Australian Water Polo Inc

Martin's form glowing after Spanish polish readies him for London

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +1100

Spain is a long way from the quiet surrounds of the Musgrave Pool in Brisbane, but for the last two and a half years of Anthony Martin�s life, the professional water polo scene in Europe has been his main focus. In that time he has established himself as one of the leading players in the world, enjoying success with Barcelona based clubs Sabadell and Montjuic, while continuing his senior role within the Aussie Sharks set up. Now, with the 2012 London Olympics on the horizon, the 26-year old is back in Australia hoping to impress selectors and seal his spot for his second Olympic games. He is playing for the Brisbane Barracudas in the National Water Polo League (NWPL) and is enjoying the luxury of being able to play with his Aussie Sharks teammates more often. Although his time in Spain will always remain close to him, Martin is hoping the decision to return to Brisbane will not only improve his combination with the squad but help secure Australia�s first Olympic medal in the sport. �It�s good to be back training with a lot of the guys in the team,� Martin said. �The last two and a half years I have been playing in Spain have produced really good water polo, but obviously it�s great to be back with the team and training as a unit. �When I first thought there was a possibility I�d be coming back to Australia I was a little bit worried that I wouldn�t get the same level of water polo, but now being back home I�m actually really glad I�m here. �There�s no doubt playing in Spain has vastly improved my water polo in the last few years, but coming back and having the opportunity to train more regularly with the team has been very beneficial for me. �A lot of the other international teams are able to live and train together, which is something we can�t really afford in Australia, so these camps we are having at the moment are essential to get the systems and combinations together and I�m glad I can be part of them.� Martin�s first Olympics in Beijing were of course a special one, and like all first-time Olympians, the Brookfield local was overawed by the whole occasion. This time around Martin is fully prepared to deal with the excitement associated with the games, and the centre back is confident that he and his Sharks teammates can improve upon their disappointing tenth place finish. �My first Olympics were definitely more of an eye-opener particularly having the excitement beforehand of knowing you were going to Beijing,� Martin said. �Of course it was about business during the competition, but now in the lead-up to London it has been business all the way. �Heading into this campaign, however, there are going to be new guys in the squad that will face the same situation that I was in. �I�m just looking forward to helping these guys find the balance between enjoying the games and focusing on the job, and hopefully as a group we come away with what we want to achieve.� The Sharks will wrap up their four day camp in Sydney on Sunday, before the players return to their clubs for the resumption of the National League. Martin�s Barracudas are currently in fourth position on the NWPL ladder with eight wins and two losses and are in a tight tussle with the Victorian Tigers, UNSW Wests Magpies, Drummoyne Devils and Fremantle Mariners for top spot. The Aussie Sharks� will have two more training camps in Perth and Sydney before finalising Olympic preparations with the FINA World League preliminaries in May and finals in June.

Aussie Stingers defeat GB as road to London continues

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:07:00 +1100

The Australian women�s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers, have begun their five match test series against Great Britain in fine style defeating the 2012 London Olympic hosts 13-5 at the AIS in Canberra on Tuesday. In what was the Stingers� first game since claiming a 2-1 series win against the USA in Sydney last month, the Aussie girls continued their impressive start to 2012 scoring 11 goals in the last three quarters to run away with the match. The Australian's started slowly easing out to a 2-0 advantage at the first break, before turning on the afterburners courtesy of an Ashleigh Southern double in the second and third terms. Southern's supreme power was too much for the British in the end, as she netted four for the match while Rowie Webster and Bronwen Knox pitched in with three each. Head coach Greg McFadden said although the defence was good, he believed the girls still needed to work on their extra-man attack. "It was slightly disappointing as we really wanted to work on our extra-man attack, but our defense was good and we're always going to improve," McFadden said. "Our aim is to always get better and after tonight there is a lot of improvement, but as the girls start to play more, the more they will get to know each other and hopefully come Thursday night the girls will be able to play like we did against the USA. "This competition isn't the end of the world, so we can work on things, but at the Olympics we can't afford to have any bad games at all." The five test series is part of a weeklong training camp in Canberra as the Stingers continue their journey towards the London Olympics in July later this year. The Stingers have won their last two championships they have entered, the 2011 Canada Cup and the 2012 Water Polo Pan Pacs in Melbourne, and the girls will be eyeing off further tournament wins at the London Olympic test event in May and the FINA World League finals in June on their way to London gold. Result: Aussie Stingers 13 bt Great Britain 5 AUS Scorers: Ashleigh Southern 4, Rowie Webster 3, Bronwen Knox 3, Gemma Beadsworth, Melissa Rippon, Holly Lincoln-Smith GB Scorers: Chloe Wilcox 2, Angela Winstanley-Smith, Frankie Painter-Snell, Lisa Gibson Aussie Stingers: Victoria Brown, Gemma Beadsworth, Sophie Smith, Holly-Lincoln Smith, Jane Moran, Bronwen Knox, Rowie Webster, Kate Gynther, Glencora Ralph, Ashleigh Southern, Melissa Rippon, Nicola Zagame, Alicia McCormack Great Britain: Robyn Nicholls, Chloe Wilcox, Aine Hoy, Frankie Painter-Snell, Alex Rutlidge, Fran Leighton, Vicki Hawkins, Ciara Gibson-Byrne, Lisa Gibson, Angela Winstanley-Smith, Fran Clayton, Becky Kershaw, Rosie Morris, Rachael Drabble, Hazel Musgrove

