THE weekend has arrived, and so has another round of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League. This weekend marks the final round of the 2021/22 season, with the finals series set to kick off next weekend. Round 18 will see a number of big clashes take place around the grounds, and this week’s action is headlined by a bout between the competition’s two strongest performing sides throughout the regular season.

Unfortunately, the scheduled clash between the Palmerston Magpies and the Tiwi Bombers will not go ahead, due to the Bombers withdrawing from the competition over the past few weeks.

Waratah vs. Nightcliff Tigers
Saturday, February 19 @6:15pm
Gardens Oval

The premier matchup of the round will see the Nightcliff Tigers head to Gardens Oval to take on Waratah on Saturday night. The two sides sit in first and second place respectively in the standings, and have been the clear standouts of the 2021/22 season, producing some high-scoring and high-quality football, so this is set to be a cracking contest.

The Warriors nearly found themselves on the wrong end of an upset in Round 17, with the Buffaloes pushing them to the final term with a brave performance. They will be looking to deliver something a bit better this time around, given they come up against the league’s premier side. Ball magnet Dylan Collis will likely be amongst the action once again, having racked up a game-high 27 touches and six rebound 50s in the win, but they will need to have a wealth of contributors if they are to knock off the ladder-leaders.

The Tigers have been the best side of the 2021/22 season, having sealed their spot on top of the ladder with their win over the Southern Districts in Round 17 last weekend. They have shown the ability to dismantle sides in their wins, and will be gearing up for a big finals campaign. They face a test of character this weekend in what is shaping up as a preview for the next couple of weeks, but should be confident in their ability to get the job done here. They have the tools to complete this task with ease, but can’t afford a slip-up, as they are still facing a quality opponent.

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Moving to Norbuilt Oval for the next clash, the Southern Districts will play host to the Darwin Buffaloes on Saturday afternoon, with both sides looking to finish the home-and-away season on a high. Both sides are coming off losses to quality opposition, so this provides the opportunities for the two teams to improve their work across the field and improve their regular season records.

The final match of the round will also have quite a bit of hype surrounding it, with Wanderers heading to TIO Stadium to take on St Mary’s on Saturday night. The two sides occupy the bottom two spots in the top four, and with just half a game separating them, there is still plenty to play for in this match.