THE weekend has finally arrived, which means it is time for another batch of games in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League. The competition is gearing up for Round 17, and with just two weeks left until the home-and-away season wraps up, those who have locked in a top-four spot will be eager to get themselves in the best position possible for the upcoming finals series. This includes Nightcliff, who will be eager to seal their spot at the top of the table with a win this weekend.

Unfortunately with the Tiwi Bombers withdrawing from the competition recently, their clash against St Mary’s has been ruled a forfeit.

Southern Districts vs Nightcliff Tigers

Saturday, Feburary 12 @4pm

Norbuilt Oval

With the season edging closer to conclusion, the Nightcliff Tigers will be eager to get a win when they take on the Southern Districts at Norbuilt Oval on Saturday afternoon to kick off the round. The Tigers can guarantee a finish at the top of the standings with a win here, while the Districts will be looking to wreak some havoc in the top half of the ladder given they are unable to qualify for finals themselves. Either way, this should make for a ripping contest.

The Districts have unfortunately fallen out of finals contention, as it seems likely they will finish in fifth spot come season’s end. They looked a chance of making a late-season push into the top-four, but this dream was halted in recent weeks. Despite the disappointing finish to their 2021/22 campaign, they will still be looking to finish the season on a high and still affect the standings in one way or another. They get the chance to do just that this weekend when they face off against the ladder-leading Tigers, and an upset here could disrupt their opponent’s chances of finishing in first place. They will need yet another strong performance from Michael Bowden, who had 31 touches in the Districts’ last outing.

The Tigers have been the benchmark all season, and will be looking to finish the regular season in style over the final two weeks of action. As mentioned earlier, they have the opportunity to finish atop the standings with a win in this match, but the Districts have shown glimpses of promise throughout the season, so they can’t afford to simply expect an easy win. However, if they can maintain the form that saw them defeat the Magpies by over 100 points in Round 16. Keep an eye on Daniel Bowles, who had a dominant performance in the win with a game-high 29 disposals, and will be looking to keep this momentum rolling.

Moving around the grounds, Waratah will be looking to make their move towards the top-two on the ladder when they take on the Darwin Buffaloes at TIO Stadium on Saturday night. With a win here (and a percentage boost), the Warriors would move closer to securing a home final in week one, but the Buffaloes will be licking their lips at the chance to cause an upset.

The final match of the round will see the Palmerston Magpies take on the Wanderers at Cazaly’s Arena on Saturday night. The Wanderers will enter this match as favourites given their placement in the top-four, but the Buffaloes pushed them to the limit last weekend, and if not for a goal after the siren, would have caused a major upset, so the Magpies will fancy themselves a chance here.