Last year, I spoke with the Caulfield United Cobras coach Yanni Galanis, asking him what he expected of his girls in the next season.

At the time, he had steered the women’s team to its second championship in a row, a huge feat considering the team didn’t exist until 2012.

“My goal is to finish mid-table next year and the second year goal will be giving premier league a crack,” he told me.

“It’s a bit of a dream.”

That dream came true a little sooner than expected, and now Yanni and his team of exceptionally talented girls are about to make history and become the first team in Victoria to progress three times in a row and make it to the Women’s Premier League.

They have just two games left in their season and are on top of the ladder. Although they only lead by two points, the Cobras only need one more win to claim the championship and promotion.

In their next match, they play third placed University of Melbourne, but in the last and final match, they play second last on the ladder, Preston Lions.

A win is almost a given for the Cobras in at least one match.

Both the coach and president of the club, George Karagounis, say the whole experience has been “surreal”.

The two came together back in 2011 to restart the women’s program at the club, and had an ambitious vision. Keeping their expectations realistic, none
expected that the team could have achieved something like this.

“As the season progressed, we were just looking at each other, saying is this really happening,” Mr Karagounis tells Neos Kosmos.
“Is this for real?”

Coach Galanis credits the success to the nature of the girls and the fact the team plays as a unit.

“The bond there is incredible, I’m just so proud of them,” he says.

“I think it’s about a trust level, everyone knows their roles, and we’re not afraid to make changes, there have been games this year that we’ve maybe been a bit down, and we’ve sort of changed it, taken someone off the field and brought someone else on, so we’ve managed it that way.”

Galanis has had to deal with pretty season destroying problems, with six of his girls (four being starters) leaving the club to go overseas.

About half of his team is still the original team he started with back in 2011, but half of the girls have been new to the club.

He has only dropped a game the whole season, an amazing achievement, considering he carried on his undefeated run from last season for 14 matches more.

Coming up to their match on Sunday, it’s no secret that both the girls and the coach are feeling the pressure.

Galanis says he’ll be going into the match just like every other match, keeping things tight and encouraging his girls to search for goals.

The team is known for its high scoring matches, and it’s a testament to the coach’s philosophy.

The club’s president isn’t so calm and collected. He admits the stress is getting to him, but won’t be showing it in front of the girls.

“There are times I can’t sleep,” he says with a laugh.

“But you want to keep a cool calm and collected approach.”

Becoming one of the best names in Victoria’s female football training is what Mr Karagounis hopes to achieve in the next year or so.

He wants to introduce more teams at the club, starting from young ages.

“Going forward I really want to target the younger generation, the girls that want to take football seriously, be challenged to provide coaching, the structure and the facilities to play at the highest level,” he says.

The team takes on the University of Melbourne at 3.00 pm on Sunday at Victory Park, Patterson Road, Bentleigh.

Their final match will be against Preston Lions on September 14 at 3.00 pm at B.T Connor Reserve, Broadhurst Avenue, Reservoir.