KILSYTH COBRAS FEATURE

As we continue our club features for 2017, take a look at the history of the Kilsyth Cobras and the path that has led them to this WNWBL season.

Situated in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, the Kilsyth and Mountain District Basketball Association Inc. (K&MDBA) was established in 1963.

It has grown in the five decades since then to become the largest basketball association in Victoria and is responsible for over 1,050 domestic teams with 14,000 registered players each week across able-bodied and disabled basketball of all ages.

Eastern Sports Development Ltd (ESD) evolved from the K&MDBA in 1987 and helped build the Kilsyth Sports Centre, home of the Cobras, into one of the most impressive stadiums in the country as it houses six basketball courts, 12 badminton courts and 30 table tennis courts.

At the senior level, the Cobras compete in the men’s and women’s sections of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), field men’s and women’s development teams in the Victorian Youth Championship Competition (VYC), have numerous junior boys and girls representative teams compete in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) as well as owning representative sides in the NWBL as well as the WNWBL.

One of the original teams in the WNWBL during its inception in 2000, Kilsyth were the inaugural Champions when they were known as the Victorian Wheelies.

Paula Coughlan was a part of that side while Julianne Adams starred in the following years, named an All-Star from 2001-03.

Changing their name to the Victorian Dandenong Rangers, the club again reached the pinnacle in 2011 and 2012 when they won back-to-back Championships with Shelley Chaplin and Amanda Carter leading the way.

The Cobras then completed one of the most dominant seasons in WNWBL history in 2015 when they went through the regular season undefeated with a 16-0 record before clinching their fourth Championship.

Clare Nott was named the overall MVP while Leanne Del Toso won the 3-Point MVP award as both were named in the All-Star Five.

Several young stars have risen through the ranks of Kilsyth as well with Emily Jansen (2001), Ellie Cole (2013) and Laura Bassegio (2014) winning the New Talent award.

This year, Del Toso is joined by Lynne Panayiotis and Kim Hampton as they look to return to the glory of their previous Championships.

Follow along with how the Cobras fare in season 2017 via Kilsyth Basketball’s Facebook page here.




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