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Northern Territory Football League
FormerlyNorthern Territory Football Association (NTFA)
SportAustralian rules football
Founded1916
First season1916; 108 years ago (1916)
No. of teams15 (9 premier league, 6 reserves)
Region Northern Territory
Most recent
champion(s)		St Mary's (34th premiership)
(2023/24)
Most titlesSt Mary's (34)
TV partner(s)Southern Cross Seven
Official websitesportstg.com/ntfl

The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is an Australian rules football operating in Greater Darwin and the Northern Territory. It operates a semi-professional senior men's league as well as competitions for women (NTFL Women's) and underagers (U12-U18 boys and girls) (NTFL Juniors).

The league is one of few (and the highest level) Australian Rules competitions played during the Australian Summer with the season beginning in October and ending in March, because cricket cannot be played during the wet season, due to high levels of rain, resulting in the football and cricket seasons being swapped. The league regularly attracts high-profile semi-professional players from interstate leagues due to its lack of salary cap and the timing of the season, which allows players to play extra matches during the rest of Australia's off-season.

History

[edit]
Further information: Australian rules football in the Northern Territory

While most other Australian rules leagues in Australia operate during the southern hemisphere winter, the NTFL chooses to play in the Northern Territory's 'wet season' from October to March, primarily due to hard playing surfaces and the need to play cricket during the 'dry season'.

The NTFL was founded in 1916 with The Wanderers Football Club and Waratah Football Club as founding members. Waratahs are the only club to have competed in every season of the NTFL. Darwin (Buffalos Football Club) was formed in 1917, Nightcliff in 1950, St Marys in 1952, Palmerston in 1972 (as North Darwin), Southern Districts in 1987 and the Tiwi Bombers in 2006 (with full entry in 2007).

The 1974-75 season was abandoned due to the devastation from Cyclone Tracy.

In the 1990s, the league ran into financial problems primarily due to the Northern Territory government luring the league to the new purpose-built stadium at Marrara Oval after its construction in 1991. The move pushed the league's operating costs up drastically despite contrary promises from the NT government. Marrara Oval is now known as TIO Stadium, as part of a naming rights deal with NT health insurance company, Territory Insurance Office.

During this history of the league it has exported successful players to other leagues, notable players have included Michael McLean, Maurice Rioli and Michael Long.

In 2006, it was announced that a team representing the Tiwi Islands, called the Super Tiwis would be added to the 2006/07 season for eight games against teams that would normally have the bye. They became a permanent part of the league in the 07/08 season as the Tiwi Bombers, clad in Essendon Football Club style guernseys of black and red.

There was also a push for an NTFL representative club to compete in the Adelaide-based South Australian National Football League (SANFL). The first of a series of trial matches was held in 2006, with a long term view of admitting a Darwin side into the SANFL. A strong crowd at Marrara Oval witnessed SANFL club North Adelaide defeat a composite NTFL squad by 27 points, demonstrating that a Darwin team could be competitive. There was a push to make the event an annual match,[1] however, the NTFL decided on fielding a side in the AFL Queensland State League from 2009 (which became the Northern Conference of the North East Australian Football League in 2011) and the Northern Territory Football Club was formed.

In 2010 it was decided to merge the NTFL with the Top End Australian Football Association (TEAFA) to create a three division competition in which the NTFL would make the Premier League whilst the NTFL reserve competition and clubs from the TEAFA would incorporate the First Division and Second Divisions.

The 2012/2013 season saw Banks Bulldogs and the Central Australian Football Club placed on a four-match trial in the Premier League, for possible full-time inclusion. The Bulldogs, originally a part of the TEAFA competition, would stay in the NTFL Division One competition. But the CAFC team would continue their trial run in the Premier League, the number of games extended to 10 for the 2013/2014 season. However, the side did not become a permanent team in the competition.

League structure

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The league consists of both junior and senior divisions.

The A Grade competition is known as the NTFL Men's Premier League and has nine clubs: Darwin, Nightcliff, Palmerston, PINT, Southern Districts, St Mary's, Tiwi Bombers, Wanderers, and Waratah.

The reserves are divided into two divisions known as Division 1 (B Grade) and Division 2 (C Grade): Divisions 1 and 2 include thirds teams of the Premier League clubs, except for the Tiwi Bombers (Palmerston are affiliated with former TEAFA club University), along with the senior teams of two other clubs which were formerly in the TEAFA competition in Banks and Tracy Village, and the Jabiru Bombers.

The A Grade Women's competition has consisted of the nine Men's Premier League clubs since 2023.

