As the AFL’s JLT Community Series pre-season competition wriggles its way around the country, North Queensland is preparing for its own extravaganza of AFL talent across March as first Townsville and then Cairns host matches. Townsville gets under way this weekend when the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats met in their JLT fixture. Cairns will then host the Round 1 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The city of Townsville was looking forward to the Gary Ablett grudge match. With Ablett leaving the Sun and returning to his native Geelong last trade season, it gave the local fans the chance to watch an old-fashioned stoush between two past and present cat owners. Sadly, a hamstring injury will see Ablett ruled out of the match.

But, the people of Townsville would not be too disheartened. They will still host a great game of footy between the rising Suns from their home state and a Geelong side than has enjoyed an era of success – including three flags – since 2007.

The Darwin Buffaloes have taken an enormous stride towards winning their first NTFL premiership since the 2005/06 season by downing the Nightcliff Tigers in the Qualifying Final at TIO Stadium. It sets up Second Semi-Final showdown with Southern Districts Crocs next weekend – the team that won their last premiership the following year in 2006/07.

Nightcliff enjoyed the early running, hitting the scoreboard regularly and heading to the first break with a 17-point lead. The Buffaloes were desperate to bridge the gap, and did so by narrowing the Nightcliff lead to just two points by the half time break. By the final change, score were level in a tight tussle – the ideal finals match.

It was tough going for both the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Blacktown International Sports Park in Sydney, as they played out the first draw of the 2018 AFLW season in wet conditions.

Image Source: Twitter @GWSGIANTS

Neither of the teams was able to break away with clean disposal and this is what’s expected in wet weather football. It was an extremely physical brand of football by both teams from the first siren to the final siren and it was a credit to both teams to play with such a high intensity and skill for the entire match. This showed at the final siren with nothing separating both teams.

The Pies win in an upset over the Dees by 34 points in hot conditions up in TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. In this match the Dees donned their new Indigenous Guernsey designed by their Indigenous player Alisha Newman.

Image Source: @CollingwoodFCW

The Pies started the match very well as they had a lot of the football, but they just could not score. This changed in the second quarter as the Pies did get reward for their effort on the scoreboard and the Pies continued to be all over the Dees in the third term as well. The Pies looked like a totally different team tonight from the previous three rounds with clean and slick ball movement against a premiership favourite in the Dees.

The Brisbane Lions won by 7 points over the Fremantle Dockers in a game of good old fashion wet weather football at the South Pine Sports Complex in Brisbane. This match was a real arm wrestle in trying conditions for both teams who played with high intensity and fierceness.
Image Source: Twitter @lionsaflw

There was one stoppage after another, which made the opening term a real stoppage fest and this is expected when the conditions are wet. It was a very physical brand of football to begin.
 

In the first ever AFLW pride match between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton at the VU Whitten Oval, the Bulldogs ran away by 73 points over the Blues. The Bulldogs kept the Blues scoreless for the first half of the match and the Blues only managed to score their first goal with three and half minutes left in the third term.

Image Source: Twitter @BulldogsW

They also kept the Blues scoreless in the final quarter. This dominant attacking display by the Bulldogs had them record the highest ever AFLW score of 86 points beating Melbourne’s score from last year at Casey Fields against Fremantle. Bonnie Toogood and Brooke Lochland were the standouts up forward for the Dogs both combining for 10 goals.

 

Two AFL Cairns clubs have sought out help from the west for their 2018 season campaigns. Whilst it is not the first time that talented players or coaches have come over to the “tropical north” to boost clubs, it is rare that two clubs have both announced Territorians in the same season as their potential saviours. The decisions certainly reflect the efforts that clubs in Cairns are going to in a bid to stay competitive in an ever-increasing on-field and off-field competition.

Two of the greatest names in Northern Territory football – Motlop and Davey – will have roles at the Pyramid Power and Cairns City Lions clubs in 2018, with a view to having bigger roles in the future.

[Images: Aaron Davey in Lions' colours (left) and Mark Motlop in his playing days at Glenelg (right)]

Mark Motlop is a part of a footballing dynasty in Northern Territory football. Whilst some of his relatives have had wider recognition in AFL circles (Daniel at North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, Shannon at North Melbourne [Kangaroos] and Melbourne and currently Steven at Port Adelaide after leaving Geelong), Mark has, arguably, had a greater impact on the game.

In a see-soaring affair the Fremantle Dockers were able to give Melbourne their first defeat of the 2018 AFLW season at Fremantle Oval. This match was a real arm wrestle and this showed at the final siren, as the Dockers were victors by five points in a thrilling game of the AFLW against the Dees who were undefeated heading into today’s match.

Image Source: Twitter @freodockers

The Melbourne Football Club dominated the first term, as they came out with all guns blazing at the start of the match over the Fremantle Dockers. In the first quarter the Dees kept the Dockers scoreless, but the Dees only managed to slot through one major themselves via Tegan Cunningham. The Dees could have had a bigger lead on the scoreboard at quarter time but there kicking in front of goal let themselves down with five behinds

The Greater Western Sydney Giants notched up their first win in season number two of the AFLW at the Olympic Park Oval. This match was a tight tussle before the Giants were able to break the shackles and dominate the final quarter with four goals to one. The Giants owned the match in the second half with the majority of the game play and this helped them get their first four premiership points of the 2018 AFLW season.

Image Source: Twitter @GWSGIANTS

The opening term was tight and scrappy, despite Collingwood who had the bulk of the play in the first term. Rising star Chloe Molloy begun in the forward line for Collingwood, as in the past two weeks she has played down back. There was stoppage after stoppage early on in the first quarter and the work rate was up and there was plenty of intensity around the contest from both teams. Late on in the first term the Pies started to get on top with more of the ball and cleaner disposal.

After two miserable seasons – finishing seventh in 2015/16 and eighth in 2016/17 – the Tiwi Bombers would be dancing and singing for joy after getting into the finals after their win against Waratah in the final round. No matter what, this season has been a success already for the Tiwi crew. But nobody knows better than the Bombers – all they have so far is the key to the kingdom. A true fairy tale would see them use the key to open the premiership cabinet.

The Bombers’ win against Waratah was set up with a blistering seven goals to one opening term and by half time a 51-point lead. Whilst Waratah rallied briefly to take the third term and hint at a fight-back, it was a bridge too far and the Bombers steadied to bring the game home, and bring their fans to a delirium of sorts. It was a high-pressure match with plenty at stake for both teams, and the Tiwi Bombers proved that they have what it takes to absorb finals-like pressure. Three wins in three weeks would see a second Bomber flag, so they can certainly dare to dream.