IT has been a big year of Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) that saw a host of new faces enter the league. While many may have been elevated training partners due to the extended bench there are a couple of players who made their long-awaited SSN debut with one boasting international experience. Draft Central has composed a countdown of the Top 15 SSN debutants for 2020 and coming in at number five is Emma Cosh.

Making her debut in the green dress back in Round 3, albeit only for four minutes, by the end of the season 27-year-old Cosh was a stalwart for the Fever with her consistency and level-headedness paying dividends despite being in her first season. She was somewhat thrown into the deep end by Round 8 spending majority of her season in the unfamiliar position of wing attack however she did not look out of place, taking every opportunity that came her way with open arms. After Ingrid Colyer went down with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Cosh was gifted the starting position and did not look back with her deft touches and smooth movement enabling her to transition the ball down the court with great ease. Cosh’s ability to ply her trade effectively and deliver the same output as Colyer while adding her own flair to the mix was crucial to West Coast’s strong finish to the season and subsequent grand final berth.

Still new to the SSN stage, Cosh proved that she was not a one dimensional player with her quick footwork allowing her to dance around circle edge while her deceptive strength also enabled her to ward off defenders. A typical goaler, Cosh used her shooting smarts to deliver the ball to the advantage to the likes of Jhaniele Fowler and Alice Teague-Neeld under the post. The ball placement and speed on the pass was also a key component of her game play, allowing the Fever to keep their foot on the throat in close contests. Not the quickest player out on court, Cosh used her extra height to her full advantage avoiding the long arms of the defenders to weave the ball down the court. With consistent court time, her craft really started to develop with her confidence to back herself from both on and off circle edge making her hard to stop when she got going.

Her overall netball nous came to the fore as her connections in the attacking third started to forge and certainty with ball in hand steadily grew to ensure she had an impact each time she stepped out on court. The wing attack had a strong presence at the centre pass, often using her innate timing to pop out while her second phase play was also impressive, able to glide into the pockets or claim prime position atop the circle to release into the goalers. Her connection with Verity Charles through the centre was strong with the two able to read the play seamlessly to know when to drive in or out of the space accordingly. Cosh showcased her ability to stand up under the pressure and execute the game play especially in the big games such as the preliminary and semi-final. Her hot hand saw her register 156 goal assists throughout the course of the season and although she did not manage to hit the scoreboard given her role out in wing attack, Cosh proved that she has a big bag of tricks.