DARREN MONCRIEFF
Friday 17 February 2012
THERE is no denying the excitement the Tiwi Bombers have brought to Northern Territory football, because if goal-kicking, high-marking and clean ball skills are the true attraction of the game, then those who have seen the Tiwis take their first tentative steps in the Premier League to develop into a genuine force know they have these attributes in spades.
The Bombers will reach a significant milestone in Top End footy. On Saturday, the Tiwi club will play its 100th match for premiership points when they play foundation club Waratahs.
Just four players remain from the Tiwis' first game, which was against powerhouse club, St Mary's in the 2007/08 season.
Perhaps a key measure of where the club has come in such a short time is its win-loss ratio in the big league.
Just one of the seven Premier League club holds the numerical advantage over the Tiwis; that's St Mary's with a record of 10 wins-7 losses -- ironically, the Saints were created to give the Tiwis an opportunity to play on the mainland.
Rather then having exceeded their own expectations, the Tiwis have exceeded the expectations of others, says the club's development manager, Peter Atkinson.
"The majority of the opposition have been surprised by our results because they expected to exploit the broad lack of the defensive aspect of the Tiwi football approach," Atkinson said.
"The opposition also clearly underestimated the skill level the Tiwi players produce and their general speed despite many years of evidence of both when playing with the mainland clubs."
It's the 'purity' of their football that Atkinson believes is the secret to their relative success in such a short time.
"The Tiwi brand is 'pure' football, proving the simple rule of most ball sports that if you gain and retain possession of the ball and dispose efficiently you control the game," he said.
"The Tiwi athleticism and speed despite overall size disadvantage has overcome all attempts to negate that strength.
"There was also a false belief that the Tiwi attacking style could be overcome with ever improving and new defensive tactics learned from the highest levels of the code such as zone defences, forward presses and aggressive tackling. That has not proven to be the case again simply because their disposal skills by hand and foot are of such a high standard done at great speed."
Of course, premierships are what it's all about with football clubs, however for the Tiwis it is much more than that.
"A premiership is the short-term goal of any sporting club and the current incentive is to be part of the first team on the basis no-one can ever repeat or copy it," Atkinson said.
"However, the club wants to develop a much more holistic reputation in respect to community and youth issues with a determined goal of influencing the Tiwi community for the better.
"It strives to further develop its role in the community in conjunction with the Territory Thunder Football Club and the AFLNT programs which embrace females as well as males of all ages.
"We consciously seek to align the club and its players to programs which promote mental and physical health issues as well as education."
The story so far...
* First Tiwi side: Thomas Simon, Edward Darcy (co-captains), Ephrem Tipungwuti and Rupert Pupangamirri (co-vice-captains), Roy Farmer, Trevor Wilson, Brad Palipuaminni, Albert Tipungwuti, Wayne Pilakui, David Kantilla, Alex Puruntatameri, Joseph Kantilla, Angelo Orsto, Samuel Puruntatameri, Wesley Black, Michael Wislon, James Scrymgour, Francis Vigon-Daniels, Cameron Betts, John Ross Pilakui, John Kelantmama, Graham Puruntatameri. Emergency: Gerrard Cunningham
* The original four still playing for the club: vice-captain Rupert Pupungamirri, Ephrem Tipungwuti, Bradley Palipuaminni and Albert Tipungwuti;
* Graham Puruntatameri was the first goal-kicker for the Bombers and went on to play 25 games, kicking 64 goals;
* Original team officials were: Greg Orsto (coach), Benny Vigona, Peter Rioli, Gawain Tipoloura and the late Maurice Rioli (assistant coaches), Brian Clancy (team manager), Austin Wonaeamirri (runner), Joanne Leyshon (head trainer);
* Following Greg Orsto into the coaches box was Brenton Toy (2008/09), Karl Gundersen (2009/10, 2010/11), Leigh Crossman (2011/12);
* Following Thomas Simon and Ed Darcy into the captaincy was Simon Munkara (2008/09), Munkara and Shane Tipuamantimerri (2009/10) and Tipuamantimerri (2010/11, 2011/12);
* Former player Jamie Scrymgour, who had transferred to the Bombers for the inaugural season from Wanderers, returned to the Eagles the next season where he co-captained the club to the 2010/11 premiership;
* The Tiwi Bombers have a 67 win-1 draw-31 loss record in their 99 games;
* St Mary's is the only club holding a positive win-loss record against them, with 7-10;
* The Bombers' win-loss record against the other clubs is: Darwin 13-0, Palmerston 11-2, Wanderers 9-6, Southern Districts 9-5, Nightcliff 9-4, Waratahs 9-1-4 = 67-1-31 total;
* 10 finals appearances for a 2-8 win-loss record;
* 1 Grand Final -- the 2009/10 loss to St Mary's;
* Finals successes were the 2009/10 Qualifying Final (vs St Mary's) and the 2009/10 Preliminary Final (vs Waratahs);
* Ephrem Tipungwuti and first-game emergency Gerrard Cunningham are the joint club games record holders with 79 games, followed by Roy Kantilla (77), Rupert Pupangamirri (75), inaugural captain Ed Darcy (64) and dual Territory Thunder premiership rover Bradley Palipuaminni (62);
* Tiwi Bombers have scored over 100 points 70 times in 99 matches;
* Season club leading goal-kickers: Graham Puruntatameri 49 in 2007/08, Roy Kantilla 51 in 2008/09, Ephrem Tipungwuti 60 in 2009/10 and 66 in 2010/11;
* Gerrard Cunningham is the current leading goal-kicker in the Premier League with 75, a new club record;
* Ephrem Tipungwuti is currently the club all-time leading goal-kicker with 251 goals in his 79 Tiwi Bombers games, Gerrard Cunningham is next on 220 and Roy Kantilla is third on 186;
* The Tiwi Bombers' records, game and goal tallies do not count those 8 games played in the 2006/07 season which were trial matches (the Bombers lost just 1 of those 8 games).
Stats source: AFLNT
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 19/02/2012 03:46