NTFL season so far (for NDFC)

[seanoff]

St Mary's - in a familiar possie, undefeated after 4 rounds. Beat Tiwi, Palmerston, Buffs and Nightcliff so far. Districts Tahs and Wanderers to come. Worst they can finish after playing everyone once is 5 - 2.

Tiwi - finding life more difficult this year, very lucky to beat Nightcliff yesterday and lost to Saints first up. Not so impressive this year. May find it harder the longer it goes. Play Wanderers and Darwin in the next 2 weeks then Tahs.

Southern Districts - favourites, reigning premiers. Lost to Tiwi and Tahs so far. Should get better (much better). Supposedly another 4 or 5 class players to come + rumours of Chris Johnson (not so far fetched Darryl White well connected)

Waratahs - lost to Palmerston last week but are 3 -1. Beat Districts so far. Don't look quite as strong as last year. Tiwi, Saints and Nightcliff to come. Should be 4 - 0. Will probably be 5 -2 after 8 games.

The four above here are the strongest teams and the eventual premiers should come from this group.

Nightcliff - 1- 3 not as bad as expected, only just lost to Tiwi yesterday, should have won but switched off and were beaten literally in the final 5 seconds. Lost to Saints, Palmerston and Tiwi. Buffs, Tahs and Districts to come. Will probably finish 2 - 5 after 7 games.

Palmerston - beat Tahs last week, but are 1 -3 so far. Have Darwin and Wanderers to come and should beat them easily. Will struggle to get near Districts. Should finish 3 - 4 after 7 games.

It's a final five this year (8 teams), Nightcliff and Palmerston will probably fight out 5th place.

Wanderers - GONE - 0 - 4 so far, cannot see them beating anyone to come. Saints, Palmerston, and Tiwi. Very likely to finish 0 - 7. Went close to Buffs in a game both sides tried to lose from winning positions. Wanderers did that better.

Darwin - have beaten Wanderers, this is not great form. Been smashed by the others. Have Nightcliff, Tiwi and Palmerston to come. On exposed form they'll be lucky to get within 10 goals of those sides. (20 of Tiwi) Will probably finish 1 - 6 after playing everyone once.

 

[Billy the Kid]

Who have been the 5 standout players for each team so far this year?

 

[JDC!]

Districts have had different key players in nearly all of their games so far this year.

In Round 1, Shannon Rusca started them off with 26 touches until he broke his jaw in the second quarter. Ben Ah Mat and Steven May finished the job up forward. Round 2 they struggled against quality opposition. In Round 3, Shane Morrison and Darryl White had pretty good games and last week Clint Kelly and Steele Viti were good.

Nathan McLean, Brad Rayson, Brad Stephens, Dane Bergman and Jake Smart have all been good for Waratah and I expect them (as well as Southern Districts and St Marys) to be a real chance for the premiership.

Saints have been very impressive this year under new coach Brett Hand. I expected them to be good but they have looked better than I had predicted. Their Tiwi Island boys (Lewis Roy, Samson Mungatopi and James Puautjimi) have played well this year. Karl Lohde has started well as has Captain Jared Ilett and Luke Stapleton. St Marys will only get better too as I have heard that a few interstate recruits could be coming up. Iggy Vallejo should also be returning. St Marys have got a fair bit of money to spend too.

Tiwi usually don't have too many stand-out players yet beat opposition teams with their supurb skills and team-work. However, Roy Farmer, Edward Darcy and Southport recruit Cameron Betts have looked pretty good. Ephrem Tipungwuti (the guy who kicked 9 goals in the curtain-raiser for the Dreamtime at the 'G clash) and Graham Puruntatameri have provided pretty good forward options for the Bombers.

In my opinion, Nightcliff and Palmerston (and possibly Tiwi, however unlikely) will be fighting it out for the fifth position. Sam Liston has played great for the Tigers so far this season. Warren Berto has been pretty good too.

Peter Shepherd has kicked a few goals for the Maggies this year and looks to be in pretty good form. However last week he didn't impress because he was injured and he may have aggravated his injury as he has been left out of this week's Palmerston line-up. James Imbi has been good this year. He gathered over 30 disposals in the loss to St Marys last week. Pierce Liddle played quite well before suffering a broken jaw. Justin Wilson is back in the side this week.

Darwin and Wanderers will be fighting it out for the Wooden Spoon. Wanderers have gained Byron Pickett's brother and a few other players. Campbell Wurramarrba has been OK for the Eagles so has veteran Tim Karpany. Darwin Buffaloes will once again finish Wooden Spooners in my opinion. They lack discipline and rely a lot on Cameron Stokes.

 

[BIGANT]

Districts have had different key players in nearly all of their games so far this year.

