ROUND 9 of the NTFL Women’s Premier League saw some huge results, and while not a heap of ladder movement was seen across the round, there is no doubt teams came to play this week with some intriguing scores on the board. Pint remains on top of the table with another huge win on the board, while Southern Districts upset St Mary’s and Waratah proved their form this season is still able to be turned around. Meanwhile, Nightcliff escaped much of the craziness with the bye this round.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 1.4 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 (33)
ST MARY’S 1.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 (23)

Southern Districts made a huge leap this round with a come-from-behind victory against the Saints, with the seesawing contest seeing the Crocs lead at the first change before forced to pick up their game after a two goal to nil second quarter. While the Saints showcased their ability to hold strong under pressure once more, relegating the Crocs to a relatively low-scoring contest, the Districts came out with a point to prove and desire to back up their recent form, using their defensive capabilities and excellent firepower to impact on the contest. While the 10-point deficit did not make a huge dint in the Saints’ percentage, the side is now two wins behind ladder-leading Pint, and only leads Darwin Buffettes on percentage with the same win count now.

An excellent effort from young gun Georgia Mulvahil proved handy for the Districts in this encounter, booting two goals alongside Tayla Thorn and Jessie Brock who both added a goal to their respective tallies. Bella Clarke was named among the bests alongside Kelsey Patterson and Brock, while for the Saints, Annabelle Shannon and Eliza Shannon led the charge. Michaela Long, Aaliyah Bailey and Laelia Dunn all booted a goal apiece in the close battle.

TRACY VILLAGE 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0)
PINT 4.4 | 8.5 | 12.7 | 20.10 (130)

The battle between top and bottom of the ladder was always going to be a tough one, and a 130-point deficit rendering the Razorbacks scoreless once more was unfortunately what happened. With Pint coming in off a tight margin last round there is no doubt the side was headed for a big margin this week to make up for it, and that they did – not only switching on the offensive power but once again showcasing their ability to dominate defensively too.

There is no doubt that Amy Chittick and Reni Hicks had an influence in this one, booting seven and five goals respectively, and named atop the bests list for Pint. The duo may have been the go-to girls inside 50, but the likes of Shae-Lee Murphy-Burke and Casey Morris also put multiple scores on the board each, with three more players on the goalkicker list showcasing the side’s amount of key options up the field. For the Razorbacks, Kahla Dumbris, Sophie Hammill and Zhoe Clarke once again proved influential, but unfortunately could not negate the huge impact of Pint’s forward line.

WARATAH 1.0 | 4.2 | 11.4 | 12.4 (76)
WANDERERS 3.3 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 6.4 (40)

Waratah may have had a shaky start in this encounter, but well and truly flew out of the blocks after half time with a whopping seven goals to one third quarter. While the final term was not quite as prolific, the Warriors still showcased a side that has not quite reared its head yet this season after dominating the past few years, which saw the Wanderers struggle to maintain pressure after an excellent start. While Waratah still sit in the lower half of the ladder given their slow start to the season, the side seems leaps and bounds ahead of the other sides below them – Magpies, Wanderers and Razorbacks – and are more than capable of challenging the higher-ranked teams.

While the victors only had four goalkickers throughout, all four players put multiple scores on the board with Tarryn O’Hehir the main problem for Wanderers with four goals to her name. Both Lisa Miceli and Breanna Martin booted three apiece, while Lauren O’Shea added another two to her tally. For the Wanderers, Kaitlyn Armstrong continued her consistent ways with three to her name, while Shekeine de Satge was competitive as ever with two goals, named among the best once more alongside Tishara Davern.

DARWIN BUFFETTES 1.3 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 8.11 (59)
PALMERSTON MAGPIES 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 (19)

The Buffettes continued on their merry way with another clinical victory, and although inaccuracy seemed to prove more of an issue than usual, the side showcased their scoring ability against the struggling Palmerston Magpies with a solid 40-point margin as the final siren sounded. With seven goalkickers proving the Buffs’ ability to share around the footy, the Magpies were unable to limit their opposition’s scoring capacity, well and truly outclassed not only inside 50 but also through the midfield. 

When it came to top performers, for Darwin it was the workrate of Katelyn Hazlett and Dominique Carbone that stood out, with Carbone contributing a major alongside Ashanti Bush (two goals), Machaelia Roberts and a flurry of other players. For the Magpies, Tabitha May proved a solid target as per usual with a goal to her name, while Yasmen Roe and Mesapa Frank also put a major apiece on the board. As for top performers, Shanoah Leedie, Iesha Ronberg and Billie Byers impressed with their cleanliness.