A community of footballers with strong ties to a number of Murray and Goulburn Valley league clubs are making significant waves in the Northern Territory Football League.
Tongala’s Kyle Fitzgerald and Jack Sinclair are playing with Nightcliff and Wanderers in the Premier League competition, while players from a number of other Murray and GV league clubs are spread throughout the competition.
Fitzgerald’s Tigers took the honours when he and Sinclair’s Wanderers went head to head a fortnight ago.
Nightcliff sits fourth on the ladder with four wins, while Wanderers had its second win of the year on Friday night when Congupna premiership player Jak Trewin (Sinclair’s Darwin housemate) kicked four of the team’s 10 goals in the win against Darwin Buffaloes.
Fitzgerald said a group of players from five different Murray League clubs had formed a close friendship in the opening six weeks of the competition.
“There are a group of us that catch up for breakfast now and then. Some of us didn’t really know one another before coming up here,” he said.
On Saturday night Fitzgerald came face to face with a few of those when his Nightcliff team had a nine-point win against Pint. It was the ruckman-cum-defender’s best game since heading north for the summer football season.
Pint has Finley star Charlie Lang, former Kyabram player and Nathalia champion Bailey Bell and Numurkah’s Jamie Fulton in its ranks, while Congupna goalkicking sensation Jak Trewin is playing with Tongala’s Jack Sinclair at Wanderers.
Also playing with Pint were Goulburn Valley goalkicking stars Christopher Nield (Mooroopna) and Jett Trotter (Euroa), along with Tatura’s Brad Ryan and former Mansfield star Frazer Dale.
“Brad (Ryan) is another Kyabram boy. I was very close with his brother, Kurt, growing up and also knew the third of the brothers Matt (all sons of former Kyabram player Brendan),” Fitzgerald said.
And the local connection is set to strengthen, with reigning Tongala best and fairest winner, Alex Williams, set to join his Blues captain at Nightcliff for a three-week stint.
“A couple of the kids, Jesse Johnstone and Hudson Kellett, are also coming up to play juniors,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald was reunited with another former Tongala player, and co-captain of Nightcliff, Ryan Nyhuis on Saturday night in the game against Pint. Nyhuis was best on ground in the win and Fitzgerald was not far behind.
“He was playing his first game for the year, because he had played in the premiership at South Cairns with Cam Ilett,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald is also playing alongside NTFL royalty, in Tigers co-captain Brodie Filo.This year is the former Bendigo Pioneers player’s eighth consecutive season with Nightcliff. His father, Derrick, was considered a legend of country Victorian football.
Off the field Fitzgerald also feeling very much at home, living with long time family friends and former Kyabram people Tony and Donna Edmonstone.
“Tony played a lot of cricket with Kyabram and remains great friends with Brad Mueller and people from that era. Donna has a PT business at the gym, which is handy for me and Tony is the CEO at Darwin airport,” Fitzgerald said.
“I am also loving my work. I am doing some plastering with one of the footballers who runs his own business.”
Adding to the ‘local’ flavour is the fact another of Nightcliff’s favourite sons, Petros Politis, played at Girgarre when Damian Cupido was coaching.
The only really challenging thing for Fitzgerald has been acclimatising not to the weather, but to his new role as a defender.
“I have been taking the tallest forward and contesting the ruck in the backline,” he said.
“It is a new role for me, the first time I’ve played in the backline. I have a bit more of an appreciation for how defenders feel when forwards miss goals now.”
Fitzgerald is understudy to Tigers ruckman Alex Paech, who is a former Murray Bushranger from Albury and was a league best and fairest winner in the Western Football League with Caroline Spings last season.
As for the weather, Fitzgerald said he was enjoying the 6.30pm time slot that was a regular part of playing in the NTFL.
“I love playing under the lights and it is the best time for the temperature,” he said.
Fitzgerald said he had managed to catch a few of Jack Sinclair’s games this season and did cross paths with him a couple of times when the Tigers played the Wanderers.
“He and Jak Trewin (15 goals from six games) have been among their best players this year,” he said.
And while Fitzgerald is looking forward to getting home for Christmas (the NTFL’s last game of 2024 is December 13 and the first round of 2025 is January 4), he has a big week ahead of him.
“A few of my mates Sam (Cipriani), Aidan (Robinson), Coby (McCarthy), and Dipper (Anthony Depasquale) are all coming up next week to watch the game against Palmerston. Mum and dad are coming up as well,” he said.