Round 12 begins with a Friday night clash between Darwin and Waratah at Cazalys Arena.
The Buffaloes will be keen to respond after a disappointing showing against Wanderers a fortnight ago and will be eager to head into the Christmas break on a positive note. Playing with tempo and confidence will be key if they are to rediscover their best and produce a competitive showing.
Waratah stumbled against Southern Districts last weekend, but had been building some solid form prior to that result. Sitting sixth on the NTFL ladder, the Warriors will view this clash as crucial in their push for a finals berth. Scott Carlin, Cody Szust, Joel Hillis and Joel Stevens continue to lead the way, consistently finding plenty of the football.
Southern Districts returned to the winner’s list with a strong performance against Waratah last weekend and will start favourites when they take on the Tiwi Bombers at TIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Crocs set the tone early against the Warriors, with Jonathan Ross and Quinton Narkle both influential. Tiwi, meanwhile, bounced back in emphatic fashion, producing a dominant 16-goal second half to blow Wanderers away by 69 points. Karlson Kantilla proved a handful after being swung forward, finishing with a game-high five goals, while Willie Rioli’s class was again on display with three majors.
St Mary's will look to make it three in a row when they face Palmerston on Saturday night at TIO Stadium.
The Saints have sent a strong reminder to the rest of the competition by knocking off Southern Districts and Nightcliff in consecutive weeks. Dylan Landt continues to drive the team through the midfield, while Jack Landt is coming off his best performance of the season with an impressive outing against the Tigers. The green machine have once again shown their ability to lift when under pressure, adjusting superbly to the absence of spearhead Jackson Calder.
Palmerston were competitive against PINT last Friday night and are far better than their winless record suggests, but upsetting the Saints would rank among the biggest shocks of the season.
Round 12 finishes with a blockbuster, as Nightcliff host PINT in what shapes as the match of the round on Saturday night at Nightcliff Bendigo Community Bank Oval.
The Greenants remain perched on top of the ladder, with the competition now fully aware of their genuine premiership credentials. PINT were not at their brilliant best against Palmerston last Friday night, but were never seriously challenged in a comfortable 39-point win. Noah Spiteri continued his outstanding Top End form with another five-goal haul, while Connor McDonald and Archie Stevens were also influential.
Nightcliff controlled large periods of their clash with St Mary's last weekend before being overrun late, with several key players below their usual standards. With both sides eager to head into the Christmas break with momentum – and valuable psychological points up for grabs – this promises to be a compelling contest.