NT representative football returns in historic clashes against Glenelg at TIO Stadium

The last time a new representative AFL team was seen in the Northern Territory, the results changed Top End football forever.

In 2006, the top talent from the country’s best football patch, the Tiwi Islands, played eight matches against Northern Territory Football League teams during their bye rounds.

The next season, the Tiwi outfit would become a permanent part of the league as the Tiwi Bombers.

When representative football returns to the Top End today — 15 years on — the impacts could be just as historic, with the first ever Northern Territory women’s representative side set to run out onto Marrara Oval.

“This is an amazing time to reflect on how far women’s football has come,” said Rhiannon Busch, the captain of the women’s team representing the Northern Territory.

The NT women’s representative side leadership group of (from left) Eliza Morrison, Rhiannon Bush, Lateesha Jeffrey.(Supplied)

Eliza Morrison, a vice-captain of the women’s side, said a real sense of occasion had been circling the team’s clubrooms in the lead up to the match.

“It feels pretty surreal … there’s just a lot of pride around,” she said.

“We’ve had a couple of the past coaches and players who have played rep footy in the men’s team talk about the history and just the privilege it is to play for the NT.

“I couldn’t be prouder to go out there and play today.”

Morrison, who also co-captains the Nightcliff Tigers and plays for the Western Bulldogs in the VFLW, said she hopes running out on the field in the black, white and ochre colours will have a lasting impact on women’s football in the Territory.

“It’s been one of the strong messages from all of us girls … not only representing our own football and families and culture, but the younger generation to come,” she said.

“I think we’ve put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure we not only go out there and win but that we play in a really proud and respectful way that gets girls from the younger generation excited.”

A match is seen being played at TIO Stadium during sunset. — The representative fixtures will be played at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Saturday.(Supplied: Celina Whan / AFLNT)

As well as being the year of the ‘Super Tiwi’s’ tour, 2006 was also the last year the Territory fielded an NT-wide men’s representative side.

Current men’s captain, Cameron Ilett, and Josh Cubillo both played in that match in 2006 against North Adelaide — another SANFL team.

Tonight they will both be running out again for the Northern Territory, this time as veterans ushering in a new guard of representative talent.

“Back then I was a 20-year-old learning the craft and representing the Territory was a massive honour,” said Ilett, who has played more than 350 games for NT football teams.

“Now I’m at the twilight end of my career so I’m just really embracing the whole experience and trying to pass on a little bit of knowledge to the guys as well.

“Really importantly it’s about connecting that history of NT rep footy with bringing it back to life tonight.

“Now it’s the player’s responsibility to really ignite it and make sure we put on a really good display and play in the same spirits that all those former Northern Territory representative players did.”

The women’s and men’s matches against Glenelg at TIO Stadium today kick off at 4.30pm and 6.30pm respectively.

Regional NT football shares in limelight

The Northern Territory’s two biggest dry season leagues will also put their finest talent on the paddock today when they face off against each other before the men’s and women’s representative matches.

The Central Australian Redtails, constituted from the finest players of the Central Australia Football League, will clash against the best of the Big Rivers Football League, which spans from the Katherine region south of Darwin up to Arnhem Land.

Both leagues contain some of the most capable but least televised Australian Rules footballers in the country.