Heartbreak loss for Cobras

By Todd Whelan

Bacchus Marsh has suffered an agonising five-point loss to Redan from a goal after the siren at Maddingley Park last Saturday. The Cobras looked as though they were going to hang on before Lions skipper Liam Hoy marked uncontested 35-metres out from goal, directly in front, with just nine seconds left on the clock.
Cobras coach Peter Davey and his boys were visibly distraught in the rooms immediately after the game before some positive clarity and words of encouragement could be drawn. The result leaves Bacchus Marsh vulnerable in seventh place on the league table, needing to win near all of their remaining five games to feature in September.
“I’ve never seen the boys so gutted,” Davey said.
“Every supporter knew how much this game meant to them.
“Before time-on in the first (term) we were already down two rotations which you rarely come back from,” he said.
“We almost got there on spirit and courage as opposed to skill, we tried our guts out.
“A win would have put us in a very strong position going into the last five games but now it looks as though we can’t slip up at all if we want to play finals.”
The Cobras back six were under the pump for the most part of the afternoon, the disparity of inside 50s was palpable (39-65). While Redan’s radar in front of goal was ‘off’, it was often the defensive pressure from the Cobras that denied the Lions a more accurate score line.
“We were smashed with the inside 50 count, and our other KPIs indicated that we shouldn’t have been in the game, but our backs kept us in it,” Davey said.
“Our defensive group has been our best and most consistent line all year.”
The Cobras midfield were always going to be up against it with the return of key Lions ruckman Orron Stephenson after a five-week absence with a groin complaint. The Stephenson/(Lachie) George combination was back together, a combination that has gone a long way to Redan’s revival in season 2019. George’s influence was a handful for Davey as he and his support staff struggled to find an ideal match-up.
“George is a star,” he said.
“We ran a two-man tag on him but he’s that good he still found the footy and used it so well.
“Our young boys will learn a lot from their experience,”
According to Davey, veteran Tyson Shea was the Cobras best midfielder.
Cobras live wire Billy Griffiths threatened repeatedly forward of centre but couldn’t hit the scoreboard given the ‘high’ nature of his possession. Griffiths exposed Redan’s defence for leg speed and was the reference point for discussion of Lions coach Jarret Giampaolo. But unfortunately, the Cobras were unable to capitilise on their advantage. For all of Griffiths, Declan Phyland and Matthew Chisari’s efforts to break the game open, the Cobras return on the scoreboard of nine goals just wasn’t enough.
Jake Owen presented as an aerial target all day. His three-goal contribution in a 16-goal game gave the Cobras a sniff but it was the Lions shear weight of possession and forward 50 entries that proved the difference. There’s no doubting the ‘after the siren’ nature of the loss will be difficult for the Cobras fans to digest but they need to ‘park it’ and focus on the must win encounter with Ballarat (10th) at Alfredton Oval this Saturday.
Coach Davey has already adopted the positive approach moving forward.
“(If we) bring the same spirit that we brought against Redan our season will remain alive,” he said.
Bacchus Marsh will be crossing their fingers this week on the availability of Jacob Chisari (concussion) and Jack Parente (corky). The club is already without 2019 season recruits Tom Brownbridge and Jake DeWinter.
COBRAS RUN HOME: Ballarat (a), Bye, Sebastopol (h), Lake Wendouree (a), Melton South (h), Sunbury (a).

Final Score
BACCHUS MARSH 2.1-13, 5.1-31, 7.4-46, 9.5-59 lost
REDAN 1.5-11, 2.12-24, 4.18-42, 7.22-64
BACHUS MARSH (GOALS) – J. Owen 3, D. Phyland 2, A. Willitts 1, J. Lalor, H. King, K. Dickson.
BACCHUS MARSH (WHELAN’S BEST) D. Veldon, M. Chisari, J. Owen, B. Griffiths, D. Phyland