Cobras win Gold, Silver at National Junior Classic
It was a perfect weekend for the U16 Girls, as they swept pool play before cruising to the semi finals, where they faced the Diamond Valley Eagles in a rematch of last year’s Classic Gold Medal game; and Victorian Championship state title game. A key fourth quarter run saw the Cobras take control late to advance to the Gold Medal Game once again, where they faced Manly (NSW) for a shot at another national title. Trailing by seven midway through the third period, the Cobras showed their championship toughness and poise, catching fire with a game-breaking 21-4 run over the ensuing eight minutes, as they took a double-digit lead midway through the final stanza before holding on late to repeat as U16 Classic champions.
Tia Crossland earned Grand Final MVP honours behind her game-high 19 point performance, with Crossland and Jada Hill ranking amongst the tournaments leading scorers for the weekend. The Classic gold is another feather in the cap for this remarkable age group; with the team also winning Victorian Championship and U14 Australian Club Championship Gold two years prior.
The U16 Girls weren’t the only standout Cobra team at the Classic, with the U12-1 Girls and U18-1 Boys each advancing to the Gold Medal Game, with each falling short to the Dandenong Rangers to finish as silver medalists.
The U12 Girls were a dominant force all weekend, winning their opening five games by an average of 36 points to cruise to the championship game, behind a blend of relentless full court defensive pressure and precision half court execution offensively. But in their first true test of the weekend, coach John Walsh’s team found themselves playing from behind, and trailed 42-31 midway through the fourth quarter. But an incredible comeback from the Cobras saw them break off a 9-0 run to pull within a single basket in the final moments, but they couldn’t get over the hump, with clutch free throw shooting from the Rangers ensuring Kilsyth settled for silver.
Standout weekend’s by Claire Finger, Jordyn Adderley and Taylor Earney saw the trio finish amongst the tournament’s top 20 in scoring.
After winning Bronze in 2025, the U18 Boys were determined to take a step forward in 2026, and they did just that in arguably the most impressive weekend performance by any team at the Classic. Down four key players heading into the weekend, coach Ben Ahale’s team didn’t skip a beat, as they finished in top spot during pool play, thanks large in part to the heroics of Charlie Angus, Liam Keogh and Charlie Piper. The trio were an unstoppable scoring force, with Angus delivering a pair of game-winning buckets over Ballarat and West Adelaide to advance the Cobras to the quarter finals.
A pair of spectacular performance’s in the quarter and semi finals saw the Cobras cruise to the tournament’s final game, but tired legs caught up to Kilsyth shorthanded squad, as they ran out of gas in the second half against the Rangers to claim silver. Keough (#2) and Angus (#7) each finished amongst the tournament’s most lethal scorers, while Charlie Piper - a late call-up from the Cobras U18-2’s - finished as the Classic’s top three point shooter in a spectacular weekend-long display from the perimeter.
Rounding out big weekend for the Cobras were the U12-1 Boys and U18-Girls, who each finished their Classic campaigns with 3-3 records. The U12 Boys claimed an impressive sixth place finish, while the U18 Girls suffered from a pair of agonisingly tight losses, but finished the weekend strong with a pair of strong victories to finish 13th.
