St Marys will be chasing a third consecutive win when they take on competition newcomers Banks under lights at TIO Stadium on Friday night.
The Saints have been in outstanding form, recording back-to-back wins by over 100 points against Palmerston and the Darwin Buffaloes across the past fortnight. I don’t expect the margin to be anywhere near that this week, but they should have more than enough talent to record a win.
Dylan Landt will miss after re-injuring himself last weekend, although the Saints have had plenty of others stand up. Unheralded midfielder Josh Smithson has been among the competition’s best players across the opening five rounds, while Lachlan Thomas and Jack Kluske has also been superb.
Banks will take confidence from last weekend’s win on the Islands and could make this more competitive than some expect. Baiden Parsons, Quinton Narkle and Matthew Lias all played prominent roles in the win against Tiwi and they will relish the challenge of coming up against one of the best midfields in the competition.
Still, it is hard to tip against Saints.
Tiwi Bombers have an opportunity to bounce back from last weekend’s loss when they host PINT at Wurrumiyanga on Saturday.
For the Greenants, this shapes as a must-win game if they want to be considered a genuine finals contender. It looked like they had turned their fortunes around last weekend with a strong opening half against one of the competition’s best teams in Waratah. But they were unable to sustain that form across four quarters as Waratah pegged back the margin and cruised to victory. On paper, they go in favourites against Tiwi, but getting the job done on the Islands presents a big challenge.
The Bombers were competitive against Banks last weekend, but it was another opportunity that slipped away. They will be desperate to avoid consecutive defeats on home soil and they have named one of their strongest teams of the season. Former Palmerston ball magnet Nayef Hamad has been named for his first game in new colours, while Brayden Rioli has continued to produce strong form this season.
Waratah will look to continue their strong start to the season when they face Wanderers at Gardens Oval later that afternoon.
The Tahs have been almost faultless so far and I’m backing them to get the job done again.
It is a familiar story with Wanderers; their best football is good enough to challenge anyone, but they are yet to produce it consistently this season. Brandan Parfitt, Steven Motlop and Blake Schlensog have all delivered for the Eagles, but even their elite, top-line talent could not get them over the line in a frustrating loss to Palmerston last weekend.
Palmerston will be looking to back up last weekend’s win when they host Nightcliff at Cazalys Oval.
If their form so far is anything to go by, the Magpies are due for another disappointing performance. But surely that pattern will end at some point because they are too good of a team for that.
They do not necessarily need to win this game, but they cannot afford another blowout. Their best football has been very good, but the concern is the gap between their best and worst, and this is a chance to show they can put together strong performances in consecutive weeks.
Nightcliff suffered a narrow-loss in a high quality encounter against Southern Districts last Friday night and will be aiming to go better against Palmerston. NTFL champion Brodie Filo had his best performance of the season last week while Tyson Young – an ex-Palmerston player – kicked five goals.
The round will conclude with the undefeated Southern Districts hosting the Darwin Buffaloes at Norbuilt Oval on Sunday afternoon.
There is no getting around it, this game presents as a monumental challenge for the young and developing Buffaloes. But it is another opportunity to improve and test themselves against quality opposition.
The Crocs are continuing on the merry way after yet another win against very solid opposition in Nightcliff last weekend. Tough midfielders Mitchell Bidmade and Jed Anderson were against instrumental while Aidan Robinson and Zach O’Keefe have adjusted well to Top End footy.