Round 8 of the 2024/25 TIO NTFL season kicks off with a clash between PINT and Wanderers at DXC Arena. Although the Greenants have endured a frustrating start to the season, their competitiveness was evident in last weekend’s narrow nine-point loss to Nightcliff.
Wanderers, fresh from their second win of the season, will be confident that their pace and quick ball movement can trouble PINT. Key players Jeremy Piercy and Billy Crofts starred in last week’s victory, while Jak Trewin remains a potent threat up forward.
Nightcliff enters as heavy favourites against Palmerston at Cazalys Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers secured a hard-fought win over PINT last week, though there’s certainly room for improvement for last season’s grand finalists. Skipper Ryan Nyhuis was excellent in his return game and adds invaluable leadership and versatility to the team.
Despite another heavy loss, the Magpies were competitive at stages during the contest against St Marys last week. Spencer Fox and Traye Bennell had strong moments, while midfielder Cameron Nyko continued his stellar season.
The headline match of the round is a top-of-the-table clash between St Marys and Southern Districts. Both teams have named star-studded line-ups for this much-anticipated encounter. St Marys have bolstered their side with former Brisbane Lions player Jaden McGrath, who has impressed at reserves level this season, while Chaney Medallist Joel Garner has also been included.
Meanwhile, the undefeated Crocs welcome back key forward Jarrod Brander and midfield gun Jye Bolton. We will also see a battle between the competition’s two best midfielders in Districts’ Jed Anderson and Saints’ Dylan Landt. Whichever player comes out on top in that encounter will have a big impact on their team winning the match. This thrilling contest will likely determine the premiership favourites as we near the Christmas break.
The final game of the round sees Waratah hosting Darwin Buffaloes under the lights at Gardens Oval. The Warriors come in as strong favourites, riding a three-game winning streak with victories over St Marys, PINT, and the Tiwi Bombers. Waratah play a run-and-gun style of football, linking up strongly with hands from out of the backline, so the Buffaloes’ forwards will need to be on their toes. Scott Carlin is in career-best form for the Warriors, so the double-blues will need to do all that they can in order to curb his influence on the contest.
It was a case of so close, yet so far for the Buffaloes in their six-point loss to Wanderers last week. The team will be buoyed by the efforts of new recruit Jordan Harrington and inspirational skipper Jarrod Stokes.