81:
207:
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316:
463:
279:
356:
427:
242:
116:
1068:
146:
Australian Rules football is the most popular sport on the Tiwi
Islands. The Tiwi Islands Grand Final is an event held in March each year that attracts up to 3,000 spectators and is a tourist attraction for the
838:
957:
636:. Although these players were not from the TIFL, the success of these players in the elite Australian competition did much to boost the popularity of Australian Rules amongst the local Tiwi Islanders.
151:. The Tiwi Australian Football League has 900 participants out of a community of about 2600, the highest football participation rate in Australia (35%). Tiwi footballers are renowned for exquisite
831:
847:
681:
541:
In 1954, the St Mary's
Football Club began enlisting Tiwi servicemen, and in the following year with the assistance of a majority of Tiwi players won the NTFL premiership.
824:
658:
Many players playing for the Tiwi
Islands Football League have also played for St Mary's Football club, as well as the AFL. Some of these players include the
544:
Within a couple of decades, the major
Australian leagues began to take an interest with the first player offered a contract being Joe Saturninas in 1955.
272:
1972/73, 1973/74, 1978/79, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2007/08, 2010/11, 2012/13
552:
700:
26:
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717:
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926:
921:
900:
676:
647:
585:
164:
770:
916:
1018:
156:
573:
The 1969/1970 Wet Season saw the first season of the TIFL, with 5 teams competing: Pumarali, Tapalinga, Imalu, Tuyu and
Irrimaru.
1013:
879:
931:
535:
In 1944, the first games consisting of a full complement of 18 players and matches according to the rule book were played.
589:
563:
and leading goal kicking awards at the club. The Tiwi Island league's top goalkicking award was later named after him.
556:
511:
439:
155:
skills. Many of the players have a preference for participating barefoot. Many of the male players also play for the
792:
168:
1023:
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643:
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160:
551:
had a successful career first in the NTFL, and then reached its peak when he later became a leading player in the
609:
128:
44:
781:
529:
Br. John Pye and Br. Andy Howley introduced
Australian rules football to Bathurst and Melville islands in 1941.
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998:
214:
400:
323:
286:
1028:
863:
671:
517:
470:
505:
363:
249:
106:
1073:
1033:
1008:
434:
119:
Action from the 2005 TIFL Grand Final between
Pumarali (red and white) and Muluwurri (black and white).
816:
206:
25:
993:
613:
605:
392:
420:
1970/71, 1976/77, 1982/83, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1990/91, 1997/98, 2003/04, 2008/09, 2009/10
315:
745:
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136:
749:. Vol. 29, no. 8, 548. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 May 1955. p. 8
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355:
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initially known as the "Super Tiwis". The team began 2006 season as the "Tiwi
Bombers".
621:
617:
548:
532:
The locals quickly took to the game and the first dedicated ground was built in 1942.
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721:. Vol. LXVI, no. 22, 861. Western Australia. 19 July 1948. p. 3 (HOME)
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127:(founded as the Nguilla Football League in 1968 and renamed in 1990) is an
476:
328:
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559:, where he was a member of the 1964 premiership team, and won the
369:
255:
114:
1069:
Australian rules football competitions in the
Northern Territory
349:
1969/70, 1975/76, 1977/78, 1979/80, 1999/2000, 2002/03, 2005/06
820:
592:
as best player in WAFL Grand Finals before his recruitment by
538:
By the end of the decade, football was the Tiwi's No.1 sport.
456:
1974/75, 1994/95, 2001/02, 2004/05, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2022/23
639:
The league was renamed Tiwi
Islands Football League in 1990.
958:
Northern Territory Women's Aussie Rules Football Association
809:
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In the 1960s, the most talented export of the TIFL, ruckman
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Australian rules football in the Northern Territory
682:
Australian rules football in the Northern Territory
102:
92:
74:
66:
58:
50:
40:
32:
167:. The Grand Final of the TIFL was broadcast on
832:
793:Tiwis take a leap in their hopes for the side
8:
612:would later also win a Norm Smith Medal, in
570:was founded in 1968 with five member clubs.
18:
839:
825:
817:
771:Tiwi Land Council - Football and the Tiwis
757:– via National Library of Australia.
729:– via National Library of Australia.
713:"Football No. 1 Sport' For Island Natives"
616:. Other Tiwi Islanders in the AFL include
741:"Adelaide Offer To Aboriginal Footballer"
553:South Australian National Football League
178:
976:Top End Australian Football Association
693:
17:
7:
701:Even a cyclone can't stop the footy
901:Northern Territory Football League
677:Northern Territory Football League
648:Northern Territory Football League
586:Western Australian Football League
165:Northern Territory Football League
14:
642:In 2006, it was announced that a
620:, who played three games for the
576:From 1980 to 1981, Tiwi Islander
880:Northern Territory Football Club
79:
24:
632:, who played two games for the
171:Northern Territory until 2012.
