SOUTHERN Districts Crocs broke the hearts of St Mary’s hopefuls who were chasing back-to-back premierships, by putting on a brilliant fourth quarter display in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League Grand Final that went right down to the wire.

The Crocs, who dominated the 2024/25 season, faced a resilient Saints side that was gunning to fight its way from fifth on the ladder to an unprecedented 35th title. Despite the Saints being the only team to defeat the Crocs in the regular season, it was top-of-the-ladder Crocs who entered the grand final game as heavy favourites.

Both teams traded blows in a thrilling third quarter for the history books, but the Crocs managed to maintain a slender lead at the break. Despite some fourth quarter accuracy issues in front of goals, Southern Districts managed to edge out the Saints by 11 points at TIO Stadium on Saturday night to clinch their fourth ever premiership.

There were no standout goal scorers for Southern Districts, as the Crocs slotted their nine goals from nine individual goal scorers, but it was Jordan Johnston who shone in a best-on-ground performance, playing a pivotal role in his side’s victory next to his brother Matthew Johnston, who also had a standout performance for the Crocs.

On the Saints side, it was another star performance from dual Nicholls medalist and skipper Dylan Landt as he booted two goals for his team, drawing him even alongside teammate Nicholas Yarran as the leading goal scorer for the game.

The match began with the Crocs showcasing their intent, leading by 14 points at the first break. However, the Saints responded in the second term, narrowing the margin to just five points at halftime.

After an electrifying third quarter in which the Crocs surged ahead with four goals to take a 13-point lead, Jackson Calder had a chance to slot his second goal of the game after the siren from 25 metres out, aiming to narrow the gap. Ultimately, it went through for a behind, tightening the score by just one point.

After a more dominant display by the Crocs in the final quarter, they came away with a victory that capped off a near-perfect season, solidifying their status as the premier team of the 2024/25 NTFL season.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 3.2. I 4.4 I 8.8 I 9.12 (66)
ST MARY’S 2.0 I 5.1 I 7.2 I 8.3 (51)

Goals:
Southern Districts: M. Johnston, S. Motlop, M. Shannon, J. Farrer, J. Ross, T. Clarke, B. Schwarze, J. McQueen, W. Farrer
St Mary’s: D. Landt 2, N. Yarran 2, J. Calder, J. Garner, W. Robinson, J. Landt

Best:
Southern Districts: J. Johnston, M. Johnston, C. Giddings, B. Schwarze, J. Sexton, J. McQueen
St Mary’s: J. Landt, J. Calder, C. West, D. Landt, K. Parnell