Kilsyth's Adam Jackson will celebrate his 200th SEABL game when the Cobras take on the Frankston Blues at Kilsyth Sports Centre this Sunday. An eight-year league veteran, Adam will move up to second on the all time games played list with the Cobras by season’s end.

Adam is a great example to all young players, showing that through hard work and determination great things can be achieved. Throughout his junior years with the Cobras, Adam made third and fourth teams until Under 18s, when he was cut from the program. After having a year off to play footy he gave basketball one more shot and made the Under 20 Cobras side. From there he was selected to play for the SEABL side in 1999.

In 1999 Adam’s SEABL career started on a massive high, as a team that included Cameron Burns, Luke Kendall, Damon Lowery and Michael Wheeler won the SEABL South Conference title and went on to become the ABA National Runners Up.

“To play with guys such as Wheeler and Burns was a great experience, I learned a lot from what Mick brought to the team with his leadership and ability," Jackson said.

2000 was a similar year for the young Jackson as the Cobras once again made the SEABL South Conference final, where they went down to Hobart, and then again finished runners up to the Chargers in the ABA national final. These years set Jackson up for a long career with one of Australia’s most successful clubs.

“At Kilsyth you don’t play for money, it’s about the people I have been playing with for many years and the success we have achieved in my eight years as a Cobra, to have people from the outside looking in and saying what a great place Kilsyth is to play is quiet special,” Jackson said.

After some lean years for the Kilsyth Cobras, Grant Wallace was appointed Adam’s second SEABL coach in 2004. Success was again on the radar and in 2005 the Cobras returned to the SEABL South Conference final against Bendigo and were runners up.

“2005 was a big year and I was involved in the two of the biggest matches of my career - the prelim final at home against Knox and then the grand final at Bendigo,” Jackson said.

Grant Wallace this week took some time to talk about Adam and his SEABL career with the Club Kilsyth Cobras.

“Adam has been a mainstay of the Cobras program for many years and always been involved in helping the junior players and a pleasure to coach.

“As a coach, Adam provides the great luxury of being able to change games and fill gaps. He has been the ultimate team player for 198 games and he is able to sacrifice his personal game many times for the benefit of the team, never crying out for recognition and this quality never goes unnoticed by the coaching staff.

“He has the flexibility to defend the smaller, quicker guard up to the big, even when he gives away many centimetres. He can score and has the uncanny ability to get to the basket, reading the game very well. He can and continues to create a spark off of the bench and turn the game our way.

“2007 has been a great step up for Adam personally, who has always been the social team leader but this season he has been elected to the senior leadership group by his teammates and he has taken his game to new levels of intensity at trainings and on game days."

Adam will celebrate his 200th game against the Frankston Blues this Sunday 20th May at the Snakepit, tip-off 2.30pm.

Article courtesy www.kilsythbasketball.com.au