38 SPORT MONDAY FEBRUARY 15 2016 What a week in NT football IT was Jack “Captain Blood’’ Knock on the door of the north by his employers, the reckon Pierce would love to re- And remember where you Dyer who coined the phrase NTFL tribunal and all you get AFL, was to improve and wind the clash with St Mary’s heard this first if the rumour “what a week it has been in is a firm “no media allowed”, upgrade relations and the rival Jackson Geary that al- mill is correct. football.’’ complete with second and information highway between most left the midfielder with as Cameron Ilett to coach The late Richmond hard sometimes third-hand infor- the Darwin media and the much hair as this writer. Waratah next season and a man and great orator must mation when the hearing is football industry. If you did rewind to the three-way contest between have had a television camera completed. The former head of AFL Round 16 match and had a live Troy Coates, Brett Goodes or inside AFLNT headquarters This writer keeps being told Media has all the tools at his mike attached to the field um- Michael McLean, who has last week. by the league the tribunal is disposal to do that, except it pires, you would have heard Division 1 club Tracy Village The NTFL tribunal again transparency for the Territory independent and untouchable. would appear, one of the most some verbal exchanges bet- steaming towards the finals, banned anyone resembling a football public as displayed by Yet wasn’t it former tribunal important pieces in the puzzle, ween opposing players that for the Nightcliff job. journalist from coming near the respective tribunal chair- chairman Tom Anderson who the operations of the league would be banned on family That is if Damian Hale’s them, a third Territory foot- man in the last two weeks con- quit his post after 16 years tribunal. television for life. push for a seat in Territory baller was banned for life, tinues to amaze this writer. when the league overruled him Pierce Liddle’s deregistra- It was not a good look for politics is successful. pending an appeal and the Walk into any parliament on an under-18 footballer’s tion, or for the normal reader sporting role models employed And sources say the Palm- Premier League coaching around the country or a court finals eligibility? out there – life ban – created in the business of improving erston role might be up for dis- rumour mill moved into fourth of law and journalists more Part of new AFLNT boss the expected tidal wave of pub- the education, discipline, self- cussion as well, with Chris gear. often than not will outnumber Michael Solomon’s job des- lic opinion. A tough, no-non- esteem and life skills of young Baksh and Mark Tyrrell in the The total lack of respect for the public. cription when he was posted sense hard-at-the-ball player, I Territory men. mix at Magpieland in 2016-17. Farah rapt as Uzzie returns from injury BEN HORNE how he was doing and how tough it was,” Farah told the USMAN Khawaja was the no- NT News. where man in no man’s land. “When athletes have simi- Two years since he’d last lar injuries you’re always com- played a Test and with five paring and sharing months of rehabilitation still to experiences.” go on his ruptured knee, Farah revealed he met Khawaja sat in an Alice Khawaja in Alice Springs while Springs hotel lobby with NRL away with the Tigers star Robbie Farah, as a crick- “There’s always uncertainty eter at the crossroads. with any injury – you doubt Farah, in the red centre for a yourself whether you’re going Wests Tigers trial match and to come back as strong or as Khawaja there to mentor at an good. indigenous cricket carnival, “It’s one thing to come back, spoke in the most unlikely but to come back so well and location about the physical be in the form he’s in now is a and mental torment of serious credit to himself and it’s great injury. to watch.” A coffee with a fellow ath- When Khawaja tore his lete can be like a session with a ACL trying to catch a ball at a shrink for a professional Sydney Thunder training ses- sportsman – so unique is the sion in late 2014 – he went shared nature of their experi- from the cusp of an interna- ences – and a year ago to the tional recall to the bottom of day since his open chat with the queue. Farah, Khawaja hasn’t looked The unusualness of the back, as his signature century injury for a cricketer wouldn’t Australian players celebrate