The junior division is broken into age groups: Under 18's, Under 16's, Youth Girls, Under 14's, and Under 12's, with all age groups split into two divisions except for under 18's and Youth Girls. The Under 18's is the only junior division with a fixed number of clubs, including all Premier League clubs except for the Tiwi Bombers (replaced by Big River Hawks); thile the rest of the junior divisions vary based on participation levels each year, there are ten clubs with juniors, the nine Premier League clubs and Tracy Village.

Clubs

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class=notpageimage|
Location of participating clubs across the Northern Territory
class=notpageimage|
Location of participating clubs in Greater Darwin urban area

Current clubs

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Colours Club Nickname Men's Senior Grades Women's Senior Grades Home Ground Location Joined
Banks Bulldogs Premier Reserves,
Division 1 		Division 1,
Division 2 		Gardens Oval The Gardens 1978
Darwin Buffaloes Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1 		Marrara Oval Marrara 1916
Jabiru Bombers Division 1 Division 2 Brockman Oval Jabiru 1982
Nightcliff Tigers Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1 		PSC BM Oval Nightcliff 1950
Nightcliff Spartans Division 1 TIO Oval No. 2 Marrara 2011
Palmerston Magpies Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves 		Premier Seniors Asbuild Oval Durack 1972
Palmerston Rats Division 2 Division 2 TIO Oval No. 2 Marrara 1989
PINT Greenants Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves,
Division 1, Division 2 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1,
Division 2 		Marrara Oval Marrara 1981
Southern Districts Crocs Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves,
Division 2 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1 		Norbuilt Oval Freds Pass 1987
St Mary's Saints Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves,
Division 1 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1 		Marrara Oval Marrara 1952
Tiwi Bombers Premier Premier Tiwi Oval Wurrumiyanga 2007
Tracy Village Razorbacks Division 1,
Division 2 		Division 1 Tracy Village Oval Lyons 1978
Wanderers Eagles Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves 		Premier Marrara Oval Marrara 1916
Waratah Warriors Premier Seniors,
Premier Reserves,
Division 1 		Premier Seniors,
Division 1, Division 2 		Gardens Oval The Gardens 1916

Uniforms

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Banks
Darwin
Jabiru
Nightcliff Tigers
Palmerston Magpies
PINT
Southern Districts
St Marys
Tiwi Islands
Tracy Village
Wanderers
Waratah

Former Clubs

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Former Premier League Clubs

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Colours Football Club Name Nickname Entered competition Premierships Left competition
Garrison Soldiers or Keros 1934/35 2 (1936/37, 1938/39) 1940/41
Rovers/Magpies Magpies 1925/26 1 (1927/28) 1928/29
Mobile Force Unknown 1939/40 1 (1939/40) 1939/40
Wallabies Wallabies 1935/36 0 1935/36
Air Force Unknown 1938/39 0 1941/42
AIF Regiment-Artillery Unknown 1941/42 0 1941/42
Machine Gunners Gunners 1941/42 0 1941/42
Navy Unknown 1941/42, (re:1948/49) 0 1948/49
R.A.N. Unknown 1946/47 0 1946/47
R.A.A.F. Unknown 1946/47 0 1946/47
Winnellie Unknown 1947/48 0 1947/48
Army/Navy Unknown 1947/48 0 1947/48
Army/RAAF Unknown 1948/49 0 1948/49
Services Unknown 1949/50 0 1950/51
Katherine Roos 1987/88 0 1987/88

Other former clubs

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Colours Football Club Name Nickname Entered competition Premierships Left competition
Mindil Sharks 1991 1 2019

Northern Territory Football League Club Songs

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Colours Football Club Name Nickname Name of the Football Club song Basis/Tune of the Football Club song
Banks Bulldogs Dogs Of The North Sons Of The Sea
Darwin Buffaloes Old Buffaloes Never Die Shuffle Off To Buffalo
Jabiru Bombers
Nightcliff Tigers We're From Tigerland Row, Row, Row From Ziegfeld Follies
Nightcliff Spartans
Palmerston Magpies The Magpies Are A Mighty Club When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Palmerston Rats
PINT Greenants
Southern Districts Crocs The Red, Black And White Notre Dame March
St Mary's Saints When The Saints Go Marching In When The Saints Go Marching In
Tiwi Bombers Bombers
Tracy Village Razorbacks
Wanderers Eagles Good Ol' Wanderers Forever Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Waratah Warriors It's A Grand Old Flag You're A Grand Old Flag

Coverage

[edit]

Media

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Television

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In 2006, NTFL premier league matches were broadcast nationally for the first time ever on ABC2 each Sunday afternoon from February to March. Previously the matches had only been shown in the Territory on ABC Darwin. In 2008, it reverted to local broadcasting. During the 2014/15 season, the Saturday 3.00pm premier league match was broadcast live on ABC in Darwin. During the 2017/18 season, Southern Cross TV broadcast one game a week on Sunday afternoons. Since then National Indigenous Television (NITV) broadcasts nationally replays of one game a week throughout the week starting Sunday afternoons.

