WITH another big round of Northern Territory Football League Women’s (NTFLW) done and dusted, all 10 sides have seen plenty of shuffling on the ladder. A number of key players put their best kicking foot forward this week, with seven players kicking three or more goals individually to put their side at their best chance of a tough contest.

PINT 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 (27)
ST MARY’S 3.3 | 5.6 | 7.6 | 8.10 (58)

Pint: L. Bahen-Wright, C. Morris, J. Hewett, J. Baksh.
St Mary’s: n/A

Pint: N/A
St Mary’s: N/A

The opening match of Round 5 saw St Mary’s get a solid win on the board for the first time since Round 1, beating Pint by 31 points in one of the closer games of the round. Despite the wet weather and a relatively even start, St Mary’s got the upper hand and took a solid lead into the second half, never looking back as they peppered the goalposts at every opportunity. The Saints ruined the party for stand-in Pint captain Ellie Ryan in her fifteeth match, with a solid team effort defensively making it hard for the Queen Ants to get boot to ball inside 50. In a difficult match the likes of Casey Morris, Jasmyn Hewett, Louisa Bahen-Wright and Jasmin Baksh still managed to put goals on the board, while strong efforts from Saints’ Danielle Ponter and Sharna Edwards kept the side ahead of the pack. This win sees St Mary’s jump into fifth after sinking to seventh with last round’s loss, swapping positions with Pint who were the favourites coming into this match in fifth last round. This will be a big confidence booster for the Saints, but will need to back it up next round to ensure it means something in the long term.

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DARWIN BUFFETTES 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 6.5 (41)
NIGHTCLIFF 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 (10)

Darwin Buffettes:
Nightcliff: K. Hill-Carter

BEST

Darwin Buffettes: N/A
Nightcliff: H. Turnbull, M. Ward, E. Morrison, E. Wear

Darwin continued their unbeaten run in Round 5, putting in a tough effort against a strong defence line in Nightcliff to get a solid 31-point victory on the board. Nightcliff’s improvement over the off-season has been put into place well, with the side pushing the top side in patches and denying plenty of opportunities for the Buffettes. Despite rain through the third quarter, the Buffettes did not relent on their pressure, forcing plenty of turnover ball and creating scoring opportunities despite the change in conditions. Machaelia Roberts impressed in her final match for the side, with the Collingwood AFL Women’s recruit finishing her NTFL season early ahead of pre-season AFLW training. For the Tigers, Kirra Hill-Carter booted the side’s only goal in her season debut, while the likes of Hannah Turnbull and Mickayla Ward were named among the Tigers’ best despite the Buffettes keeping the side well under control.

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TRACY VILLAGE 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 (1)
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS 2.0 | 5.5 | 7.9 | 12.12 (84)

Tracy Village: N/A
Southern Districts: E. Miller 6, K. Patterson 3, G. Mulvahil 2, L. Niven.

BEST

Tracy Village: N/A
Southern Districts: L. Jeffrey, G. Mulvahil, E. Forsyth, M. Derschow, T. Holtze

Ebony Miller starred in the middle clash of the weekend, producing a dominant performance to spur the Crocs to victory against Tracy Village. While the Razorbacks did not give up throughout, keeping the Districts under 100 points, they struggled to post a score or even find their way inside 50. Alongside Miller’s whopping six goals, Kelsey Patterson booted three, while Grace Mulvahil kicked two in her season debut. Among the best on the day were Districts’ Lateesha Jeffrey who was stalwart as ever intercepting through defence, while Tahlia Holtze and Mulvahil put in solid performances across the board. For the Razorbacks, despite having little chance to get the ball forward there were still some solid performers in Alexandra Biggs and Tara Everett who pushed hard despite the massive deficit. With two breach notices in recent weeks the Districts have not looked too good off the field, so a solid win this round within the rules will go a long way to restoring the side’s record.

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PALMERSTON MAGPIES 6.4 | 7.9 | 12.19 | 14.19 (103)
BIG RIVER HAWKS 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 (1)

Palmerston Magpies: A. Moreen 5, J. Brock 3, F. Puruntatameri 3, K. White, I. Ronberg, W. Barlow.
Big River Hawks: N/A

BEST

Palmerston Magpies: I. Ronberg, J. Brock, F. Puruntatameri, N. Medbury, B. Byers
Big River Hawks: G. Bailey-Preston, M. Dunn, D. Peckham, C. Browne, J. De La Coeur, T. Campbell

Palmerston Magpies cracked one hundred points for the first time this season with a massive 102-point victory over struggling Big River Hawks. The competition’s newest side has struggled to show any real fight against the higher ranked sides this season, well and truly run over week after week which is surely affecting morale around the Hawks camp. Regardless, the likes of Jayde De La Coeur, Crystal Browne and Deanna Peckham have consistently proved they can stand up at premier league level, pushing themselves and their teammates to ensure a contest is fought against their opposition. It was a big match for Arthurina Moreen of the Magpies, booting five more goals to add to her bag of five last week and dominant tally this early in the season, and well and truly setting the bar high for matches to come. Along with Moreen, Freda Puruntatameri and Jessie Brock followed close behind with three goals apiece. While the Magpies came away with a hefty margin and win, they struggled with accuracy at times, kicking 19 behind to their 12 goals, and proving that the Magpies will be a real side to be reckoned with if they can tighten up inside 50.

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WARATAH 5.4 | 7.7 | 9.8 | 12.10 (82)
WANDERERS 1.1 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 5.7 (37)

Waratah: G. Cusack 4, M. Campbell 3, J. Singh 2, L. Roberts, M. Hunter, L. O’Shea.
Wanderers: S. De Satge 2, T. Bush 2, P. Koulakis.

BEST

Waratah: L. Roberts, M. Gault, M. Gissing, H. Goodall, L. O’Shea
Wanderers: M. Johnston, S. De Satge, P. Koulakis, S. Mauboy, A. Narkle, T. Bush

Waratah put a convincing win on the board this week against a fighting Wanderers outfit, with the Wanderers putting in the hard yards from the get-go but unable to get a third win on the board. However, it was a solid effort for the side given where the differing sides placed last season, proving a massive improvement from the Eagles over the off-season, and delivering a better four-quarter effort than their other losses this season. For the Warriors, this win is a good indication the side is heading back to it’s past season form after a relatively shaky start to the season, with some impressive performers standing up regularly like Jenna Singh (two goals), Madeline Gault and Lisa Roberts. Meanwhile, Gemma Cusack (four goals) and Melissa Campbell (three) well and truly put their names on the map this week with high impact performances. For the Wanderers, Shekeine De Satge and Tedisha Bush booted two apiece to be named in the Eagles best, while Morgan Johnston and Pierre-Angelique Koulakis were consistent as ever despite the hefty loss.