Victorian Netball League 2025 live stream: Falcons’ star Jane Cook notches up 1000 goals for 2025

One of the Victorian Netball League’s most prolific shooters notched up a major milestone in round 17 and is showing now signs of slowing down. Here’s what she managed to achieve.

City West Falcons’ star shooter Jane Cook isn’t ready to count her chickens before they hatch when posed the question on how many goals she might finish the season on.

Making history as the first VNL player to crack the 1000-goal glass barrier last season, Cook backed up her feat by hitting the quadruple-digit target for a second year on Wednesday night.

And she was quick to stick to her previous stance that her effort had just as much to do with her teammates as herself.

“Just being able to score that volume of goals … reflecting on last year to this year, we’ve managed to do it a little bit quicker, last year we did it in 20 rounds, this year it was 17 – that’s pretty cool and I guess you could say we’ve improved,” Cook said.

City West Falcons shooter Jane Cook in action during the 2025 Victorian Netball League (VNL) season. Picture: Grant Treeby/NV.

If we’re getting specific, you might say it was 16 and a half – Cook only needing 25 minutes or 10 minutes into the second quarter of Wednesday’s 73-55 win against North East Blaze to sink the 33 shots needed to hit the magical 1000 figure – the 28-year-old going on to finish with 57 before finishing out the game on the bench with the Falcons’ well and truly ahead.

Cook’s accuracy sits unmatched, her 1024 goals contrasted by just 34 misses, while she’s been pitch perfect at 100 per cent accuracy in five games this year.

A podiatrist by trade, it’s also Cook’s “job” to sink those shots at a high clip for her team.

“The team gets me the ball and that’s my job to put it through the ring, so that’s something I’ve always tried really hard to maintain that accuracy,” Cook said.

“My team do a great job of putting me right under the post, which is perfect – nice and close for the shots – but it’s still a lot of practice, a lot of stuff at training, it all goes hand-in-hand.”

Off the back of last year’s 1000-goal season, Cook admitted there was little pre-season chatter around the team about doing it a second time.

“We’re very much a team that takes each week as it comes, we’re focusing on each game and those sort of stats – we want them to be really good – but they’re a bonus on top of the wins,” she said.

Much like Cook’s goals, the team has stacked up those wins this year – the Falcons’ 17-0 ahead of a final round match-up with Peninsula Waves next Wednesday – with focus to soon turn to a tilt at a flag four-peat.

A premiership behemoth built under revered head coach Marg Lind’s firm hand, Cook credited her Falcons coach for making her both the player and person she was – admitting Lind was one of the more misunderstood mentors in the league.

“If you were to sit on our sideline and just watch her (Lind) on a game day she’s pretty straight-faced, straight down the line, she’ll tell the players exactly how it is … I think to people on the outside (it) can come across potentially she’s a bit harsh,” Cook said.

“But when you’re in the environment, she’s a coach who is not just giving coaching directions, she’s giving you everything – she’s wholeheartedly invested in that club and invested in us as a player, not only on-court but she wants to know what you’re doing off-court … the way she goes about combining those two things, I’d happily say you’re not going to find another Marg Lind any time soon.”

City West Falcons shooter Jane Cook in action during the 2025 Victorian Netball League (VNL) season. Picture: Grant Treeby/NV.

Cook has embraced the on-court return of fellow goaler Madelyn Romios this season, her young son Toby now a regular courtside at games and “our little team mascot” according to the goal shooter.

“Maddy and I have quite a good relationship off the court and catch up and hang out … so having her back on court has been really fun, we’ve played together for quite a while now so I certainly did miss her,” Cook said.

Cook believed both Gray and Olivia Cameron, who returned this year after joining as a mid-season replacement player in 2024, offered variation in the goal attack position – but were equally an effective moving GA-GS combo shown on Wednesday when Cook finished the game on the bench.

“I think as far as a goaling end, we’ve been working really well and definitely built on last year’s performances,” Cook said.

Also giving the Falcons a different look is defender Charity Nasalio, with the New Zealander seamlessly slotting in with the club and team’s dynamics.

“At Falcons, our champ side, we’re all a little bit quirky, we’re all a little bit funky and Charity, she fits right in with that,” Cook said with a laugh.

“And she just has so much strength, she’s such a strong body but still such a quick body and agile – she might look deceptively three-feet off but then she’s got the ball or she’s in that contest.

“I’m glad I don’t have to play against Charity on game day – that’s for sure.”