WARATAH’S 35-point defeat to St Mary’s has left the door ajar for Tiwi to snatch a finals spot with one round left to play in the NTFL Men’s Premier League. The Warriors remain two points ahead of the Bombers in fifth place, but have now lost consecutive games against fellow finals contenders.

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Turning out at TIO Stadium on Saturday night, the Tahs were bested at the bookends of the match, conceding seven goals to one during the first and fourth quarters. St Mary’s skipper Dylan Landt was among three Saints to boot two majors, named among the bests alongside Charlie Offermans.

Lachlan Flagg was adjudged best afield for the victors, while Waratah captain Scott Carlin held up his end of the bargain in defeat. He faced a tough ask going head-to-head with a rampant Saints midfield headlined by Landt and Connor West. Timothy Kerinaiua was the Warriors’ lone multiple goalkicker.

The result means St Mary’s remains in with a chance of snatching top spot in the final home-and-away round. Just four points in arrears of Southern Districts with superior percentage, the Green Machine faces wooden spooner Palmerston next time out, while the Tahs take on Darwin.

A win in Round 18 would see Waratah punch its ticket to the postseason, while Nightcliff and PINT will essentially battle it out for third place and a double finals chance. Both teams were unstoppable over the weekend, recording 147-point victories over hapless opponents to signal their intentions.

The Tigers trounced Wanderers on Saturday, restricting them to a single goal in the percentage-boosting win. Shay Linke (six goals) and Fergus Greene (five) did the damage to ensure their side would remain frontrunner for the all important third spot. They were among Nightcliff’s nine individual goalkickers.

Meanwhile, 10 Greenants impacted the scoreboard in their thumping of Darwin. Jett Price popped up with five goals in just his third MPL appearance for the season, while Thomas Schott and Noah Spiteri finished with four majors apiece. Seven of PINT’s goalkickers bagged multiples in the win.

Over at Norbuilt Oval, a remarkable performance from Beau Schwarze has seen Southern Districts place one hand on the minor premiership. The prolific forward kicked seven of his side’s nine goals during the 69-point win over Palmerston, in which the Magpies were held scoreless.

ROUND 17 RESULTS

Nightcliff Tigers 23.19 (157) def. Wanderers 1.4 (10)
PINT 25.18 (168) def. Darwin Buffaloes 3.3 (21)
St Mary’s 12.11 (83) def. Waratah 6.12 (48)
Southern Districts 9.15 (69) def. Palmerston Magpies 0.0 (0)

Bye: Tiwi Bombers

NTFL MPL LADDER

1. Southern Districts | 12-2 | 186.5% | 50 points
2. St Mary’s | 11-3 | 199.2% | 46 points
3. Nightcliff Tigers | 10-3-1 | 155.8% | 44 points
4. PINT | 10-3-1 | 148.6% | 44 points
5. Waratah | 7-7 | 108.0% | 30 points
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6. Tiwi Bombers | 7-8 | 98.0% | 28 points
7. Darwin Buffaloes | 3-11 | 50.0% | 14 points
8. Wanderers | 2-13 | 39.7% | 10 points
9. Palmerston Magpies | 1-13 | 53.7% | 6 points

ROUND 18 FIXTURE

Palmerston Magpies vs. St Mary’s
Friday February 13, 8:00pm @ Cazalys Arena

Southern Districts vs. Tiwi Bombers
Saturday February 14, 2:00pm @ Norbuilt Oval

PINT vs. Nightcliff Tigers
Saturday February 14, 4:00pm @ DXC Arena

Waratah vs. Darwin Buffaloes
Saturday February 14, 6:30pm @ Gardens Oval

Bye: Wanderers