ILETT ON FIRE AS THUNDER DOWNS BOMBERS

WE already knew there was nothing Cameron Ilett could not do on the football field.

And yesterday the NT Thunder legend was at it again in his team’s comfortable 18.14 (122) to 8.7 (55) win over Redland at TIO Stadium.

The five-time club champion showed his versatility in an incredible last two minutes of the second quarter, booting two goals to give his side a matchwinning 39-point lead.

The 2017 NTFL Chaney Medal winner started the game in defence and moved to the midfield, before shifting forward in the second term.

The move worked wonders, with Ilett booting three goals in the period.

His two just before the main break showed the freakish 32year-old is also hard to contain as a full forward.

With two minutes remaining in the second term, he showed his brute strength to shrug off opponent Matt Allman after a booming kick forward from captain Shannon Rioli, playing his 100th game in Thunder colours.

From the ensuing bounce, hardworking midfielder Abe Ankers received the crumb from ruckman Ryan Smith, streaked away and kicked long to Ilett, who took a textbook full forward’s diving mark.

The Bombers were left to rue their inaccuracy, missing two early shots on goal they should have converted.

As in the second quarter, the Thunder finished the first term strongly with some excellent goals.

Strong marks to Lachlan Collihole and Hugo Drogemuller led to a Sam Talbot major, after he received a 50m free kick for taking a late hit.

And a nice, long kick from Collihole’s left foot found Darren Ewing, who used good body work to shrug off his opponent and find Michael Coombes, which led to Coombes wheeling around to score.

That gave the Territory outfit an 11-point lead at halftime.

Jackson Paine was the standout for Redland in a convincingly beaten outfit, taking a number of strong marks and his duel with Thunder defender Justin Beugelaar was a beauty.

Soul Cormick was also heavily involved for the Bombers all afternoon.

In comical scenes, both teams had a five-minute break after the sprinklers at the Michael Long Centre end of TIO Stadium activated early in the third quarter.

The Thunder players did not regroup after that, with the Bombers kicking three unanswered goals in the term.

Jarrod Huddy’s major nearing the final break was a classy effort, the ball booming off his left foot from 45m out for the visitors to trail by 27 points.

A Paine goal early in the final term gave the visitors hope.

But a Tony Olango major – showing great athleticism for someone so tall – to crumb Drogemuller’s long-range attempt at goal and snap around his body was the goal of the match.

Just as importantly, that restored the hosts’ 27-point lead.

And from there the Thunder asserted their ascendancy in a final term which saw them boot eight goals to two.