Tiwi Islands Football Club
Encyclopedia
Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League is an 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory...
2006/07 season.
The club is notable as being the first all-Aboriginal team to play in a major competition.
The team is affiliated with the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, where two famous Tiwi Island products Michael Long and Dean Rioli
Dean Rioli
Dean Rioli is an indigenous former Australian rules football player who spent his whole professional career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
played their football in the national Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). Essendon provided jumpers for the team and the team adopted the "Bombers" moniker.
AFL players Austin Wonaeamirri
Austin Wonaeamirri
Austin Wonaeamirri is a professional Australian rules football player of indigenous origin. He previously played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...
and Dean Rioli
Dean Rioli
Dean Rioli is an indigenous former Australian rules football player who spent his whole professional career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
have both played for the club.
2006/07 season
The club won six out of seven games in the season, many by significant margins displaying a trademark play-on at all costs fast paced style.Their only defeat was to the eventual NTFL premiers, Southern Districts Football Club
Southern Districts Football Club
The Southern Districts Football Club, nicknamed, Crocs, is an Australian rules football club established in 1981. The club plays in the Northern Territory Football League at semi-professional level....
, by a small margin.
All of the clubs matches were featured nationally on ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, a special feature as part of the NTFL's television coverage. However they defeated the NTFL premiers later in the season in a friendly "mini-Grand Final" rematch.
It was announced early in 2007 that the team would become a permanent part of the NTFL competition in the 07/08 season, although some Tiwi Islands players will be unavailable to play for the Bombers due to contracts to other NTFL clubs.
2007/08 season
In the off season, the club recruited several players from the Southport Sharks in the Queensland State League to boost their height and key position strength.In the club's maiden season (their first season after the trial season), they started with promise, winning many of their early games and sitting on top of the ladder by mid season.
However injuries and player losses took their toll and the Bombers experienced a form slump later in the season. They recovered in the last few rounds to keep a finals berth. Finishing high on the ladder gave them several chances to reach the Grand Final. However after losing their qualifying final to St Marys, the Bombers lost the first semi-final to Waratah, extinguishing their aspirations for a flag in their maiden season. Some cited the lack of a reserves side as a factor in their up and down season.
Inaugural Squad
Coach: Greg Orsto.- Stuart Warlapinni (Nguiu / Darwin F.C.)
- Simon Munkara (Nguiu / Darwin)
- Ephram Tipungwuti (Nguiu / Darwin)
- Wayne Pilakui (Nguiu / Darwin)
- Albert Tipungwuti (Nguiu / Darwin)
- Norman Pangirimini (Garden Point / Waratah)
- Sylvanus Tipiloura (Nguiu / Waratah)
- Rupert Pupungameri (Nguiu / Waratah)
- Romeo Ullungura (Nguiu / Waratah)
- Mikelas Tipungwuti (Wurankuwu / Waratah)
- Edward Darcy (Snake Bay / Palmerston)
- Trevor Wilson (Snake Bay / Palmerston)
- Michael Wilson (Snake Bay / Palmerston)
- Shannon Cook (Wurankuwu / Palmerston)
- Bradley Palipuaminni (Nguiu / Palmerston)
- Joel Heenan (Wurankuwu / Palmerston)
- Michael Heenan (Warankuwu / Palmerston)
- Angelo Orsto (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Robert Cunningham (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Mark-Lee Thompson (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Thomas Simon (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Shane Kerinaiua (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Adam Whitlam (Wurankuwu / Wandereres)
- Austin WonaeamirriAustin WonaeamirriAustin Wonaeamirri is a professional Australian rules football player of indigenous origin. He previously played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...
(Snake Bay / St Marys) - Francis Vigona-Daniels (Snake Bay / St Marys)
- Willie Rioli (Garden Point / St Marys)
- Owen Henry (Snake Bay / St Marys)
- Paul-Simon Kerinaiua (Nguiu / St Marys)
- Freddy Puruntatameri (Nguiu / St Marys)
- Jack Tipungwuti (Nguiu / St Marys)
- Patrick Puruntatameri (Garden Point / St Marys)
- Sebastian Pilakui (Nguiu / St Marys)
- Sydney Page (Wurankuwu / Southern Districts)
- Giuseppe Tipiloura (Snake Bay / Nightcliff)
- Dean RioliDean RioliDean Rioli is an indigenous former Australian rules football player who spent his whole professional career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
(Garden Point / Essendon)
Rookie-listed players:
- Roy Farmer (Milikapiti / St Marys)
- David Kantilla (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Romelo Kantilla (Nguiu / Wanderers)
- Rex Pungauti (Nguiu / Nightcliff)
- Patrick Heenan (Milikapiti / Palmerston)
- Jack Dulla (Nguiu)
- Benedict Stassi (Garden Point)