Jeffrey’s stunners seal title

WANDERERS have been crowned the 2018-19 NTFL Under-18 premiers after a frantic last five minutes saw Joel Jeffrey kick two matchwinning goals to defeat Nightcliff by seven points at Marrara.

Jeffrey (four goals) was ultimately the hero for Wanderers, who squandered a six-goal lead to a gallant Nightcliff, who fought back from a big quarter-time deficit.

After Nightcliff drew level with five minutes remaining in the last quarter, Jeffrey ended any hope of a comeback with a matchwinning sequence.

And it will be the stuff of legend among Wanderers fans.

His first hero’s moment came with three minutes to go, the scores locked at 53 apiece.

Jeffrey took a mark 15m out on a tight angle and cooly slotted a goal to put one hand on the cup for his side.

What happened next, no one could have predicted. Wanderers won the centre clearance and the play broke over the back of Jeffrey and his Nightcliff opponent.

The ball sailed over Jeffrey’s shoulder towards the boundary.

Out of pure instinct, Jeffrey lashed a foot out at the Sherrin. Hitting the ball flush on the belly and it soared through the big sticks.

There was nothing for Jeffrey to do but put his hands in the air, and await the ambush from teammates.

The mercurial goal gave Wanderers an unassailable lead with two minutes to play.

Without those final-minute heroics, Nightcliff would likely have been the story.

It was a herculean effort from Nightcliff’s best Ned Stevens and Wade Derksen to claw their way back into the game.

But in the end Wanderers, led by Jeffrey and Beau O’Connell, just had too many aces up their sleeves. Wanderers 6.3 7.5 7.8 9.12 (66) Tigers 1.1 3.3 6.7 8.11 (59) Wanderers: O’Connell, Jeffrey, Derrick, Thompson Tigers: Derksen, Stevens, Kalitsis, Kidney Wanderers: Jeffrey 4, Derrick 2, O’Connell, Donny, Fuller Tigers: Stevens 3, Derksen 2, Kalitsis 2, Stephenson Beau O’Connell