Traditional rivals St Marys and Darwin will kick off Round 6 of the 2025/26 TIO NTFL season under the lights at Gardens Oval on Friday night.
The Saints will be eager to respond after last week’s loss to PINT, while the Buffaloes – now on a three-game losing streak – have named one of their stronger line-ups of the season in a bid to steady the ship.
St Mary's captain Dylan Landt has been a standout early in the year, and Darwin may need to send someone to quell his influence around the ball. Up forward, champion goal-kicker Jackson Calder has made a quieter start by his lofty standards, with three goals from four matches, but his record against the Buffaloes is formidable – 17 majors from two encounters last season.
Darwin were competitive during patches last weekend over on the Tiwi Islands, but lacked midfield depth without injured skipper Jarrod Stokes. More support through the engine room will be crucial if they are to beat the Saints.
Palmerston return to Cazalys Arena on Saturday, where they host an in-form Tiwi Bombers outfit fresh off a commanding 55-point win over Darwin.
Ex-AFL player Willie Rioli continues to build match fitness and added two goals for the Bombers in last week’s victory, while Nigel Lockyer reinforced his status as one of the league’s most valuable players with another versatile, all-round performance. Jack Steel looked dangerous inside 50, and Michael Thompson and Kim Kantilla delivered their trademark flashes of brilliance.
Palmerston showed plenty of grit against Nightcliff, but were simply overwhelmed by a Tigers side humming at full throttle. Baxter Mensch and Sam Donegan again found plenty of the footy, though the Magpies struggled to convert possession into scoreboard impact.
On form, Tiwi should have too much firepower and will enter this clash as deserved favourites.
Wanderers have shown marked improvement over the past few rounds, but they now face arguably the toughest task in the competition – a Southern Districts side that has been near flawless to start the season.
The Eagles won enough of the ball against Waratah last week but were hurt by wasted opportunities and lapses going forward. Cody Leggett continues to shine as one of their most important contributors with an impressive 37-disposal performance.
Districts, meanwhile, look complete across every line and continue to find different avenues to goal each week. They will head into this one as strong favourites as they look to maintain their unbeaten run.
Nightcliff are beginning to find their groove, and last week’s thumping of Palmerston was one of their most convincing performances yet.
The return of Wade Derksen proved significant – he booted four second-half goals – while Brodie Filo, Brandan Parfitt and Peter Politis controlled proceedings through midfield, combining for almost 100 disposals between the three.
Waratah claimed an 11-point win over Wanderers but remained patchy, leaving room for improvement against one of the competition’s form sides. Scott Carlin and Cody Szust continued their excellent starts to the year, and Dan O’Dwyer provided his usual steadiness.
The Tigers look well-placed to win this match, but Waratah’s best can trouble any side.
Stream all matches in 2025/26 TIO NTFL Men's Premier League season live via the NT News and KommunityTV, with the Palmerston Magpies and Tiwi Bombers clash available to be streamed live and free.