EXCITING midfielder/forward Marika Carlton produced a best on ground performance in Palmerston Magpies’ crucial 43-point win over Tiwi Bombers on the weekend justifying the hype ahead of her top-age AFLW Draft season.

Carlton represented both the Northern Territory Academy and Allies largely as a wing who could rotate forward given her light frame and speed on the outside, though she showed her inside capabilities on the weekend. While not a natural contested ball-winning midfielder, Carlton can be utilised in the sweeper role and is not afraid to throw herself into contests to put the ball to space.

Allies Girls, Northern Territory, Northern TerritoryMidfielder

Marika Carlton

Height: 159cm

Weight: -

DOB: 03-08-2007

PLAYER FOCUS

2025 NTFL Women’s Premier Division Elimination Final:
Palmerston Magpies 10.7 (67) defeated Tiwi Bombers 3.6 (24)

#1 Marika Carlton (Palmerston Magpies)
Stats: 29 disposals (21 kicks, 8 handballs) @ 55% efficiency, 8 marks, 2 tackles, 6 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 1 goal

FIRST QUARTER

Sporting bright orange boots and donning the prime number one guernsey, Carlton actually started forward in the match. She won her first touch in the fourth minute after pushing up to a wing and then thumping it on the boot to give her side a chance inside 50. It was ultimately turned over, but Carlton would remain dangerous in the forward half.

A minute later she streamed hard forward to mark all alone inside 50 and when she attempted a set shot from 40m it just fell on the goal line. She took another mark inside 50 and instead of her eyes lighting up on goal, hit fellow teenage Magpie, Tatyana Perry in the pocket.

She forced a turnover midway through the term back on the wing with a great tackle on the opponent, and that pressure remained high throughout the first half. She had a couple of touches that were a little errant such as a quick handball then kick down the wing after a mark, but she was getting into ball-winning positions.

SECOND QUARTER

Carlton started the second term in the middle, and after an early goal to Tiwi Bombers, gained her first touch in transition with an end-on-end kick that went inside 50. She followed up the turnover with a second chance, winning the ball back off a perfect bounce and kicked to the danger zone inside 50 which eventually lead to a Magpies goal.

One of her best players came out of the centre bounce following that major when she burst through traffic coming off the sweeper position at the back of the centre square and kicked perfectly to Perry inside 50. She maintained her forward pressure to lock the ball in around the forward 50 as Palmerston would go out to extend its lead in the match.

Rotated forward for the final five minutes, Carlton had another highlight in the 14th minute. At half-forward she gathered well, handballed to herself, ran onto it and threw it on the boot which sailed over the last defender and bounced home for a remarkable goal. That major ended the term on a high for the top-ager.

THIRD QUARTER

The third quarter opened with torrential rain impacting the match, with the weather eventually clearing up midway through the term. In counter contrast to the weather, the scoring dried up without a goal kicked in the quarter. However Carlton started on-ball and worked well around the ground to continue racking up the ball.

In the third minute she was in the defensive half and quickly got a handball away, before putting her head over the ball and copping a big knock moments later. She won a foot race against an opponent on the wing six minutes into the quarter tapping the ball in front of her just getting it desperately to space.

Slippery under foot, Carlton showed great courage in the sixth minute to slide in to win a groundball and was taken high in the process, dishing off a one-metre sideways handball to a teammate running past. When rotated forward, Carlton took a two-juggle mark inside 50 with contact coming, though her set shot from 35m was just touched on the line yet again.

Wrapping up the quarter, Carlton had a clean gather in defence which she dished off, then juggled a mark at half-forward and showed her skills with time on her side, hitting the perfect 45-degree kick inboard to the middle.

FOURTH QUARTER

Starting in the middle once again for the fourth term, Tiwi paid more attention to Carlton, using strength to nudge her off the ball when going for it at ground level early. She won it while at ground level under pressure in the second minute and just kicked it to space which ended up in another Magpies goal.

With the goals flowing in the fourth term, Carlton had plenty of centre bounce attendances, and she found even more of the ball than before with the goal fully on Palmerston’s terms by the midpoint of the final quarter. She had a couple of deadly kicks going forward, having won a holding the ball free kick at the five minute mark and hit up a target in the middle, then set up a Perry goal with another mark and kick inside 50.

Carlton spent a full quarter through the midfield with all players having a four-minute break due to a Bombers injury, with Carlton’s first touch once play resumed in the 14th minute being another lovely lace-out kick to Perry who kicked her third.

She would finish with a few more disposals to end the game, with a couple of kicks going forward in transition, and pick up nine more disposals than anyone else on the ground with 29 to her name. While her efficiency was a little shaky in the first term, it improved later on, particularly in the second half as Carlton kept finding the ball all over the ground.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Marika Carlton is a naturally gifted player who with time and space can do a lot of damage. Her explosive speed and evasiveness makes her a difficult player to contain, and once she gets her confidence up, Carlton is hard to stop.

While under pressure she can make some mistakes, and her opposite left foot is an area that will need to be further developed, she is highly impactful when forward of centre with her ability to leave any opponent in the dust.

Defensively Carlton stacks up with a fierce attack on the ball and opposition, and while still a lighter bodied player, does not take a backwards step when she needs to go. Her groundlevel work is solid and her decision making and vision is also a cut above her peers, making her a draft prospect to watch in 2025.