Bombers fly up to record first win at Nguiu
IT was an historic occasion and the home side made sure they made it more so when the first Northern Terrirtory Football League game for premiership points was played outside Darwin for the first time.
The Tiwi Bombers, Australia's first Indigenous football club to play in a major Australian State or Territory football league, guaranteed a major semi-final spot when they recorded a 91-point win over Darwin Buffaloes at Tiwi Oval last Saturday, 24.21 (165) to 10.14 (74).
Bomber speedster Sampson Mungatopi was judged to be the game's best player and he was awarded the Tiwi Medal.
The Tiwi side has cemented second spot on the NTFL with two rounds remaining and are set to play St Mary's the first week of the finals.
The Bombers and Buffaloes played for the Bill Dempsey-David Kantilla Cup, named in honour of the legends of their respective club's football families.
* A selection of photographer Monica Napper's pictures of the game at Tiwi Oval can be seen in the
Photo Gallery (linked to the left).
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The following profiles on Kantilla and Dempsey were sourced from FullPointsFooty.net.au.
David Kantilla
TIWI Islander Kantilla became the first of his people to appear in the SANFL when he joined South Adelaide in 1961. Kantilla, whose tribal name was Amparralamtua, went to South on the recommendation of a former rover with the club, Len Atkins.
Despite never having played on a fully turfed oval before, the beanpole-like Kantilla adapted to the hurly burly of big time football straight away, cementing his place in the team by booting six goals against Glenelg on his debut at Kensington Oval. Over the next six seasons he played a total of 113 games for the Panthers, initially as a forward, but later, and to more telling effect, as an energetic, highly-skilled ruckman.
Possibly his finest moment came in 1964 when he was arguably best afield in South's 9.15 (69) to 5.12 (42) Grand F victory over Port Adelaide.
Kantilla also represented South Australia in the interstate arena in 1964 and 1965, and was a dual winner of the Knuckey Cup for South Adelaide's best and fairest player. His career tally of 106 league goals included a club list topping 31 in his debut season. On his return to the Northern Territory he coached his old club St Mary's for a season.
Kantilla was named in a forward pocket for the NT's Team of the 20th Century, in South Adelaide's Team of the Century, and on the interchange in the AFL's Indigenous Team of the Century.
Kantilla was tragically killed in a road accident on Bathurst Island in 1978.
Bill Dempsey
AFTER leaving the Darwin Football Club as an 18-year-old in 1960, Bill Dempsey went on to become one of the finest ruckman to play in Western Australia since the war. Whether on the ball or resting in a back pocket he was an imposing, formidable presence, who inspired his team-mates.
Dempsey was the Cardinals' best-and-fairest in 1966, won the 1969 WAFL Simpson Medal in the Grand Final in which he formed part of an irrepressible first ruck combination with the legendary Graham 'Polly' Farmer and Bill Valli. West Perth won that game by 73 points, and would go on to lift further premierships, with Dempsey a prominent contributor both times, in 1971 and 1975.
Dempsey returned home to the Top End occasionally, and was a member of Darwin's unbeaten 1967/68 premiership team.
After making his interstate debut in an ignominious home defeat against Tasmania in 1963, Dempsey went on to more than make amends with some superb performances in a total of 14 State appearances over the course of the next decade.
The last game of Bill Dempsey's illustrious 343 game WANFL career came in the losing 1976 first semi-final against Perth. Only Mel Whinnen, with 371 games over 18 seasons, has represented West Perth on more occasions than he.
Dempsey was named in the ruck in the Northern Territory's Team of the 20th Century, and on half-back in the AFL's Indigenous Team of the Century.
Last Modified on 19/02/2009 13:28