Add Category
Updated
Just two years ago, the Nightcliff Tigers had not won a flag in 54 years, now they are back-to-back premiers, after winning the Northern Territory Football League grand final in Darwin.
- The Tigers defeated St Mary's by 13 points
- It was the 50th grand final appearance for St Mary's
- Trent Melville was named best player on the ground
The Tigers beat Saint Mary's in the premiership match by a 13-point margin, making it one of the closest in the NTFL's history.
The game went ahead despite concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, with crowd numbers well down on the usual 10,000 spectators who pass through the gates.
Nightcliff forward Trent Melville was named Chaney Medallist for best on ground, his five goals instrumental in getting his side over the line.
"I was lucky to be on the end of some good stuff today so credit to my teammates," he said.
"There hasn't been much success at Nightcliff and to be able to do that, I hope it brings some smiles to the faces of our supporters."
The win caps of a near-perfect season for Nightcliff, which finished minor premiers, with midfielder Brodie Filo awarded the highest individual honour in the NTFL, the Nichols Medal.
"I'm so proud of all the boys, back to back, it's a lot of pressure," Filo said.
"After breaking last year's 54-year drought, hopefully we can keep it going."
After taking home the wooden spoon last season, this was Saint Mary's 50th grand final appearance in the NTFL, but despite a desperate fight in the second half, the Saints could not complete the fairytale over a determined Nightcliff line-up.
"If you'd told me at the end of last year we'd be playing in a grand final I wouldn't have believed you," captain Shannon Rioli said.
"For us to get to where we are today, when the dust settles it will be something we can be proud of."
Nightcliff held the lead for the entire match, with Saint Mary's closing the margin to just one point in the third quarter, but the Saints could not break the Tigers' fight.
Nightcliff's captain Phillip Wills said it was a tough match right to the end: "They're always a powerhouse team Saints, so we knew they were going to come."
Putting the victory down to hard work, he said: "It's just about effort, keep working hard, getting the little things right, and it all pays off in the end."
Saint Mary's coach Anthony Vallejo is expected to be fined over scathing comments about the umpires during his presentation speech.
"We had five peanuts umpiring, which was pretty disappointing but that's how it goes," Vallejo said.
Earning the ire of the crowd, he turned his frustration to them: "And they're the rest of the peanuts up there."
It comes after the Tiwi Island's grand final was restricted to local spectators only because of coronavirus concerns.
All spectators were banned from the AFLW final in Alice Springs this weekend.
Topics: sport, australian-football-league, community-and-society, darwin-0800, nt, alice-springs-0870, australia
First posted