Radio

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During the 2014/15 season, one premier league match was broadcast on ABC Local Radio, the match was either the late or early Saturday game and was an alternate match to the TV-broadcast game. In 2017/18, ABC will continue to broadcast one game a week on the digital radio frequency 105.7FM with a commentary team including Dominic McCormack, Natasha Medbury and Kieran Davis.

Internet

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Internet broadcasting commenced through YouTube during the 2012/2013 season, followed by its inclusion on the ABC iView on-demand service the 2013/2014 season which uses the recordings taken from the match day broadcast. The TV broadcast match was simulcast live on ABC Grandstand on YouTube during the 2014/15 season.

Attendance

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The NTFL attracts strong local crowds. The 2005 Grand final attracted a crowd of over 5,000 people. One of the biggest crowds was the 2010/11 Grand Final between St Mary's and Wanderers, with the Wanderers prevailing with a 28-point win, which attracted an over 9,000 crowd.

Men Premier League premiership tally

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Club Premierships Runners-up Premiership years Runner-up years
St Marys 34 19 1954/55, 1955/56, 1958/59, 1959/60,
1961/62, 1965/66, 1966/67, 1971/72,
1977/78, 1978/79, 1983/84, 1984/85,
1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1989/90,
1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1994/95,
1995/96, 1996/97, 2002/03, 2003/04,
2004/05, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10,
2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17
2021/22, 2023/24		 1960/61, 1962/63, 1963/64, 1967/68,
1968/69, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1972/73,
1976/77, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1992/93,
1997/98, 1998/99, 2005/06, 2010/11,
2014/15, 2019/20, 2020/21
Darwin 23 30 1921/22, 1924/25, 1925/26, 1926/27,
1931/32, 1933/34, 1934/35, 1935/36,
1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1951/52,
1962/63, 1963/64, 1967/68, 1968/69,
1969/70, 1970/71, 1972/73, 1975/76,
1979/80, 1988/89, 2005/06		 1919/20, 1929/30, 1930/31, 1932/33,
1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1940/41,
1946/47, 1947/48, 1952/53, 1953/54,
1954/55, 1956/57, 1958/59, 1959/60,
1961/62, 1964/65, 1966/67, 1971/72,
1983/84, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1989/90,
1990/91, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1994/95,
2000/01, 2017/18
Waratah 16 16 1920/21, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1930/31,
1932/33, 1937/38, 1940/41, 1946/47,
1947/48, 1952/53, 1953/54, 1973/74,
1976/77, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2022/23		 1916/17, 1917/18, 1918/19, 1922/23,
1923/24, 1925/26, 1927/28, 1931/32,
1933/34, 1934/35, 1950/51, 1955/56,
1996/97, 2006/07, 2007/08 2021/22,
Wanderers 12 14 1916/17, 1917/18, 1918/19, 1919/20,
1922/23, 1923/24, 1957/58, 1981/82,
1982/83, 1992/93, 2010/11, 2014/15		 1920/21, 1921/22, 1924/25, 1948/49,
1949/50, 1951/52, 1980/81, 1984/85,
1988/89, 2004/05, 2008/09, 2013/14,
2015/16, 2016/17
Nightcliff 6 9 1956/57, 1960/61, 1964/65, 2018/19,
2019/20, 2020/21		 1957/58, 1965/66, 1973/74, 1978/79,
1985/86, 2001/02, 2003/04, 2011/12

2023/24

Palmerston 3 5 1980/81, 2000/01, 2001/02 1975/76, 1977/78, 1979/80, 1999/00,
2002/03
Southern Districts 3 3 1997/98, 2006/07, 2017/18 1995/96, 2018/19, 2022/23
Tiwi Bombers 1 2 2011/12 2009/10, 2012/13
PINT 0 0 N/A N/A