after their World Baseball Classic final victory against South Africa yesterday Picture: BRETT HEMMINGS in Wellington would attest to. have helped his state of mind, Farah came back from his and the knee blow out did own anterior cruciate ligament nothing for his hamstrings ei- Aussies nail World Baseball Classic spot injury early in his career and ther – as Khawaja tore both can appreciate how extraord- within a couple of months of inary it is that in the space of 12 returning to the field in the AUSTRALIA will head to next nations, including power- up 4-3 but Australia, who consecutive solo home runs in months Khawaja has gone second half of last year. year’s World Baseball Classic houses Japan, US and Cuba, at outhit South Africa 17-7, tied it the bottom of the fifth, both off from a position of sheer help- Today the Wests Tigers after beating South Africa 12-5 the WBC in March next year at in the sixth on Trent South Africa reliever Carl lessness to now standing at the club were glued to the screen in the final of the four-nation a venue to be announced next D’Antonio’s run-scoring Michaels, to give Australia a summit of his sport as the most as western suburbs product qualifying tournament in month. double. South Africa shortstop short-lived two-run lead. in-form batsman in the world. Khawaja smashed the best and Sydney. Mitch Dening and Trent Gift Ngoepe led off the game The Thunder were forced to “I’m mates with Brad Had- most important century of his Manager Jon Deeble’s Oeltjen hit run-scoring singles with a long homer to left field qualify for the 2017 WBC din and Dan Smith and a few career – a testament to hard Southern Thunder scored six in the bottom of the seventh off Blackley. But the tournament after leaving the of the cricket boys so I’d met work. runs in the eighth inning – inning to break a 4-4 tie and Australians tied it in the last event winless. him a few times before. He was “All us boys at the Tigers, I helped by a two-run throwing give Australia a 6-4 lead. bottom of the first on Oeltjen’s Yesterday’s win followed recovering from a knee recon- know Woodsy (Aaron Woods) error on a bunt and a bases- Earlier South African RBI double off South Africa Australian victories over New struction and obviously I’d is a massive cricket fan, too, loaded walk – to clinch victory catcher Kyle Botha’s three-run starter Kyle Gaddin. Zealand (7-1), the Philippines been through a knee recon- and we’ve been texting each in a game where the lead homer in the top of sixth off Australia’s second baseman (11-1) and South Africa (4-1) struction when I was a lot other the whole time going changed hands four times. Australian starter Travis Brad Harman and catcher earlier in the four-team younger, so we just kind of ‘how good’s Uzzie going’. It’s They will now join 12 other Blackley had put South Africa Allan de San Miguel hit tournament. spoke about the recovery and great to see,” said Farah. Bout to go ahead despite tough Top End market: promoter LUIS NARVAEZ me to pay three times the cost the town not as co-operative as withdrawals. He wanted to put And Ericksen is just happy it would be in any other capital I thought it would be – it’s a local talent on the card but to get the event under way, BOXING promoter Mark Er- city,” Ericksen told NT News. tough town from a business Darwin only has one pro- criticising overhead costs in icksen said this month’s mar- “I wanted to bring the fight point of view.” fessional boxer based here, Er- the Top End. quee title fight was in jeopardy up here to Darwin, but, yes, it The main event was pro- icksen said. “I think it needs to be said due to the cost of doing busi- has been a tough market to be moted on Friday, with Long There will be seven fights that it (Darwin) isn’t the easi- ness in the Top End. honest. I’m finding it expensive, and Graham engaging in a on the card, including the co- est place to do business,” he Julius “Towering Inferno” Long Ericksen, who heads Pacific everything is triple the price.” tense staredown that threaten- main event for the Australian said. and Peter “The Chief” Graham Promotions, is the promoter of Ericksen said ticket sales ed to boil over. Heavyweight Title between “The lighting fees, for ex- will fight on February 27 the February 27 WBF Heavy- had been “going quite well” Ericksen hoped Darwin’s Joel “Digger” Clifton and Will- ample, are simply exorbitant.