2008 RecLink Football League premiers the MIDDWAY Cobras, from back from left, team manager Les Boyes, Mark Wilkinson, Steve Tabram, Andrew Cummings, Nick Kasapis, Matthew Moir, and front from left, Dave Graetz, Peter Taylor, coach Gary Lambert, and Trevor Lambert. 21641 Picture: Stewart Chambers.
News reporter Shaun Inguanzo takes a look at the often unsung
MIDDWAY Cobras, a Doveton-based football team that encourages people suffering from a mental illness to become involved in sport …
YOU’VE heard of the Choir of Hard Knocks – a group of mental illness sufferers who came together to learn to sing and release an album.
But for the past eight years there has been another mental health initiative that centres on hard knocks.
The difference is that its participants invite those knocks week in, week out, playing Australian Rules football.
Sponsored by Mental Illness Doesn’t Discriminate What About You (MIDDWAY), the Cobras is a team made up of disadvantaged people who learn about what it is like to be part of a team and traverse the ups and downs of a football season.
This year the Cobras made it five consecutive premierships in the RecLink Football League under which the team plays against similar groups from around Victoria.
Coach Gary Lambert said the team defeated the Westernport Warriors by 20 points in miserable conditions to again drink from the premiership cup.
Mr Lambert said the win had instilled confidence in players, many of whom may never have played football in a mainstream league.
“I think it helps them a lot, especially one of our guys who has Down syndrome,” Mr Lambert said.
“They’ll never forget that they’ve played in a competition like this.”
Mr Lambert said that despite the team’s purpose, he saw his players as typical people.
“I don’t look at them any differently from anyone else,” he said.
“Some of them you’d never pick that they’ve got a disadvantage or anything wrong with them.
“I just treat them as normal people, even though some have got a mental illness.
“That’s because it doesn’t help them in life to be constantly reminded of it.”
The club had a presentation night at Reed Oval in Doveton last week where it presented awards to players who had achieved milestones.
But regardless of the medals, everyone’s a winner at the MIDDWAY Cobras.
To become a player with, or sponsor the MIDDWAY Cobras contact president Don Cameron on 0415 888 528.
