Cobra Men, Women advance to Home VYC Preliminary Finals on Saturday
The Cobra Women open Saturday’s blockbuster doubleheader against the McKinnon Cougars, who scraped into the VYC postseason as the #8 seed before recording a pair of upset victories over #5 Dandenong and the top-ranked Diamond Valley Eagles. Standing in their way are the reigning-champion Cobras, who secured a home preliminary final following a gritty road win over the Sandringham Sabres, 67-60, two weeks ago.
Kilsyth finished the regular season tied for first with an 18-4 record, with the dominance of centre Lily Exton (18.6ppg/13.9rpg/3.3apg/1.9spg), Krystal Arnason (17.6ppg/7.7rpg/4.6spg/2.6bpg) and Hannah Day (13.7ppg/3.6rpg/3.4apg) leading the way once again in 2026. Boasting unquestionably the league’s toughest trio, a deep supporting cast, and championship resolve, the Cobras will lean on their experience and home court energy as they look to book another title game at home.
The Cobra Men also did it tough on the road to advance, taking down the top-ranked Knox Raiders on the road in their first round qualifying final behind a scintillating first quarter display. A 29-7 opening period was enough to cruise to an 80-68 victory against their bitter rivals, setting the stage for a huge preliminary final showdown against the Sabres - and a rematch of the 2024 championship game. The 13-9 Sabres enter the weekend following an impressive road victory over last year’s runners-up - the Frankston Blues - setting the stage for a thrilling rematch with the Cobras.
The 15-7 Cobras navigated a nightmare run with injuries to still secure a top-four finish, once again leaning on their depth; with six players averaging double digits in scoring. The experienced quartet of Isaac Ghosn (17.4ppg/3.7rpg/2.1apg), Macauley Haig (17.3ppg/4.4rpg/4.1apg/1.6spg), Nick Day (15.2ppg/3.8rpg/2.9apg) and Wyatt Stewart (14.6ppg/4.9rpg/5.0apg/2.3spg) have led the way for Kilsyth, with the veteran core looking to lead the Cobras to a fourth straight championship game appearance.
With a championship game appearance on the line for both the Cobra Women and Men, Saturday night promises to be another electric night of hoops on home court. Tickets are selling fast and expected to sell out - grab yours now to avoid missing out!
