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| Formerly | Northern Territory Football Association (NTFA) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Founded | 1916 |
| First season | 1916 |
| No. of teams | 15 (9 premier league, 6 reserves) |
| Country | Australia |
| Most recent champion(s) | St Mary's (34th premiership) (2023/24) |
| Most titles | St Mary's (34) |
| TV partner(s) | Southern Cross Seven |
| Official website | NTFL |
The Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) is an Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The league is one of few (and the highest level) Australian Rules competitions played during the Australian Summer with the season beginning in October and ending in March, because cricket cannot be played during the wet season, due to high levels of rain, resulting in the football and cricket seasons being swapped. The league regularly attracts high-profile semi-professional players from interstate leagues due to its lack of salary cap and the timing of the season, which allows players to play extra matches during the rest of Australia's off-season.
History
While most other Australian rules leagues in Australia operate during the southern hemisphere winter, the NTFL chooses to play in the Northern Territory's 'wet season' from October to March, primarily due to hard playing surfaces and the need to play cricket during the 'dry season'.
The NTFL was founded in 1916 with The Wanderers Football Club and Waratah Football Club as founding members. Waratahs are the only club to have competed in every season of the NTFL. Darwin (Buffalos Football Club) was formed in 1917, Nightcliff in 1950, St Marys in 1952, Palmerston in 1972 (as North Darwin), Southern Districts in 1987 and the Tiwi Bombers in 2006 (with full entry in 2007).
The 1974-75 season was abandoned due to the devastation from Cyclone Tracy.
In the 1990s, the league ran into financial problems primarily due to the Northern Territory government luring the league to the new purpose-built stadium at Marrara Oval after its construction in 1991. The move pushed the league's operating costs up drastically despite contrary promises from the NT government. Marrara Oval is now known as TIO Stadium, as part of a naming rights deal with NT health insurance company, Territory Insurance Office.
During this history of the league it has exported successful players to other leagues, notable players have included Michael McLean, Maurice Rioli and Michael Long.
In 2006, it was announced that a team representing the Tiwi Islands, called the Super Tiwis would be added to the 2006/07 season for eight games against teams that would normally have the bye. They became a permanent part of the league in the 07/08 season as the Tiwi Bombers, clad in Essendon Football Club style guernseys of black and red.
There was also a push for an NTFL representative club to compete in the Adelaide-based South Australian National Football League (SANFL). The first of a series of trial matches was held in 2006, with a long term view of admitting a Darwin side into the SANFL. A strong crowd at Marrara Oval witnessed SANFL club North Adelaide defeat a composite NTFL squad by 27 points, demonstrating that a Darwin team could be competitive. There was a push to make the event an annual match,[1] however, the NTFL decided on fielding a side in the AFL Queensland State League from 2009 (which became the Northern Conference of the North East Australian Football League in 2011) and the Northern Territory Football Club was formed.
In 2010 it was decided to merge the NTFL with the Top End Australian Football Association (TEAFA) to create a three division competition in which the NTFL would make the Premier League whilst the NTFL reserve competition and clubs from the TEAFA would incorporate the First Division and Second Divisions.
The 2012/2013 season saw Banks Bulldogs and the Central Australian Football Club placed on a four-match trial in the Premier League, for possible full-time inclusion. The Bulldogs, originally a part of the TEAFA competition, would stay in the NTFL Division One competition. But the CAFC team would continue their trial run in the Premier League, the number of games extended to 10 for the 2013/2014 season. However, the side did not become a permanent team in the competition.
League structure
The league consists of both junior and senior divisions. The A Grade competition is known as the NTFL Men's Premier League and includes nine clubs (Darwin, Nightcliff, Palmerston, PINT, Southern Districts, St Mary's, Tiwi Bombers, Wanderers, and Waratah). The reserves are divided into two divisions known as Division 1 (B Grade) and Division 2 (C Grade). Divisions One and Two include any thirds teams of the Premier League clubs, excluding the Tiwi Bombers, and the seniors of three other clubs which were formerly in the TEAFA competition (Banks, Tracy Village, and University) and the Jabiru Bombers. The A Grade Women's competition consists of eight clubs, including all Premier League clubs, except for the Tiwi Bombers replaced by Tracy Village.