1:
557:South Adelaide Football Club
125:Tiwi Islands Football League
19:Tiwi Islands Football League
604:for the best player in the
1090:
644:Tiwi Bombers Football Club
493:1971/72, 1996/97, 2014/15
309:2006/07, 2015/16, 2016/17
594:Victorian Football League
129:Australian rules football
45:Australian rules football
23:
481:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
444:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
408:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
374:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
337:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
223:Stanley Tipiloura Oval,
62:Tiwi Football Commission
782:Northern Territory News
568:Nguilla Football League
386:2000/01, 2018/19, 2024
252:(formerly Garden Point)
157:St Mary's Football Club
36:Nguilla Football League
864:AFL Northern Territory
672:AFL Northern Territory
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245:
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120:
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289:(formerly Taracumbie)
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194:Years in competition
118:
606:1982 VFL Grand Final
512:Melville Island Roos
366:(formerly Warankuwu)
873:Representative team
600:, where he won the
473:(formerly Irrimaru)
217:(formerly Tikilaru)
131:competition in the
20:
1014:Southern Districts
927:Central Australian
746:The Canberra Times
467:
431:
397:
360:
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260:Pirlangimpi Oval,
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200:Premiership Years
149:Northern Territory
137:Northern Territory
121:
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508:(1993/94–2000/01)
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297:Milikapiti Oval,
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1044:Principal venues
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910:Regional leagues
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810:Official website
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634:Western Bulldogs
602:Norm Smith Medal
561:best and fairest
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968:Defunct Leagues
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654:Notable players
646:would join the
590:South Fremantle
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59:Organising body
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857:Governing body
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802:External links
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718:The Daily News
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622:Brisbane Bears
618:Adam Kerinaiua
582:Simpson Medals
549:David Kantilla
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185:Official Name
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630:Malcolm Lynch
627:
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587:
583:
579:
578:Maurice Rioli
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558:
555:(SANFL) with
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197:Premierships
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1074:Tiwi Islands
1050:Marrara Oval
1024:Tiwi Bombers
937:Tiwi Islands
936:
788:
777:
751:. Retrieved
744:
735:
723:. Retrieved
716:
707:
696:
660:Rioli family
657:
641:
638:
610:Michael Long
588:(WAFL) club
575:
572:
567:
565:
546:
543:
540:
537:
534:
531:
528:
518:Wadeye Magic
500:Former clubs
483:Wurrumiyanga
446:Wurrumiyanga
410:Wurrumiyanga
376:Wurrumiyanga
339:Wurrumiyanga
293:Magpie Geese
225:Wurrumiyanga
152:
145:
133:Tiwi Islands
124:
122:
107:Imalu Tigers
98:Ranku Eagles
67:No. of teams
15:
262:Pirlangimpi
215:Jikilarruwu
103:Most titles
95:champion(s)
93:Most recent
1063:Categories
1004:Palmerston
999:Nightcliff
986:NTFL teams
922:Big Rivers
688:References
405:Superstars
299:Milikapiti
1029:Wanderers
1019:St Mary's
596:(VFL) in
520:(2013/14)
514:(2012/13)
440:Buffaloes
401:Tapalinga
333:Lightning
324:Pumaralli
287:Muluwurri
188:Nickname
153:one touch
141:Australia
87:Australia
666:See also
580:won two
487:1971/72–
477:Bulldogs
450:1969/70–
414:1969/70–
380:1993/94–
343:1969/70–
303:1969/70–
266:1969/70–
235:2017/18
229:2017/18–
182:Colours
33:Formerly
1034:Waratah
948:Women's
525:History
329:Thunder
220:Dockers
75:Country
51:Founded
994:Darwin
951:league
917:Barkly
894:league
891:Darwin
753:17 May
725:17 May
471:Walama
370:Eagles
331:&
256:Tigers
161:Darwin
84:
506:Nguiu
364:Ranku
250:Imalu
191:Home
175:Clubs
41:Sport
1009:PINT
932:Gove
755:2022
727:2022
628:and
626:1992
614:1993
598:1982
584:for
566:The
435:Tuyu
123:The
109:(17)
54:1968
624:in
169:ABC
163:'s
159:in
1065::
763:^
743:.
715:.
662:.
608:.
417:11
269:17
143:.
139:,
135:,
840:e
833:t
826:v
490:3
453:7
383:2
346:7
306:3
232:1
70:8
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