In Round 1, Shannon Rusca started them off with 26 touches until he broke his jaw in the second quarter. Ben Ah Mat and Steven May finished the job up forward. Round 2 they struggled against quality opposition. In Round 3, Shane Morrison and Darryl White had pretty good games and last week Clint Kelly and Steele Viti were good.

Nathan McLean, Brad Rayson, Brad Stephens, Dane Bergman and Jake Smart have all been good for Waratah and I expect them (as well as Southern Districts and St Marys) to be a real chance for the premiership.

Saints have been very impressive this year under new coach Brett Hand. I expected them to be good but they have looked better than I had predicted. Their Tiwi Island boys (Lewis Roy, Samson Mungatopi and James Puautjimi) have played well this year. Karl Lohde has started well as has Captain Jared Ilett and Luke Stapleton. St Marys will only get better too as I have heard that a few interstate recruits could be coming up. Iggy Vallejo should also be returning. St Marys have got a fair bit of money to spend too.

Tiwi usually don't have too many stand-out players yet beat opposition teams with their supurb skills and team-work. However, Roy Farmer, Edward Darcy and Southport recruit Cameron Betts have looked pretty good. Ephrem Tipungwuti (the guy who kicked 9 goals in the curtain-raiser for the Dreamtime at the 'G clash) and Graham Puruntatameri have provided pretty good forward options for the Bombers.

In my opinion, Nightcliff and Palmerston (and possibly Tiwi, however unlikely) will be fighting it out for the fifth position. Sam Liston has played great for the Tigers so far this season. Warren Berto has been pretty good too.

Peter Shepherd has kicked a few goals for the Maggies this year and looks to be in pretty good form. However last week he didn't impress because he was injured and he may have aggravated his injury as he has been left out of this week's Palmerston line-up. James Imbi has been good this year. He gathered over 30 disposals in the loss to St Marys last week. Pierce Liddle played quite well before suffering a broken jaw. Justin Wilson is back in the side this week.

Darwin and Wanderers will be fighting it out for the Wooden Spoon. Wanderers have gained Byron Pickett's brother and a few other players. Campbell Wurramarrba has been OK for the Eagles so has veteran Tim Karpany. Darwin Buffaloes will once again finish Wooden Spooners in my opinion. They lack discipline and rely a lot on Cameron Stokes.

Is that Marcus Pickett !? i think he might have got drafted a few yrs back or rookie listed but nothing come of it.
Sam Liston is a unfamiliar name to Nightcliff....whats the background on him !?

 

[Nt Bomber]

Is that Marcus Pickett !? i think he might have got drafted a few yrs back or rookie listed but nothing come of it.
Sam Liston is a unfamiliar name to Nightcliff....whats the background on him !?

Dustin Pickett cousin of Byron

 

[NDFC]

thanks for that!!! cheers, very good work.

as im an ex NDFC(palmo) supporter / ex player i think i spotted a minor misprint, but i could be wrong. you say in your nightcliff info that theve lost to palmo, which cant be right, as palmo have only beaten tahs and have only 1 win so far. nightcliff must'v lost to someone else instead, so ill forgive you. Dont worry you were probably predicting their next clash against palmo and already stated the obvious, which is palmo will belt them!!!!hhhahhahhehehehheh.

as for saints dominating, i seen some of their match against maggies on ABC 2, today and they dont look to flash, just quietly,,,if palmo weren't crippled by losing four gun players from the prev week they could have easily accounted for this pathetic crop of saint fairy Krudd.

i am warning u, dispell North Darwin at your own risk!!

saints looked shocking!!! thats all i know, and tiwi islands should murder them when they play later in the year. tiwi bombers just need to get used to their new jumpers, which look average to crap!!!!

 

[NDFC]

their jumpers look amateurish, thats what i meant. like a practise jumper. ill blame essendon for that!!!!

 

[seanoff]

thanks for that!!! cheers, very good work.

as for saints dominating, i seen some of their match against maggies on ABC 2, today and they dont look to flash, just quietly,,,if palmo weren't crippled by losing four gun players from the prev week they could have easily accounted for this pathetic crop of saint fairy Krudd.

i am warning u, dispell North Darwin at your own risk!!

saints looked shocking!!! thats all i know, and tiwi islands should murder them when they play later in the year. tiwi bombers just need to get used to their new jumpers, which look average to crap!!!!

Saints were missing eight (8) players from their best side including 3 of their starting midfield, a couple of KPPs and some others. I gather that Dazza (palmerston coach) was a bit miffed that they couldn't beat such an undermanned saints.

 

[JDC!]

In my opinion, Southern Districts, Waratah and St Marys are a step up above the Tiwi Islands with Nightcliff and Palmerston slightly behind them.

At this stage it looks like it could be a Southern Districts vs St Marys Grand Final. However, there would be no use in me saying this as a true indication of how a team will finish would be to see how they go straight after Christmas when most of the team line-ups are settled.

