The triumph and defeat from the Tiwi Islands football grand final, in pictures

Ivan Robinson August 7, 2023

Three men, two old and one young, are wearing blue sports shirts with medals around their necks. They are happy.

Emotions were high on Sunday afternoon as the Tuyu Buffaloes faced off against the Pumarali Thunder and Lightning in the Tiwi Island grand final.

The famous sporting showdown each year draws thousands from across the Tiwi Islands, off the Northern Territory coast, with tourists also travelling from Darwin.

The match came down to the wire, with Tuyu triumphant in the end 70-63.

Read how the day unfolded here.

Sunday’s game saw the Pumarali Thunder and Lightning and Tuyu Buffaloes face off at Wurrumiyanga.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Three men, two old and one young, are wearing blue sports shirts with medals around their necks. They are happy. — Generations of Tuyu players celebrated their win.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A young Indigenous footy player holds his victory medal in his mouth and points at it smiling — The Tuyu Buffaloes were the eventual winners, despite being behind in the third quarter.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Three young people wearing blue hug on a football field — Tuyu Buffaloes players and supporters hug after their victory against the Pumarali Thunder and Lightning .(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A man in a jersey holds a medal in his teeth and smiles. — Pumarali players showed good sportsmanship despite their loss. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A football player with dyed blue hair addressing a huddled group of players. — For Tuyu players, there was relief when the full time siren rang.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A group of players in orange jerseys standing in a circle, heads down, with their arms all reaching towards the centre — Pumarali players gathered after the match to console each other following their loss.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Young men in football jersies run on a football field. Young kids run alongside them holding flags and blue balloons — There was excitement as the Tuyu Buffaloes ran onto the field.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A young boy wearing a red and white football jersey faces away and holds his hands on his head — The close game had the crowd on the edge of their seats.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Two men, one wearing red and one wearing blue, run on a field. The player in blue holds a football. — The annual game draws a big crowd from across the Tiwi Islands and beyond.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A woman and a child do hand gestures at the camera. They are wearing blue — Supporters young and old watched the game closely.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A young woman holding a flag for her team shouting from the sidelines. — Fans reacted to every crucial mark and missed goal.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Young women in blue jersies hold blue streamers and watch a football game which is out of shot — Emotions ran high throughout the game, with fans reacting to every move.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A man wearing a 'coach' shirt and a blue cowboy hat watches a football game. — Coaches from both sides watched the match from the sideline.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A young woman with blue face paint shouting out across a football field — Supporters lined up along the side of the field.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A group of four football fans gathered on the sidelines of an oval. — Supporters for Pumarali came adorned in red and black to show their loyalty.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A large group of people hold up a large silver trophy. Someone holds a blue flag in the background — The Tuyu Buffaloes celebrated their victory after the game.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A young man holds his small child in his arms and smiles. Both are in identical jerseys. — Tuyu players celebrated their victory on the field with their families.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Two men wearing jerseys from different teams placing their hands on each others heads in a friendly way — Supporters from both sides showed sportsmanship after a gruelling match.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A blue banner which says 'whos taking tuyu' on a fence among blue balloons on a fence — Fans came armed with creative signs to show their support.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A crowd of people wearing blue stand on the edge of a field. A young man in a football jersey runs in the foreground — It was standing room only around the sideline as crowds watched intently.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

A person talks to two artists at an art centre, there are carvings in the forefront and paintings in from of them. — Tourists from the mainland often flock to art centres while visiting for the grand final.(ABC News: Hamish Harty )

A man wearing a yellow cap talks as he looks slightly off camera. — Travellers could purchase wooden carvings and paintings, unique to the Tiwi Islands.(ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Source: AFL NEWS ABC

Author: Ivan Robinson