Cobras coach sets the bar high in breakout season

IT’S been a season of impressive and pretty much weekly gains by Bacchus Marsh on the netball court, but coach Nichole Gleeson says there are still a few goals she would like to tick off.

Naturally, one is Ballarat Football Netball League finals, which the Cobras should achieve if they can hold out a surging Sebastopol, which sits two wins and percentage behind with six rounds remaining.

The other and loftier goal is a top three scalp.

While there would have been long odds of that happening at the start of the year, the Cobras have made a habit of defying expectations.

Gleeson’s aim was almost realised last Saturday, when the Cobras came within four goals of perennial powerhouse North Ballarat at Maddingley Park.

It was another big tick for the Cobras and a massive scare for the Roosters, who found themselves two goals down at three-quarter-time and were never able to fully shake off the Cobras in a tense final quarter until the final siren.

While it was not quite the result the Cobras had craved, it was further evidence of the great strides they have made this season and why they cannot be dismissed as a legitimate threat to the BFNL’s top teams.

“We really made them work for that win,” a proud Gleeeson said post-match.

“Our defenders worked really well. We had some different combinations, which were really good.

“We have a new recruit in Melissa Prismall, who’s given us an eighth player, and helped us to be able to rotate players a bit more.

 

“It worked really well. I thought we matched up well on them.

“I’m disappointed (with a loss), but not the scoreline and certainly not the effort.

“If we can keep that up, let’s hope we are playing finals.”

A nailbiter against North Ballarat came on the heels of another narrow loss to fourth-placed Lake Wendouree.

A 43-67 loss to Sunbury in round nine remains the Cobras’ only heavy defeat this season.

Finals aside, the Cobras still have two chances of causing a major upset, the first coming this weekend against cross-town rival Darley.

The margin was just six goals the Devils’ way in their earlier season meeting at Maddingley Park.

With Prismall on-board and a quality effort against North Ballarat fresh on their minds, Gleeson said her side would go into the clash with optimism and confidence.

“A few things went against (last Saturday), with an injury to Kaila Saker,” she said.

“But the girls worked really hard to keep fighting back.

“I was really pleased with the effort.

 

“We don’t know how we’ll match up with Darley, but having a new team member should help us in the contest. It’s certainly given us some more versatility.”

Gleeson praised the performance of Ally Keating against the Roosters, while Kim Phillips (36 goals) and Jasmine Paama combined efficiently in the goal circle.

The Cobras have won plenty of admirers during their breakthrough season.

High among them is North Ballarat’s five-time premiership coach Annie McCartin.

After being forced to dig deep for their four-goal win, the astute Roosters leader had nothing but praise for the Cobras’ resilience and relentless pressure and predicted that they will make their presence felt at finals time.

“How good was it to see that (performance)?” McCartin said.

“They’ve struggled for years, but to see them so competitive is great to watch.

“They deserve it – they’ve put in a lot of hard work.

“Nothing came easy against their girls, and they’ll just continue to keep serving it up to teams.

“You have to earn every single ball against them.

“They’ll be tough at finals time.”