The weekend’s matches in Darwin’s NTFL competition saw a closer set of results as the competition entered Round Two and the settling process of the new season kicked in further. There was plenty going on to maintain high inter4est with Saints losing their second straight match to start the season, the Tiwi Bombers penalised for an ineligible player, Wanderers downing rivals Waratah and Southern Districts Crocs too good for Palmerston.
The biggest news from the round came after all matches had been completed. The Tiwi Bombers fought hard to go down to the much-improved Nightcliff Tigers – the final scoreboard margin being just 16 points. The performance was heartening for Bombers’ supporters, but after a review of then weekend, Tiwi had fielded an ineligible player. Whilst they had lost anyway, the penalty was to award the result to Nightcliff as a forfeit and a 60-nil scoreline.
Sarah Black has reported on the www.afl.com.au website that the Gold Coast Suns have ticked the boxes and locked in arrangements to continue playing matches in North Queensland for 2018 and hopefully beyond.
In her article, Sarah states that:
GOLD COAST will play home matches for premiership points in both Cairns and Townsville from 2018 onwards.
The deal was struck between the Suns and Tourism and Events Queensland, and will see the club play in Cairns next season, and Townsville in 2019 or 2020.
AFL Victoria today announced the new clubs entering the Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s competition for 2018 (the third season of the competition since the VWFL was dissolved).
Six VFL Women’s licences have this week been granted for the 2018 season, with Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond, St Kilda (AFL) and Williamstown to join the competition next year, while the VU Western Spurs will be known as the Western Bulldogs and will wear the red, white and blue in a strengthening of the two clubs’ relationship.
Seaford will transfer its licence to St Kilda (AFL), with the Saints to partner with the Frankston Football Club to form the Southern Saints, while Casey Demons will also form part of the expanded competition after Cranbourne transferred its licence to Casey in August.
The new 2017/18 NTFL season got off to a flying start in Darwin this weekend. After a winter sojourn where many players travel across the nation to play footy in other state leagues and metropolitan or country competitions, they return to Darwin for Australia’s number one summer footy competition.
It was set to be a very interesting season with the AFLNT controlling body making significant changes to the rules of the game by restricting the amount of fly-in/fly-out players on team lists in the hope of evening the competition. Time will tell if the initiative works and helps to generate more opportunity for local youth, but the Round One results were, by and large, a mixture.
In arguably the match of the round, last year’s premiers, St Marys, came up against last year’s big improvers – Nightcliff Tigers. It was the Tigers, however, running away to an 80-point win to exact a little revenge for missing last year’s grand final.
Richmond defender, Bachar Houli, is one footballer who had given much of himself off field to create important footballing, academic and social pathways for young Muslims – particularly young male Muslim youth – to assist them on life journeys. The development of his Bachar Houli Academy, aimed at young Muslim males, and also the Bachar Houli Cup – junior matches for Muslim boys and girls in schools both important initiatives.
His role in the community has been vital in allowing young Muslims to navigate their ways through life at so many levels. His commitment has been unwavering, doing most in a selfless voluntary role.
One could be excused for thinking that his own role as a player for the Richmond Football Club is almost secondary to loftier goals – and perhaps in the grander scheme of things it is.
But today was as much Bachar’s day as any of his team mates, his club, or Tiger supporters everywhere. Today, along with his Richmond team mates, Bachar became a part of AFL/VFL history as he helped enormously as the Tigers downed the Adelaide Crows to take the 2017 AFL Premiership.
A few weeks ago Wes Hull gave us his first hand account of being on the end of a large pasting (You can read that here), today Joe Woodyard recounts the 1992 thrashing on Brisbane at the hands of Geelong, reminding us that one sided affairs are not restricted to local footy.
Carrara Oval, Gold Coast Australia, in thesoutheastern corner of Queensland
1992 was the 96th season of VFL/AFL footy. For round seven, Geelong traveled to Carrara Oval just south of Brisbane for a match against the Brisbane Lions. The Cats got off to a bit of a slow start on the season, losing their first two matches to Hawthorn and Melbourne despite scoring over 100 points. Their round six win over Fitzroy saw them kick 25 goals and score 175 points in a 98-point win over the Lions.
The 2017 AFL Preliminary Finals kick off tonight at the Adelaide Oval with Adelaide hosting Geelong. Tomorrow afternoon Melbourne time, Richmond will host GWS. The full international broadcast schedule can be seen below.
In addition to the TV networks you can also subscribe to the Watch AFL service that will give you live access to all the matches and more (outside Australia only). You can access that service by clicking on the link here or the Watch AFL banner below and paying the subscription fee.
Clubs and fans are the big winners with the release of the 2017/18 TIO NTFL Premier League fixture being announced by AFL Northern Territory (AFLNT) today.
For the first time in the League’s history, there are 11 games scheduled for Friday night, with the majority scheduled at TIO Stadium, and a further three scheduled on the Thursday night and Friday afternoon of the Australia Day long weekend.
Clubs with a home ground will also enjoy one extra game on familiar turf with the disbursement of home games upped from five to six this season. The Tiwi Bombers will play two of their home games at Tracy Village, in recognition of the partnership forged between the two teams.
Night games in Rounds 1 and 2 of the 18 Home and Away rounds have been relocated away from TIO Stadium, as the final pieces of the refurbished light towers and change rooms are installed in time for the commencement of Round 3.
A few weeks ago Wes Hull gave us his first hand account of being on the end of a large pasting (
MEDIA RELEASE FROM THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The 2017 AFL Preliminary Finals kick off tonight at the Adelaide Oval with Adelaide hosting Geelong. Tomorrow afternoon Melbourne time, Richmond will host GWS. The full international broadcast schedule can be seen below.
The inaugural NAB AFL Women’s State of Origin match will be played at Etihad Stadium tonight.
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