DARREN MONCRIEFF
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
WADEYE community will join Top End football in a 10-game trial in Darwin this upcoming season.
Wadeye Magic will join the two-year-old division, formerly NTFL Reserves, on a 10-game trial basis for the 2011/12 season with the hope to return on a permanent basis.
The model follows closely the Tiwi Bombers' trial period in 2006/07 and their eventual inclusion the NTFL Premier League, formerly Seniors, the following season.
Already, Wadeye has designed a jumper and logo (depicted here) ahead of their first foray into Darwin football.
James McNamee, the AFLNT's remote development manager, has been working with the community to achieve its goal.
The former Wanderers half-back McNamee won the 2010/11 Nichols Medal and he will play for Wadeye.
"The community has been doing the right things (to join the NTFL)," he said, "raising the money, taking ownership of the name, logo and jumper designs through community and school competition.
"This has created a lot of positive community support which, provided the trial matches go well, will see us enter the NTFL (Division 1) in the 2012-13 season on a full-time basis."
In June, Wadeye defeated the Territory Thunder reserves side by 84 points.
Pre-season carnival cancelled
THE traditional Top End pre-season opener, the Umpires' Carnival, has been cancelled.
The carnival sees teams from around the Northern Territory, including those in the NTFL, play in the knockout pre-season competition.
However, due to the AFL grand final being played in the first weekend of October this season, it has now been shelved, but the league hopes it will return next year.
"Due to the AFL Grand Final being played so late and scheduling of the NTFL season having to be put back a week, we have had to remove the Umpires' Carnival from this year's fixture," the AFLNT said in a statement.
"We are working towards a solution should this fixturing issue happen again. But we hope to see this carnival return on 2012."
The NTFL season starts on October 8.
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 01/09/2011 06:39