ntnews.com.aulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Territory tough

FROM THE By JESS WEBSTER

TERRITORY Thunder has Coach’s Box named its strongest squad of the season ahead of its season-defining NEAFL with DANIEL ARCHER against power- house Southport at TIO Stadium tomorrow night. The winner will be a game Home fans lift clear in second on the ladder with two rounds remaining and effectively win the right to host the qualifying final — club to succeed most likely to be contested be- tween the two sides if the Reserves win TOMORROW night, Thun- the Territory with the pride the minor premiership. der will throw the gates open and desperation that has Thunder has rushed back to the public at TIO Stadium seen our great club become key position players Jason for our big clash against fel- one of the leaders of the Roe, Julian Lockwood and low top contender, the South- competition in recent years. captain Cameron Ilett from port Sharks. Our fortress — in this case injury, although all will be Our history with the TIO Stadium and in coming subjected to fitness tests be- powerhouse club from the weeks, Northline Oval in fore the 6pm clash. Gold Coast is very rich, Palmerston — can only re- Youngsters Jack McEwin going back to our first ever main as strong as the people — who was best-on-ground in game in the competition who defend it. the reserves last week — and against the Sharks in Dar- The 23 players who take to Dean Staunton also come into win on April 4, 2009. the field, the reserves players the squad. Veteran defender On that occasion, Thunder who push themselves at Shannon Rusca (groin) and were successful by 12 points training and during the early Errin Wasley-Black (23rd in front of a crowd of game, the coaching and sup- man rotation) will miss, approximately 2000 people. port staff, and, most import- while under-18 defender Da- In my conversations with antly, you — the supporters mian Williams Junior will act players and people from who give us the overpower- as the Territory’s 23rd player. around the club about that ing numbers within our for- It will be Thunder’s last night, and other big games tress to defend it against game at TIO Stadium for the the club have held at TIO whatever opposition try to year and the club will also Stadium — such as the 2011 take it away from us. celebrate champion mid- second semi-final against Mt We are hoping to thank fielder Jake Dignan’s 50th Gravatt which saw 5000 everyone who has supported match against the Sharks, people attend the historic the Thunder over its short who beat NT in Alice Springs win on the club’s way journey to date by throwing by 18 points in Round 3. to its first premiership — the gates open this weekend, Coach Daniel Archer said the crowd and local support and have a massive crowd fans will get to see the best from the Territory football who will play their vital part football the Territory can community is very in continuing this wonderful produce. important. winning streak we have here ‘‘After seven straight vic- The noise and the atmos- at home in Darwin. tories stretching from south- phere of the home crowd Go Thunder! east Queensland, Alice support is something all the Springs, Sydney and Darwin, players remember and we are extremely keen to fin- cherish about those games. ish our run of home games This weekend’s game is here at TIO Stadium on a very important in regards to high,’’ he said. ‘‘It will be a the final make up of the com- wonderful opportunity for petition ladder at the end of EACH week head coach Daniel Ar- the club, and all involved, to the season’s 21 rounds. cher awards votes 3, 2 and 1 to play a game that will have a This is our Territory, and the best under-23 player. A cash big finals-type feel to it only award of $500 will be presented one of the reasons why we to the player with the most votes three weeks out from when have been so successful at the end of the season. the big stuff starts. playing here is because of the ‘‘This along with the fact people who continue to Rd 18 v UWS Giants: Jed Anderson we get to help Jake Dignan, a support us. 3 votes, Patrick Heenan 2, Ben wonderful player and charac- The thousands of fans and Rioli 1. ter around the club, celebrate supporters who continue to Progressive: Jed Anderson 13, his 50th milestone game. attend our games are the life- Ben Rioli 13, Julian Lockwood 11, ‘‘With the final only a cou- blood of the club. Matthew Rosier 9, Kieren Smith 9, ple of weeks away, our list is They inspire the players to Patrick Heenan 7, Jack McEwin 7, starting to look strong and Dean Staunton 6, Damian Wil- fearlessly throw themselves liams 4, William Farrer 3, Paul healthy, which is very excit- at the football and run them- Campbell 3, Braedon McLean 2, ing for our fans as they will selves to complete exhaus- Jayden Prior 2, Nathan Brown 1. get to see the best the Territ- tion all in a bid to represent Jake Dignan will play his 50th match for Thunder tomorrow night Picture: MICHAEL FRANCHI ory has to offer.’’

