Play the NTFL Club Songs

Believe it or not, one of the things I look forward to most on NTFL grand final day is hearing the club songs blasting through the PA.

I wonder whether or not it would be too hard for an NTFL official to play the club songs every week at TIO Stadium. Players would absorb the excitement and get an extra adrenaline rush running out to their club theme each week. While it is obviously not a necessity, it adds excitement to the game and builds the contest up to be more of a spectacle.

The NTFL clubs have a wide variety of club songs that would sound good as the players run out onto the ground. Four of the club songs are unique to Territory football in that no AFL club has an equivalent song to the same tune.

Palmerston’s club song is a brilliant theme sung to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home, a popular song during the American Civil War. This has been played at a couple of home games at Northline Oval but it should be played more often.

Darwin supporters would love to hear its iconic song Shuffle up the Buffaloes, derived from the 1933 Broadway song Shuffle off to Buffalo.

Wanderers’ theme is used by most of the underage Northern Territory teams and was sung by the old Brisbane Bears at one stage.

Tiwi Bombers have a great song called Japparika, which was written by local Tiwi band B2M (Bathurst to Melville).

The other four sides have much more traditional and common club songs.

St Marys, of course being the Saints, is Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.

Nightcliff’s Oh we’re From Tigerland is used by Richmond and is one of the most popular songs in the AFL. The Tigers have plenty of vocal supporters that I am sure would love to yell out “yellow and black” after a win or when the players are running out onto the ground.

Waratah has a modified version of the Melbourne Demons’ It’s a Grand Old Flag substituting red and blue with red and white while Southern Districts have its own version of Sydney’s Cheer, Cheer song.

The SANFL has it right by playing club songs before most of its games and the sound system is utilised well at NT Thunder’s home games at TIO Stadium.

It is hardly a pressing issue, but minor touches like these add to the experience of going to the football on the weekend.

Twitter – @JClark182

About Jackson Clark

Born and bred in Darwin, Northern Territory, I am a young, aspiring football writer that lives and breathes the game of Australian Football. I'm also a keen player and coach.

Comments

  1. What has a bloke got to say to get a rise out of Harms? I will have to arrange to get “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” played over the loudspeakers at TIO Stadium and the Albion Charles in Northcote.

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