The junior division is broken into age groups, Under 18's, Under 16's, Youth Girls, Under 14's, and Under 12's, with all age groups split into two divisions, except for under 18's and youth girls. Under 18's is the only junior division with a fixed number of clubs, including all Premier League clubs, except for the Tiwi Bombers replaced by Big River Hawks. The rest of the junior divisions vary based on participation levels each year, however, the clubs with juniors are all the Premier League clubs and Tracy Village.
Northern Territory Football League Clubs
Current clubs
| Colours | Club | Nickname | Men's Senior Grades | Women's Senior Grades | Home Ground | Location | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Banks | Bulldogs | Premier Reserves, Division 1 |
Division 1, Division 2 |
Gardens Oval | The Gardens | 1978 |
 |
Darwin | Buffaloes | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves |
Premier Seniors, Division 1 |
Marrara Oval | Marrara | 1916 |
 |
Jabiru | Bombers | Division 1 | Division 2 | Brockman Oval | Jabiru | 1982 |
 |
Nightcliff | Tigers | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves |
Premier Seniors, Division 1 |
PSC BM Oval | Nightcliff | 1950 |
 |
Nightcliff | Spartans | Division 1 | TIO Oval No. 2 | Marrara | 2011 | |
 |
Palmerston | Magpies | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves |
Premier Seniors | Asbuild Oval | Durack | 1972 |
 |
Palmerston | Rats | Division 2 | Division 2 | TIO Oval No. 2 | Marrara | 1989 |
 |
PINT | Greenants | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves, Division 1, Division 2 |
Premier Seniors, Division 1, Division 2 |
Marrara Oval | Marrara | 2022 |
 |
Southern Districts | Crocs | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves, Division 2 |
Premier Seniors, Division 1 |
Norbuilt Oval | Freds Pass | 1987 |
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St Mary's | Saints | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves, Division 1 |
Premier Seniors, Division 1 |
Marrara Oval | Marrara | 1952 |
 |
Tiwi | Bombers | Premier | Premier | Tiwi Oval | Wurrumiyanga | 2007 |
 |
Tracy Village | Razorbacks | Division 1, Division 2 |
Division 1 | Tracy Village Oval | Lyons | 1978 |
 |
Wanderers | Eagles | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves |
Premier | Marrara Oval | Marrara | 1916 |
 |
Waratah | Warriors | Premier Seniors, Premier Reserves, Division 1 |
Premier Seniors, Division 1, Division 2 |
Gardens Oval | The Gardens | 1916 |
Former Clubs
Former Premier League Clubs
| Colours | Football Club Name | Nickname | Entered competition | Premierships | Left competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Garrison | Soldiers or Keros | 1934/35 | 2 (1936/37, 1938/39) | 1940/41 |
|
Rovers/Magpies | Magpies | 1925/26 | 1 (1927/28) | 1928/29 |
|
Mobile Force | Unknown | 1939/40 | 1 (1939/40) | 1939/40 |
|
Wallabies | Wallabies | 1935/36 | 0 | 1935/36 |
|
Air Force | Unknown | 1938/39 | 0 | 1941/42 |
|
AIF Regiment-Artillery | Unknown | 1941/42 | 0 | 1941/42 |
|
Machine Gunners | Gunners | 1941/42 | 0 | 1941/42 |
|
Navy | Unknown | 1941/42, (re:1948/49) | 0 | 1948/49 |
|
R.A.N. | Unknown | 1946/47 | 0 | 1946/47 |
|
R.A.A.F. | Unknown | 1946/47 | 0 | 1946/47 |
|
Winnellie | Unknown | 1947/48 | 0 | 1947/48 |
|
Army/Navy | Unknown | 1947/48 | 0 | 1947/48 |
|
Army/RAAF | Unknown | 1948/49 | 0 | 1948/49 |
|
Services | Unknown | 1949/50 | 0 | 1950/51 |
|
Katherine | Roos | 1987/88 | 0 | 1987/88 |
Other former clubs
| Colours | Football Club Name | Nickname | Entered competition | Premierships | Left competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mindil | Sharks | 1991 | 1 | 2019 |