Walsh, Wuersching, return to defend VYC titles in 2026
Walsh and Wuersching - both products of the Junior Cobra coaching pathway - return after an historic 2025 run, culminating with both the Cobra Women and Men winning VYC championships on the same night at home in thrilling fashion.
Walsh guided the Cobra Women to a 17-5 regular season mark in 2025 - good for a second placed finish in the regular season. Whilst they finished three games behind Melbourne in the regular season standings, it was clear the Cobras were the leagues best team with their full roster available, and they had their full arsenal of weapons when it mattered most for postseason play. A pair of dominant quarter and preliminary final victories set the stage for a championship showdown vs the Keilor Thunder at home, with Walsh and company prevailing in one of the most thrilling VYC games in history - a double overtime classic in front of a sellout Cobra crowd.
It was a dream first season at the helm of the program for Walsh, who had served as an assistant coach the prior eight years, whilst enjoying a standout run as a head coach within the Junior Cobra program - one that has seen him lead the U14 Girls to back-to-back National Club Championship appearances. His big game championship experience helped the VYC Women climb the mountain for the first time in over 15 years, and along the way he played a key role in the development of a number of young stars - Hannah Day, Georgia McBean, Lily Exton and Krystal Arnason - who are now expected to make an impact at the NBL1 level in 2026.
Walsh’s dream debut season was matched by Wuersching on the Men’s side, pushing the Cobras over the championship hump following heartbreaking back-to-back losses in the title game in 2023 and 2024. The former Junior Cobra athlete-turned coach led Kilsyth to a thrilling one-point win in the title game over Frankston, capping an incredible VYC home championship double - the first time in league history two home teams have been crowned champions on the same evening.
Wuersching led the Cobras to a dominant 21-1 regular season record, with his group boasting the leagues top ranked defensive unit and second highest scoring offence. On an individual level, Wuersching’s tutelage saw a number of young Cobras thrive, including Lachie Vander Vorm, who was named to the VYC All-Star 5, and Brody Hull, who took home league Defensive Player of the Year honours. They weren’t the only league award winners though; with Wuersching himself rightfully earning VYC Coach of the Year honours in the process.
Wuersching, who also has multiple years of assistant coaching experience at the NBL1 level to his name, was able to navigate the Cobras through a challenging postseason campaign, which saw the team overcome their first true tests of the season as they recorded a pair of gritty victories over Eltham and Knox to return the title game, before gutting out an epic victory in the title game on Macauley Haig’s game winning three pointer in the final seconds.
With the majority of the VYC Women’s and Men’s core returning for 2026, the Cobras are poised once again for a pair of deep playoff runs, and set to collect some more hardware in the process. The Cobras tip-off their regular season campaign on Saturday March 14 at home, facing the Pakenham Warriors (6pm/8pm).