The Tiwi boys and Lewis Roy (who is from Duck Creek) for St Marys have been pretty good this season.

 

[NDFC]

Saints were missing eight (8) players from their best side including 3 of their starting midfield, a couple of KPPs and some others. I gather that Dazza (palmerston coach) was a bit miffed that they couldn't beat such an undermanned saints.

ha ha, we were missing plenty too,,haha. why would such an unbeaten dominating team be missing 8 or more players? what 8 players from last year that would be in their 22 now? thats going a bit too far, for a team that is travelling at their peak!! hhaa. you cant include imports or players interstate in your unavailable players,,, your joking. Clutching at straws.

i do know i heard the commentators mention north darwin was missing four guns from their victory against tahs the week before!!! and they didnt mention the 8 players supposedly out for saints, note they did mention j. illet and said it would be a great loss!!! but not bloody 8.

 

[NDFC]

In my opinion, Southern Districts, Waratah and St Marys are a step up above the Tiwi Islands with Nightcliff and Palmerston slightly behind them.

At this stage it looks like it could be a Southern Districts vs St Marys Grand Final. However, there would be no use in me saying this as a true indication of how a team will finish would be to see how they go straight after Christmas when most of the team line-ups are settled.

The Tiwi boys and Lewis Roy (who is from Duck Creek) for St Marys have been pretty good this season.

yeah youll have to wait and see what happens in the business end of the season. i agree any side from the list you said except maybe nightcliff, could find the right mix at the business end of the season and have a great shot.

i could tell the tiwi fellas helped saints over the line against palmo from just reading the goalkickers and/or best players which i seen somewhere last week on the web.

someone mentioned saints have plenty of money, which wouldnt surprise me and they'd be luring recruits from near and far to stand a chance.

thanks for your contribution.

 

[seanoff]

NDFC, now don't kill yourself here

but Palmerston lost to DARWIN last night. This is the same Darwin that was beaten last week by Tahs by 100+ points and by Saints by a similar margin.

Palmerston will now likely finish at 2 -5 with Buffs and Wanderers in last.

I can't see Daz getting them up to a position to challenge Tiwi, SD, Saints and Tahs this season. At the moment they are way too inconsistent even between halves. They had Saints cold last week and got smashed in the second half, they beat Tahs and conspired to lose to Darwin.

I don't think they have the depth even within their best 22 to consistently beat those top 4 sides, which from 5th at best, they'll have to do to win the comp.

 

[NDFC]

NDFC, now don't kill yourself here

but Palmerston lost to DARWIN last night. This is the same Darwin that was beaten last week by Tahs by 100+ points and by Saints by a similar margin.

Palmerston will now likely finish at 2 -5 with Buffs and Wanderers in last.

I can't see Daz getting them up to a position to challenge Tiwi, SD, Saints and Tahs this season. At the moment they are way too inconsistent even between halves. They had Saints cold last week and got smashed in the second half, they beat Tahs and conspired to lose to Darwin.

I don't think they have the depth even within their best 22 to consistently beat those top 4 sides, which from 5th at best, they'll have to do to win the comp.

thanks a lot seanoff you'v just made my day!!! ill have to hav a look and see how much we went down bye. i bet it wasn't much, but anyway its still so early in the year and consistency will come to the teams who deserve it after christmas. One fact that cant be denied is weve beaten one flag fav(tahs) should have drilled another in st fairies, but obviously aren't playing consistent 4 qtr week in week out footy. not a problem, as long as we are capable, im happy!!! weve shown were capable of something (what im not exactly sure) but with our full team on our day we can beat anyone!!! thats the North Darwin spirit. Thats why im drawn in to barracking for them, its so pleasing to see or hear of them upsetting the best sides. If you keep winning your supporters get bored and lose interest. Except people who follow st marys all their lives.

getting on to the rest. tahs and saints beat them by 100 plus, ok, so it proves were inconsistent from week to week and even half to half, but thats all. WE BEAT tahs and had saints on the ropes and let them go. maybe we dont like belting useless buff sides. With a bit of luck we could still have been 2-1 against (buffs tahs and saints) and we didnt need to pummel poor old buffs to do it. We should have beat saints and did beat tahs, so your boasting about the same side that saints and tahs belted by 100 points means little as my response to THAT is what happened to these two teams when they played palmo!!!! one went down, and the other was very lucky to get the points and looked like getting beaten at ht???
i doubt any side will beat tiwi if they fire up.
if palmo can get 3rd 4th or 5th (doesn't really matter) and have a crack at their finals thats all you can expect and i think their fans would be happy.

if not just to cause a few upsets throughout the year, thats all we can expect, as weve lost so many quality players to AFL, TIWI side etc.