Tigers having final say
Nightcliff puts premier on notice in 111-point blowout
NIGHTCLIFF won the early bragging rights on the eve of the 2018-19 NTFL finals when it beat premier Southern Districts by 111 points.
The Tigers won their first minor premiership in seven years with their 21.13 (139) to 7.6 (48) win.
Coach Chris Baksh was not getting carried away with the win.
He said only that his players had focused on a four-quarter performance.
“There’s still a couple of changes, so the boys will be fighting for spots, which is a good thing,’’ Baksh said.
“But they’re (Districts) a quality outfit.
“And they are going to come back strongly through the finals, there’s no doubt about that.’’
John Butcher gave Nightcliff the start it was looking for with two goals in the first seven minutes.
Both of them came from strong marks.
It could have been three when Phillip Wills grazed the left-hand upright after swooping on a loose ball.
Lee Dale’s snap from a big pack of players got Districts on the board, but it was the Tigers doing most of the attacking and it was Wills who got their third when he roved another loose ball.
Both sides showed why they finished in the top two on the NTFL ladder when they booted nine goals between them in a freewheeling second quarter.
Brodie Filo’s two goals from a snap and another one when he ran on to a handball from Liam Holt-Fitz and goaled from 50 metres were highlights and so was a three-goal burst from Districts’ Michael Mummery.
One of Mummery’s goals was from the top shelf when he ran around three Tiger defenders and kicked truly from 45 metres out.
Fitz booted two goals of his own in that term, running through the forward line in a role coach Baksh has assigned for him all year.
The third quarter produced some of Nightcliff’s best football this season.
Cameron Ilett led the charge with three goals and players like Beau Black, Roger Morris and Michael Hagan getting involved across half forward.
The Tigers booted seven goals to one in the all-important quarter.
They ran in numbers and were using the ball to maximum effect.
Just as important was the defensive side of their game, with smothering and bone jarring tackles the order of the day.
Districts went into the game without first choice ruckman Seb Guilhaus and key utility Ed Barlow.
And they never looked like a side that had won 13 games coming into yesterday’s match.