Tiwis land first blow in budding rivalry with Waratah
NEW season, new coach, a winning start and perhaps the beginning of a new rivalry for the Tiwi Bombers.
The first Indigenous football club in a top-tier Australian State or Territory league, the Bombers downed Waratah by 15 points in Round 1 of the Northern Territory Football League at the weekend in a match that saw 36 goals scored.
Former Bombers assistant coach Brenton Toy has taken over from inaugural mentor Greg Orsto and made it one from one with the Tiwis' 19.15 (129) to 17.12 (114) win over the Warriors at Marrara Oval.
While the win can't erase the pain of the Bombers' finals elimination by the Warriors last season, the weekend's match has at least settled a score, and may have ignited something of a rivalry between the clubs.
"Certainly, that finals loss last season is at the back of the players' minds but we do have a good relationship with Waratah, and if anything, it'd be a healthy rivalry," Toy said.
Toy has straightened out the Bombers' spine, with key position types Kevin Bruce, Jarrod Berrington and WAFL premiership player, Tiwi countryman Shane Tipuamantamerri joining the club this season.
"There is a lot more of a structure now and hopefully we will be a bit more fitter towards the end of the season than we were last time," Toy said.
"Most of the island boys are attuned to the set up and professionalism of the league now."
Tiwi Bombers and Waratah will meet two more times this 2008/09 season which culminates in the grand final in late March of next year.
Tigers coach happy to have another look at the 'G
THE last time Gideon Pangiraminni was at the MCG was as a teenager playing for the Northern Territory in 1996.
He'll return to the football mecca after his side Imalu won last weekend's AFLNT's community division pre-season carnival when they defeated last year's winners, Santa Teresa, from Central Australia.
The Tigers coach, who guided the club to the flag last season, was a premiership player with the Tiwi Islands club in 1998/99.
He said the chance to play at the MCG -- in the curtain-raiser to the Dreamtime at the 'G AFL match -- was a big factor in his side preparing well and winning the carnival. But it looked to be coming undone early on in the piece.
"I thought we struggled against Central Arrerente, we didn't score in the first half," Pangiraminni said.
"But a lot of the young boys who played in the grand final (against Tapalinga last season) really stepped up and we won it."
Pangiraminni said he was confident heading into the grand final in Darwin.
"Last year, I even thought we were good enough to beat Santa Teresa back then," he said.
"We've trained hard to get there (at the MCG) and the boys were really committed for it."
Pangiraminni was named TIFL coach of the year for the 2007/08 season.
Tiwis meet next week to finalise season fixtures
THE 2008/09 Tiwi Islands Football League will get underway next month but the final date of the grand final won't be known until next week.
League officials have yet to decide when the grand final will be held; a day after the NTFL decider, or a week later.
That decision looks set to be made at a meeting at Nguiu next Thursday.
If it is to be held a week after the NTFL grand final, that could mean a 19-round home-and-away season. It will also mean many islanders can travel to Darwin to support the Tiwi Bombers, should they make the final game of the season.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Last Modified on 16/10/2008 10:56