Wooden Spoon tally

[edit]
Club Total Season/s
Wanderers
28
1930/31, 1931/32, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1935/36, 1946/47, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1963/64, 1964/65, 1965/66, 1966/67, 1967/68, 1968/69, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1976/77, 1979/80, 1989/90, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2007/08
Waratah
23
1919/20, 1921/22, 1924/25, 1926/27, 1936/37, 1949/50, 1951/52, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1975/76, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1980/81, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1988/89, 1993/94, 2014/15, 2015/16
Darwin
16
1916/17, 1917/18, 1918/19, 1920/21, 1922/23, 1923/24, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1960/61, 1996/97, 2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14
Palmerston
11
 1972/73, 1973/74, 1981/82, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1990/91, 1994/95, 2004/05, 2017/18, 2019/20, 2023/24
Nightcliff
5
1950/51, 1952/53, 1992/93, 1995/96, 2010/11
S. Districts
4
1991/92, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2005/06
Tiwi
4
2016/17, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23
St Marys
1
2018/19
PINT
Nil
N/A

Competition timeline

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Women's Premier League

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The Woman's NTFL competition was all started in 2004 and currently has 10 teams enrolling.[2]

Teams

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Premier League Clubs

Club Nickname Premierships
Big River Hawks 0
Tracy Village Razorbacks 0
PINT Queenants 3 (2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24)
Darwin Buffettes 2 (2016/17, 2021/22)
Nightcliff Tigers 0
Palmerston Magpies 1 (2010/11)
St Mary's Saints 5 (2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10)
Southern Districts Crocs 1 (2019/20)
Wanderers Eagles 0
Waratah Warriors 8 (2006/07, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18, 2018/19)

Grand Finals

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Years Premiers GF Score Runner-up Date Location
2004/05 St. Mary's (1) 7.5.47 - 0.3.3 Darwin Buffettes (1) 2005 Marrara Stadium
2005/06 St. Mary's (2) 8.11.59 - 3.2.20 Waratah (1) 2006 Marrara Stadium
2006/07 Waratah (1) 3.1.19 - 2.5.17 Darwin Buffettes (2) 2007 Marrara Stadium
2007/08 St. Mary's (3) 7.2.44 - 5.4.34 Waratah (2) 2008 Marrara Stadium
2008/09 St. Mary's (4) 9.12.66 - 4.4.28 Palmerston Magpies (1) 2009 Marrara Stadium
2009/10 St. Mary's (5) 9.5.59 - 3.6.24 Waratah (3) 2010 Marrara Stadium
2010/11 Palmerston Magpies (1) 6.5.41 - 4.7.31 St. Mary's (1) 2011 Marrara Stadium
2011/12 Waratah (2) 9.8.62 - 2.1.13 St. Mary's (2) 2012 Marrara Stadium
2012/13 Waratah (3) 13.5 (83) - 8.4 (52) St. Mary's (3) Saturday, March 9, 2013 (1:15 pm) Marrara Stadium
2013/14 Waratah (4) 6.7 (43) - 3.6 (24) Darwin Buffettes (3) Saturday, March 8, 2014 (4:00 pm) Marrara Stadium
2014/15 Waratah (5) 9.4 (58) - 0.4 (4) Tracy Village (1) Saturday, March 7, 2015 (4:15 pm) Marrara Stadium
2015/16 Waratah (6) 6.14 (50) - 4.8 (32) Wanderers (1) Saturday, March 12, 2016 (4:30 pm) Marrara Stadium
2016/17 Darwin Buffettes (1) 6.9 (45) - 4.3 (27) Waratah (4) Saturday, March 11, 2017 (1:30 pm) Marrara Stadium
2017/18 Waratah (7) 9.5 (59) - 4.0 (24) Darwin Buffettes(4) Saturday, March 10, 2018 (4:30 pm) Marrara Stadium
2018/19 Waratah (8) 3.3 (21) - 0.3 (3) Southern Districts (1) Saturday, March 9, 2019 (4:30 pm) Marrara Stadium
2019/20 Southern Districts (1) 6.3 (39) - 3.3 (21) Waratah (5) Saturday, March 7, 2020 (4:30 pm) Marrara Stadium
2020/21 PINT (1) 7.4 (46) - 5.5 (35) Darwin Buffettes (5) Saturday, March 20, 2021 (4:00 pm) Marrara Stadium
2021/22 Darwin Buffettes (2) 4.10 (34) - 2.4 (16) Nightcliff (1) Saturday, March 19, 2022 (4:00 pm) Marrara Stadium
2022/23 PINT (2) 12.8 (80) - 6.4 (40) Waratah (6) Saturday, March 18, 2023 (4:15 pm) Marrara Stadium
2023/24 PINT (3) 4.3 (27) - 3.4 (22) St. Mary's (4) Saturday 16 March 2024 (4:15pm) Marrara Stadium

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Darwin, Nightcliff, PINT
  2. ^ Banks, Waratah
  3. ^ Darwin, Nightcliff, PINT, St Mary's, Wanderers

References

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  1. ^ NTFL vs North Adelaide
  2. ^ "Women's Premier League Premierships".
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