ROUND 7 of the NTFL Women’s Premier League will see ladder leaders Pint get a well-deserved break after an excellent and undefeated start to the season, while St Mary’s will aim to boost their percentage once more to attempt to steal top spot and reigning premiers Southern Districts will have an opportunity to clinch a third straight win when they take on Tracy Village. All that, and more, in our weekly preview.

Wanderers vs. Darwin Buffettes
Saturday, November 14

The Wanderers will look to step up their recent form this round but could well and truly be stopped in their tracks when they take on a lively Darwin Buffettes outfit. The Buffs sit in third after downing Nightcliff last round and will be eager to continue their winning ways when they go head-to-head with the Wanderers, with plenty of solid performers amongst each side but the winning attitude set to go the way of the Darwin outfit. The Wanderers come into this match off the back of a bye last round so will be raring to go, and while their only win on the board this season was against the lowly Razorbacks, they have shown some real promise, able to hit the scoreboard against the top sides and forced closer margins with their continuous defence. That being said, the Buffettes have too many consistent and threatening performers up the ground for the Wanderers to stop, so the Darwin side should get the chocolates here.

For Darwin, watch out for livewire Zoe Anderson and the ever impressive Machaelia Roberts, with the duo providing plenty of spark up forward and consistently in among the action, combining for 22 goals so far this season, while Delsey Ah Wang is also up there and Jemma Iacono has earned three mentions in the side’s bests. Wanderers have their own power up forward though with Kaitlyn Armstrong showcasing plenty of scoring ability across her five games with 11 goals to her name so far, though it’s the side’s lack of further options inside 50 that could be the real issue in this match. A number of consistent performers are among the side though, with Morgan Johnston earning four best on ground mentions for the season, while Tishara Davern, Shekeine de Satge and Djimila Totham have earned three apiece.

Tracy Village vs. Southern Districts
Saturday, November 14

Tracy Village will host the Southern Districts in the second match of the round, unfortunately taking on the reigning premiers now that they have gotten some confidence back up after a lowly start and expected to defeat the Razorbacks with relative ease. Tracy Village have now had two scoreless matches on the trot where the Crocs have finally gotten the ball moving with wins on the board, meaning the Razorbacks will need to really come out flying if they want to come away with a semblance of pride this round. While Southern Districts did not get a win on the board until Round 5, they have put up some fairly competitive performances and ultimately, should get an easy win on the board this round and if all goes to plan, even potentially jump into the top four.

Zhoe Clarke, Kiri Marschall and Indianna Hughes are the ones to watch for the Razorbacks, consistently putting on solid performances and rarely letting up despite expanding scorelines, while Meagan Wylie and Hughes are the lone goalkickers for the season so far. For the Districts, Tayla Thorn is always a tough option inside 50 while Jessie Brock, Malory Nankervis and Ebony Miller consistently put in 100 per cent.

Palmerston Magpies vs. Nightcliff
Saturday, November 14

The Palmerston Magpies will really look to challenge Nightcliff this round, and as one of the sides which has posted mostly consistent and fairly competitive scorelines despite their seventh ranking on the ladder, could be in with a real chance. That being said, there is no doubt the Nightcliff Tigers have exploded out of the blocks in 2020, and bar losses to fellow top four sides Pint, St Mary’s and Buffettes over the past two rounds, have been solid against lower sides and had little issue getting wins on the board.

The real question in this match will be firstly whether the Magpies will be able to negate Emma-Lou Wolsey up forward, and secondly whether they will be able to limit Nightcliff’s number of quality forward options, with Mickayla Ward and Jacqueline Anyon-Smith not far behind Wolsey on the goalkicking tally and Ward in particular providing a consistent effort week-in and week-out around the ground. The Magpies have some impressive and threatening names of their own though, with Arthurina Moreen leading the side for majors this season despite only playing two games so far, and Natasha Medbury also providing a quality option. Tabitha May and Iesha Ronberg have also been named among the best in four matches of five, proving to be constant threats around the ground.

St Mary’s vs. Waratah
Saturday, November 14

The final match of the round will see Waratah take on St Mary’s, with the Saints hoping to overtake Pint on top of the leaderboard purely on percentage if they get a win here. While Waratah have struggled to hit the highs they have over the past few seasons, there is no doubt they still have that winning mentality and the ability to come out firing. That being said, the Saints have five wins on the board compared to the Warriors’ one, a great percentage to match and have conceded less than 100 points across their six matches, so will likely prove difficult for Waratah in this outing.

Saints’ Michaela Long and Danielle Ponter both proved huge up forward last round with four goals apiece, and could make things tough for the Warriors give they are not the only firepower the side has on offer, with a whopping 20 goalkickers for the season so far and just six of them booting more than one goal – showcasing how many play have an impact. Megan Williamson has been impressive this season earning a best on ground mention in all six games so far this season, with Alana Coombes, Ash Melnikas and Ponter not far behind. For Waratah, Lisa Miceli and Jenna Singh have been the main firepower and will need to be forces to be reckoned with here to command the game and upset the Saints.

Picture: Aaron Black / AFLNT Media