Territory Thunder v Southport Sharks Saturday, August 4 at TIO Stadium, 6pm Sharks not scared of NT waters HISTORY suggests tomorrow cumbed by eight ‘‘I don’t think it will be the night’s blockbuster between points. Wins weather or the fitness or THUNDER SOUTHPORT rivals NT Thunder and against cross- anything like that — it will B: Kevin Vearncombe Jason Roe Ben Rioli B: Wayde Mills Kurt Niklaus Sam Whish-Wilson Southport at TIO Stadium conference just be the player’s attitude HB: Ash Duncan Damian Williams (23rd player) HB: Ben Headland Ben Merret Tom Daniel has all the making’s of a teams Ainslie and how they approach Will Kossack memorable NEAFL contest. and Queanbe- the game. C: David James Haydn Kiel Fraser Pope C: Matt Argus Brad Vassal Patrick Heenan Both sides have won three Norm Dare yan in Can- ‘‘I think more than any- Edward Mallan Josh Baxter Adam Flagg HF: Jed Anderson Julian Lockwood Cameron Ilett HF: of six contests between the berra, and their triumph at thing our guys will be excited F: Chris Dunne Darren Ewing Will Farrer F: Josh Milani Cleve Hughes Simon Seddon pair since Thunder joined earlier this by it. We’ve got a pretty good Foll: Kenrick Tyrrell Jake Dignan Matt Rosier Foll: Fraser Thurlow Daniel Wise Jason Burge the competition in 2009. year, have coach Norm Dare record on the road, we Inter (from): Jayden Prior Jack Lawler Nathan Inter (from): Dan Weymouth Regan Salter Simon The Sharks are the most re- confident of breaking the haven’t lost in two years and Brown Lachlan Argus Kieren Smith Shaun Tapp Russell Arnie Knight Nathan Trevena Daniel Van cent victors with a Round 3 NT’s 22-match winning I don’t think it (coming to

Dean Staunton Tavis Perry Jack McEwin. De Werken Dalton Tucker. win in Alice Springs by 18 streak at home and becoming Darwin) holds any fear for PUB: points — Thunder’s biggest just the second interstate us. If we win up there, we NTNE-WS-3-A49KGE:MDA-TE: Y-C-CO-LO-R: losing margin of the year. team to win in Darwin. prove a point. NEAFL — ROUND 19 Southport, who missed the ‘‘The main thing is to just ‘‘It’s a cut-throat compe- Northern Conference - Saturday, August 4: Labrador v Aspley at Cooke-Murphy Reserve, 1.30pm; finals last year for the first get the travel side of it right tition and it brings the best Broadbeach v Morningside at H&A Oval, 1.30pm. Sunday, August 5: Brisbane Lions Reserves v Redland at time since the Gold Coast- — if we do that we are half- out of the players. Griffin Park, 1.30pm. Bye: Reserves. Eastern Conference - Saturday, August 4: GWS based side joined the QAFL way there, and then it’s just ‘‘We finished better than Giants Reserves v Reserves at Skoda Stadium, 10.30am; Belconnen v Tuggeranong at in 1983, haven’t lost an inter- about ability,’’ he said. Thunder down in Alice , 2pm; Sydney University v Queanbeyan at , 2.10pm. Sunday, August 5: Eastlake state match since they played ‘‘The only thing that will Springs, so that gives us con- v Ainslie at Manuka Oval, 2pm. Cross-Conference - Saturday, August 4: Sydney Hills Eagles v Mt Gravatt Thunder at TIO Stadium in come into it is if Thunder are fidence that we can do that at Bruce Purser, noon. Round 8, 2010, when they suc- too good for us. (run out four quarters).’’ www.ntnews.com.au Friday, August 3, 2012. NT NEWS. 49