Last weeks loss still hurts.

NT Thunder FC has been playing in the NEAFL for seven years and had relative success along the way, winning Premierships in 2011 and 2015. Winning at home on TIO Stadium has been a regular occurrence and the fans who support the team each week attend matches with an expectation of a high scoring, tackling, chasing, free flowing NT Thunder brand of football.

Unfortunately last week against Southport we didn’t provide the fans or each other with a performance that represented the effort and endeavor required by me as Coach and you as supporters in general.

It hurt after the game and still hurts today. The only way for the team to rectify this will be at TIO Stadium at 6.30pm Saturday night against Canberra Demons when NT Thunder run out behind Captain Shannon Rioli for Round 8.

This week we trained hard and had a longer than expected meeting to review the loss with some home truths and hard questions asked of each other.

As a semi-professional club competing in the NEAFL, which has AFL clubs Gold Coast, Brisbane Lions, Sydney Swans and GWS playing, we come up against professional footballers and semi-professional teams from QLD, NSW and ACT.

If we, as a club, don’t prepare well and expect that the home ground advantage and hotter conditions will get us over the line each week then more often than not you will see the scoreline from last week’s game.

As a group we have committed to improving our own one percenters off-the-field and intensity during training and go into the game with a renewed focus on applying pressure and sticking our tackles. What you will see this week from the team is an effort you can be proud of as a Territortian, watching your local players and NT representative team demonstrate a style that is truly that of a Territory team with flashes of brilliance.