In nothing short of oppressive heat, the second and third ranked teams at the end of the regular season played out a classic that left Hawks supporters wishing there was just five minutes more on the clock.

The game started very evenly with the Tigers kicking the first goal only to be matched by one each from Jordan Gardner and Marcus Hamilton from the Katherine based team. 

The Hawks one goal advantage was then wiped out by a shot from Luis Rodriguez to end the first quarter Hawks 2.0. 12, Nightcliff 2.2.14.

At quarter time, Coach Abbott told the boys in brown and gold to use the advantage of the week off to run their opposition around, get numbers to the ball and work for each other.

History will show however that it was the second quarter that cost the Hawks the Premiership Flag. 

The Nightcliff team put on a display of possession football built on strong leads and overhead marking, supported by accurate passing by foot and a clear determination to take home the silverware. 

Led by experienced premier league players Lachie McKenzie, Ryan Nyhuis and Brandon Parfaitt the Tigers built an ultimately match defining lead of 23 points by half time, kicking 4.4 to the Hawks 1.1 for the quarter.

At half time it was clear the Big River Boys heads were down. Katherine NTFL legend Doug Kelly addressed the young men in the sheds and spoke of the need to put your head over the footy and to sacrifice for each other. 

Fancy football was not going to win the day and this was reinforced by Coach Abbott who also spoke about the need to support players that were being tagged. 

Abbott also rolled the dice by moving Hawks star players Marcus Hamilton and Caleb Clyden into the forward line to start the second half.

The third quarter did not start as the Hawks team would have hoped with the Darwin based team kicking the first goal and a couple of points to stretch their lead to a game high 31. 

From this point on there was a shift in momentum with consecutive goals to Cedric Robertson and a remarkable doublestep, fake and left foot snap by Bobby Nunggamajbarr to bring the margin back to 19 points by three quarter time. Nightcliff led 7.8.50 to Hawks 5.1.31 at the last break in play.

Coach Abbott used his final address to the team for the season to remind the players this was their chance to win a premiership together and to leave it all out on the field. 

That it was an opportunity to earn respect from the league and remind the NT footballing public of the talent that lies down the Stuart Highway.

The fourth quarter commenced with a Marcus Hamilton set shot goal from outside the 50 metre arc to put the hawks within 13 points  five minutes into the last quarter. 

Some costly misses by Nightcliff kept the door ajar and Lyndon Gum-bula popped up to kick another goal and bring the gap down to nine points with ten minutes left on the clock.

The final stages were frantic as the Big River boys continued to lift, and despite clearly feeling the heat, the Tigers players were making some important intercept marks and stifling the Hawks attack at the final hurdle time and again.

Then came a pivotal moment as Riley Sullivan from the Katherine team was awarded a free kick and 50metre penalty which moved him from the grandstand wing to around 30 metres out on a very slight angle. Sullivan who had been one of the Hawks standout players on the day, running himself into the ground tagging Parfitt, calmly slotted the set shot, and the margin was now three points.

The final five minutes saw the ball spend nearly the entire time in the Hawks attacking half, and much of it in the forward 50, however the experienced Nightcliff backline continued to turn the ball away with the final siren sounding with the ball still deep in the Tigers defensive 50.

It was a gut wrenching result given that the players had given their absolute all in the final half. 

The Hawks defence had held their opponents to a solitary goal for the last two quarters, whilst the forwards had kicked five goals straight. 

Nightcliff’s early domination was reflected in their 17 shots on goal versus the Hawks 9, however it was the determination of the Hawks backline including Brodie Carroll, Jesse Bettison, Balung Martin, Patrick Kossack and Daniel Turner that had meant the Tigers got no easy goals. 

Also the Hawks game plan was built around achieving easier shots on goal and this resulted in them kicking more majors than the opposition.

It was also obvious that Big River was finishing all over the team in black and yellow and Nightcliff coach Nathan Brown remarked after the game that he too was unsure how to stop the rampant Hawks.

Nonetheless, it was the Tigers who lifted the cup, and their record throughout the season and efforts when the game was on the line made them deserved Premiers. 

The Hawks players too can hold their heads high. 

A fantastic season and finals series that saw them beat both Nightcliff and Minor Premiers Palmerston in finals matches, along with their final half comeback means they have much to celebrate. 

Moreover, an average age of 16.5 years in an under 18.5 competition bodes well for the seasons ahead.

Much thanks and accolades should go to coach Nick Abbott for the remarkable success of the team. 

Many hours of time, effort and heartache, much of which is non-football related, goes into getting this team to Darwin and back each week, and he has done an amazing job. 

All of the team’s sponsors including deserve our deepest gratitude. 

Without their support and the help of the team of wonderful volunteers that give up their time every week there would be no football club. 

Lastly, we would like to thank all of the wonderful supporters who made the long trip up to Darwin for the Grand Final. 

Out on the field, the noise from the Hawks supporters and the sea of brown and gold made a huge difference to our boys in the last quarter, and it made you proud to be from the Big Rivers region.

Pictures: Maryanne Lewis