There's always next year

Colin O'Donnell gives a post-season wrap-up

People just love football because it's the national game isn't it! It brings people together and everybody can join in, the same as anybody can play footy.
The season which has just finished was excellent, a good season. We had a few minor hiccups but it was a good season. I'd have to say though, for me it's the second best season, the first season ever was the best! BAFL started in 1990, so it's been going for eight years.
There are seven teams in the competition - Sporties Spitfires, Eagles, Memo Magpies, Elliott Hawks, Canteen Creek, Marlonja and Dockers.
To date the most successful team has been Sporties, because they're the best side! Of eight Grand Finals that have been played, Sporties have won six and have played in every one of them. They've won six main season Grand Finals, the Premiership and two Lightning Carnival Grand Finals, they're the most successful side.
There are about ten players in the Sporties team that are from the original team.
The next season's competition should kick-off the week before Easter, the Lightning Carnival. That's the big carnival that we have before every season starts. All the teams that play in the comp. compete in the carnival and also invited teams from elsewhere. It's usually a maximum of twelve teams that play in it, teams are invited from Alice Springs, Mt Isa, Katherine and from the surrounding communities - they all get invited too.
Every Saturday there is so much atmosphere. If you're female you can still play junior football, we had a female field umpire this year and she did a great job.
There's a junior competition as well, so there's somewhere for the kids to go. For the young fellas who are up to eighteen, if they're good enough, they get a chance to play in the Northern Territory Thunder Competition and then possibly go on to play in the AFL.
It's a great opportunity for young people if they are good enough and dedicated enough, it's just a lot of hard work.
If people want to umpire they just have to go and see somebody in the League, the League is always looking for umpires. If you want to play for a team, you just have to go to the various clubs, like the Memo club or the Sporties club. You just have to talk to someone who plays or just go to the training nights - just decide which team you want to play for.
The sport spirit in Tennant Creek, as well as the rivalry is very strong and healthy. It's very strong rivalry, especially between Memo, Sporties, Elliott and Eagles.