PORTLAND footballers Jay Moody, Daniel Jackson and Lochie Huppatz made the move up north this summer to compete in the Northern Territory Football League with Nightcliff Tigers, in the highest level of football to be played during the summer months in Australia.

It’s common for elite footballers across the country to make the trek to the region for their season, as the semi-professional league offers an opportunity for players to fit in another season of football during what is normally their off-season.

Jackson, who last year captained Portland to its first senior finals appearance since joining the Hampden league, along with winning the Maskell Medal for league best and fairest, said the entire experience has been very worthwhile.

“Obviously it’s very different weather to what we’re used to, it’s very hot and humid up here, but it’s been an awesome experience so far,” he said.

“It hasn’t been a complete holiday, we’ve been training hard and working during the week, but there’s still a very relaxed and welcoming aspect to both the footy club and to the community.”

As for the football itself, Jackson said it’s a very different style of game to the one he’s used to back home.

“It takes a little bit to adjust, there’s a lot more one-on-one contests and a lot fewer stoppages… the game is very free-flowing,” he said.

“There’s really not much time to catch your breath or think about what you’re doing, you have to just get up and keep going.”

He added that the high standard of footballers he’s played with and against has provided both himself, along with Moody and Huppatz, a great learning experience as they look to develop their footballing abilities.

“You’ve got a number of ex-AFL players running around out here, having that kind of standard both on my team and with the opposition… it’s inspiring actually,” he said.

“In saying that, we try to keep it as simple as possible… the footy is still the same shape and there’s still goals at both ends.”

Jackson, Huppatz and Moody have more than held their own alongside such elite footballers, with 11 combined mentions in their side’s best players this season.

One of the more notable efforts from the Portlanders came on Saturday, as Moody – who last played with Portland in 2019 – and Jackson combined to kick six of their team’s nine goals in an eight-point win over PINT Football Club, with both players named in Nightcliff’s best afield.

However, it was Huppatz who has produced the most spectacular highlight of the three, kicking the winning goal over his shoulder in their two-point win over St Mary’s in round 15.

With one round remaining in the home and away season, Nightcliff has booked a spot in the finals series, guaranteed to finish in fourth position which mean a home elimination final against Darwin Buffaloes.

Although at first glance the Tigers might seem like an outside shot at going the distance this season, Jackson said he believes his side is a genuine chance at making a push.

“We’ve secured our spot, and we’ve won seven games in a row, there’s no reason we can’t keep this up through finals,” Jackson said.

“We’ve beaten every side in the league this season, so we know what we’re capable of… as long as we can get our best side out there I think we’re a real chance.”

As for the future, Jackson said his next journey will be travelling to Cairns for the upcoming football season over there, saying he’s going to be taking it one step at a time.

“I’m looking forward to that experience… I’m not really sure how long I’ll be there, whether it’ll be a year, two years or longer… I’m just going to focus on enjoying my time over there,” he said.