season and go into the clash as heavy favourites.

Nightcliff is a high-possession team, averaging 300 disposals per game compared to the Magpies’ 255. The Tigers are also the premier contested possession side, leading the league in the stat. Palmerston can take advantage in the hitouts through William Rowbottom, though the clearances are fairly even (28.3 to 26.8 in Nightcliff’s favour). Brodie Filo is among the best players in the competition again this season, with he, Shaun Wilson, Daniel Bowles and Sam Harper all in the top 10 disposal winners. Eric Guthrie has been a star for the black and whites, whilst Daniel Stafford has impressed in front of goal in his 12 games.

WANDERERS vs. DARWIN BUFFALOES
Sunday, February 6 @ 4:00pm
Tracy Village Oval

Rounding out the weekend of action is a mid-table clash on Sunday at Tracy Village Oval. Fourth placed Wanderers has booked its post-season spot, sitting 14 points clear of fifth placed Southern Districts. Darwin Buffaloes on the other hand, are sixth but within reach of fifth, just four points adrift of the Crocs. Though the loss to Palmerston back in Round 3 may come back to bite the Buffs, they can still make the finals. In the Round 7 clash between the sides, Wanderers got up by 49 points in a comprehensive victory.

Wanderers are a ball-winning side, ranking second behind Nightcliff with an average of 284.7 disposals per match. Darwin ranks third, meaning both sides are likely to find plenty of the pill, and based off the season thus far, try and run it on the outside. Wanderers averaged 10 more marks than any other side in the competition, but the difference could come at the stoppages where the Buffs average a league-high 33.1 hitouts per game, whilst Wanderers are the lowest of the remaining teams, with just 16 per match. Wanderers’ Eddie Simpson is second overall on the goalkicking with 38 goals from just nine games, whilst Darwin’s leading goalkicker is way down with 17, that being Hassan Ahmat-Watkins who managed the feat in just six games. Darwin’s Ben Archard has been a dominant ruck, with a whopping 35.1 hitouts per game across 12 matches – 15 more than any other player in the competition – whilst Wanderers have the likes of Jarred Erlandson and Beau O’Connell among the prime ball winners