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| General Information | |
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| Founded | 1916, Darwin, Northern Territory |
| Previous names | Northern Territory Football Association (NTFA) |
| Current clubs | St Mary's Saints Nightcliff Tigers Darwin Buffaloes Wanderers Eagles Waratah Warriors Palmerston Magpies Southern Districts Crocs Tiwi Bombers |
| Current Stadiums | Marrara Oval Traeger Park Tiwi Oval Waratah Oval Nightcliff Oval Southern Cross Oval Norbuilt Oval |
| 2007/08 Season | |
| Premiers | St Marys Saints |
| Minor Premiers | Southern Districts |
| Wooden spoon | Wanderers |
| Nichols Medallist | Jared Ilett - St Mary's Saints |
| Total attendance | - |
| Average match attendance | - |
The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is a 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory. The league consists of a single division with under 13, under 14, under 15, under 16, under 18, reserves and open (professional) levels of competition.[1]
Most NTFL matches are played on Marrara Oval (TIO Stadium).
The Tiwi Islands Football League consisting almost solely of Indigenous Australian players traditionally acted as a feeder competition for clubs such as St Marys, but fielded its own team in 2006, the Tiwi Bombers for eight games. The NTFL became an 8 team competition in the (07/08) with the full time inclusion of the Bombers.
Contents |
| Club | Nickname | Home Ground | Entered competition |
Premierships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Saints | Saints | Marrara Oval | 1952 | 26 |
| Nightcliff Tigers | Tigers | Nightcliff Oval | 1950 | 3 |
| Darwin Buffaloes | Buffaloes | Tiwi Oval | 1917 | 22 |
| Wanderers Eagles | Eagles | Marrara Oval | 1917 | 11 |
| Waratah Warriors | Warriors | Waratah Oval | 1917 | 14 |
| Palmerston Magpies | Magpies | Southern Cross Oval | 1971 | 3 |
| Southern Districts Crocs | Crocs | Norbuilt Oval | 1984 | 1 |
| Tiwi Bombers | Bombers | Tiwi Oval | 2007 | 0 |
The NTFL chose to play in the Northern Territory's 'wet season', primarily due to hard playing surfaces during the 'dry season'. Most other leagues in Australia operate during the winter, but since the Territory does not have a winter, it is played at different times.
The Wanderers Football Club were the founding members of the league in 1916. Waratah Football Club also joined in 1916 and are the only club to have competed in every single season since the formation of the league. Darwin (Buffaloe Football Club) was formed a year later in 1917. Nightcliff formed in 1950. St Marys formed in 1952. Palmerston entered the league in 1973 as North Darwin. Southern Districts entered the league in 1987. Tiwi Bombers entered 2006 with full entry in 2007
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 will become 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 is also a push for an NTFL representative club to compete in the 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 North Adelaide defeat a composite NTFL squad by 27 points, demonstrating that a Darwin team could be competitive. There is a push to make the event an annual match.[2]
The NTFL attracts strong local crowds. The 2005 Grand final attracted a crowd of over 5,000 people.
In 2006, NTFL 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.
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