DESPITE a number of leagues around the country having their action either postponed or cancelled over the last two weeks, the Northern Territory Football League Women’s (NTFLW) Premier League was able to go ahead over the weekend. There were a number of interesting clashes to keep fans entertained, and some surprising results amongst these clashes too.

Unfortunately, the first match of the round saw Tracy Village forced to forfeit in their clash against Waratah. However, there were still three enthralling matches taking place around the grounds on Saturday, with the league continuing to keep fans around the state glued to their seats. With just five rounds remaining until the finals begin, the race for a spot in the top four is well and truly heating up.

Wanderers | 6.4 (40)
Palmerston Magpies | 0.0 (0)

The Wanderers were able to claim the chocolates in this battle of lower-ranked sides, taking down the Palmerston Magpies to the tune of 40 points at TIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The two teams entered this clash with the same amount of wins, and occupied two of the bottom three spots on the ladder.

The Wanderers dominated play for the entirety of this (shortened) match, controlling the play and locking the ball inside their forward half. They piled on the goals in the second term in particular, with four goals to none coming from the quarter, and the Magpies found themselves on the back foot by the time the main break rolled around. Sadly, this would be the conclusion of the contest with the remainder of the match called off. The Wanderers will still have plenty of positives to take out of this match, including the performance of Lateesha Jeffrey, who was clearly best on ground in the first half of the match.

PINT | 4.5 (29)
Darwin Buffaloes | 1.6 (12)

In one of the biggest upsets of the season to date, the Darwin Buffaloes have been handed their first loss of the 2021/22 campaign, as they were defeated by PINT at DXC Arena on Saturday afternoon. The reigning premiers were clinical against this year’s title favourites, winning all four quarters as they once again stamped their credentials as competition heavyweights.

Given Darwin’s start to the season, they entered this match heavily favoured, even against the side that won it all last year. However, this is a demonstration of the unpredictability of sport, and this result has made the competition even more interesting. PINT’s hopes of a finals berth having been vastly improved, as has the confidence in their ability to cause some damage in the postseason. On the other hand, the top two battle has taken a serious turn with the loss to the Buffaloes, who may struggle to catch the Tigers on top of the ladder after this weekend.

Nightcliff Tigers | 7.10 (52)
Southern Districts | 6.7 (43)

The final match of the round saw a thrilling finish, as the Nightcliff Tigers held off the Southern Districts to claim a nine-point win at Darwin Mazda Nightcliff Oval on Saturday night. The Districts pushed their opponents right to the end of the match, but the ladder-leading Tigers proved too good and were able to produce a strong second half as they claimed their 10th win of the season.

With the Buffaloes suffering a surprising loss to PINT earlier this round, the consequences of this result have drastically changed. The Districts have slightly lost their touch with the top four, as they had the opportunity to keep themselves within one win of climbing into the top half of the ladder. On the other hand, the Tigers will be thrilled with their position at the end of the round, strengthening their grip on top spot.