PARKES Cobras coach Meaghan Kempson believes her side is 'on the cusp of something special' in this Western Premier League (WPL) season, which kicks off this Saturday in Lithgow.
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This will be the third season for the Parkes Cobras, and one gets the sense their time is now.
Last season unfortunately finished early, but the Cobras were in the box seat for a finals spot before COVID ruined the end of the season.
Alec Bateson, Brent Tucker and Hayden Westcott in particular were absolutely brilliant and were some of the best players in the league, with the former ending up with the Golden Boot, but too often the side would looking like the winning side for 80 minutes, and lose composure in crucial moments.
That might have been passable in the first or second years of existence, but according to a bullish Kempson, there is only one pass mark this season - and it is finals.
"Year 3 is all about emphasis on consistency, there's no excuses now," she said.
"To play finals football, the gap between our best and our worst needs to change, as well as winning those lttle moments.
"If that gap can be narrowed, we can be playing finals football - it's go time," said Kempson.
Kempson will be missing for the first two games of the season, and some in August, due to representative coaching duties, but she says all the boys are well aware of what is required - and she has no doubt her absence won't be an excuse for not fulfiling the Cobras undoubted potential.
"They know the kind of football we need to be playing now. I need to come back and have something to work with, we can't start the season on a negative note and dig ourselves a hole; we need a platform to build our finals football on," she said.
"They understand our polices, our shape, our structure, individual roles and collective roles, and it's going to come down to whether we want it or not and working out where we stand in the competition."
Fortunately this season the Cobras have been able to recruit some really high-quality players, who will be amongst some of the best in the competition.
Peak Hill junior star Cameron Kopp is coming home after (though he is still recovering from an ACL injury last season), and he will marshal the troops from the back in place of the departed Adam Parker, who has moved to Newcastle.
Western NSW junior stars Quinn Hennock and Jacob Fredericks will also be valuable additions, and the former in particular looked very sharp in the Cobras trial earlier this week, and was full of energy.
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Potential is often a dirty word in sport, because it can be a cop-out when individual or collective results don't speak for themselves, but in this context, it's more of a case of Kempson trying to pump up the team, and wider community, about what the Cobras can achieve.
"The potential to do well is there, that's why it was frustrating last year with some results...but we are on the cusp of something special and I think everyone is buying into that," said Kempson.
"For a town the size of Parkes to be playing finals footy is just awesome."
The Cobras will kick their season off this Saturday afternoon against the physical Workies side in Lithgow, before their first home game of the season on April 9 against Orange CYMS at Woodward Oval.
WPL teams better look out, because these purple men are ready to strike.
Squad
In: Ben Coultas (Parkes), Quinn Hennock, Jacob Fredericks (Western NSW FC), Cameron Kopp (Macquarie United). Out: Adam Parker (Newcastle), Blake Medlyn (break).
Coach: Meaghan Kempson
Captain: Brent Tucker
Alec Bateson, Daniel Clark, Haiden Clark, Ben Coultas, Charlie Denham-Jones, Ryan Dunn, Jacob Fredericks, Lachlan Hando, Quinn Hennock, Mitch Hutchings, Cameron Kopp, Jimmy Kuntze, Brent Morgan, Sean Noble, Shane Percy, Brent Tucker, Hayden Westcott, Jayden Wirth.
Players to watch
Quinn Hennock and Jacob Fredericks have come to the Cobras after the Western NSW FC side folded, and Kempson was particularly excited about the potential of Hennock - and made a huge call when talking about his skills.
"Quinn is an upcoming Player of the Tournament," said Kempson.
"He's super talented and I honestly think Quinn is the next Duncan Cahill of the comp.
"He's an attacking midfielder and just lives and breathes football. He would play for Western NSW and then come down and watch all the local games and practicing free kicks and stuff in between matches.
"He's mature beyond his years. He asked me if he could join in when Western FC was canned cause of COVID last year for the last two or three weeks of the season and he came in and was already confident and communicating to the older players," enthused Kempson.
Word on the street is ultra-talented striker Shane Percy has taken another step-up and is assuming more responsibility this season - and he will be crucial up front for the Cobras with his experience and skill.
Coach says
I think it's safe to say finals are absolutely non-negotiable for the Cobras this season - and with squad improvements and natural progressions, the side is certainly in the mix.
"I'm expecting us to play finals, and I don't think it is fair to expect anything less," she said.
"It's doing ourselves an injustice to be aiming for anything lower than that, and I've also been quite vocal to the boys that what are you doing here if you don't want to play finals."
Three crucial match-ups
Round 2 v Orange CYMS (Home)
It may only be early in the season, but the Cobras simply MUST make a statement at their first home game. Coach Kempson might be missing, but aside from new recruit Kopp, the side should be full strength and they should be winning by multiple goals against a side expected to finish near the bottom. Don't want to be digging a hole at the start of the season.
Round 16 v Orana Spurs (Away)
Spurs v Cobras games are ALWAYS really tough, physical and entertaining encounters. Spurs are expected to challenge for the title yet again, and this will be a tough away trip - the third of four they will have in a row in July. You won't want to miss this one.
Round 21 v Orange Waratahs (Home)
The Cobras have the bye in the last round, so this is the last game of the regular season - but that isn't why it'll be so critical. Waratahs were undoubtedly the most impressive side last season, and the Cobras will need to make sure they can get a least one point out by counter-attacking and continual forays forward.
Prediction
5th
This isn't just the Parkes-related bias talking - the Cobras have some real gamebreakers, and if that gap between their best and work closes as Kempson hopes, I expect this side to play finals, and even be dark horses for the trophy in just their third year.
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