2012 NWPL Week 4: Hurricanes eye off finals berth after stunning win

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:41:00 +1100

As the half way mark of the 2012 National Water Polo League fast approaches, the men�s and women�s ladders are starting to take shape with the Victorian Tigers men and Brisbane Barracudas women holding down top spot. Despite having the week four bye, the Tigers maintained their advantage courtesy of the Drummoyne Devils and UNSW Wests Magpies playing only a handful of matches. Tyler Martin and Aussie Sharks� star Samuele Avallone helped Drummoyne cement their second position scoring eight goals in the Devils� 18-5 smashing of Cronulla, while the Magpies thumped the Fyfe Adelaide Jets 16-9 and 16-7 to stay in third. The Barracudas won both of their matches against the UWA Torpedoes to increase their record to eight wins and two losses, but were unable to move from their fourth place position due to inferior percentage. In the most intriguing clash of the week, the seventh placed Hunter Hurricanes upset the sixth placed Sydney University Lions 12-11 to narrow the gap between themselves and the all-important top six. Aussie Sharks� centre forward Mitch Baird continued his return from injury with three goals, while Australian B�93 representative Nathan Power pitched in with two. University stalwarts Trent Franklin and Thomas Whalan led the way for their team scoring three and two goals respectively. Hunter are now one win away from overtaking the Lions on the ladder and will hope to continue their good form as they look to become the first team in their club�s history to make the NWPL finals. Earlier in the week, the Sydney University Lions scored convincing home wins against the Adelaide Jets, with Franklin becoming the second player in league history to score 700 NWPL goals during Thursday�s 22-4 thumping. In other action, the UWA Torpedoes defeated the KFC Queensland Breakers 14-11 and 10-7, while Balmain overcame a gallant Cronulla 12-7. The Brisbane Barracudas women have made the most of Fremantle�s bye, moving into top spot after sealing 16-5 and 18-10 wins over UWA. Brisbane and Fremantle are now locked on the same win loss record, with the three time defending champions edging ahead courtesy of superior goal difference. Barracudas veteran Jane Moran scored three goals in her 200^th game on Sunday, with fellow Aussie Stingers� stars Ashleigh Southern and captain Kate Gynther also bagging large hauls in the 18-10 result. Southern�s performance, which came on the back of her 200th NWPL goal in Friday's 16-5 win, saw her rise to second in the leading goal scorer ranks with 33 goals, with Stingers teammate and Cronulla Sharks hero Nicola Zagame out in front on 41. The Sharks, whose double defeat to Fremantle last weekend was a major shock, maintained their third place position after bouncing back with 10-5 and 15-4 wins over Balmain and Drummoyne in their all-Sydney derbies. In other results, UWA Torpedoes scored a narrow 12-11 win over the KFC Breakers to go with their 14-all draw, while the UNSW Killer Whales edged out Adelaide 10-8. The league now takes a week off with Aussie Stingers and Aussie Sharks national training camp taking place in Canberra and Sydney starting today. For the full list of results and fixtures go to bit.ly/xaq1S8 For current men's ladder click here

For current women's ladder click here Player Milestones Trent Franklin (Sydney Uni) 700 goals vs. Adelaide 16/2/12 James Young (Sydney Uni) 100 games vs. Adelaide 16/2/12 Keesja Gofers (Sydney Uni) 200 goals vs. Adelaide 16/2/12 Elysha O'Neill (Sydney Uni) 150 games vs. Adelaide 17/2/12 Ashleigh Southern (Brisbane Barracudas) 200 goals vs. UWA 17/2/12 Jane Moran (Brisbane Barracudas) 200 games vs. UWA 19/2/12 Natalee McJannet (Hunter Hurricanes) 100 goals vs. Syd Uni 19/2/12 Lea Barta (UNSW Killer Whales) 150 games vs. Adelaide 19/2/12 Josef Balczer (UWA) 150 games vs. Brisbane 19/2/12 Eliesha Browne (UWA) 100 goals vs. Brisbane 19/2/12

Overseas Player Reports 11/2/12: Aussies return to Euro action

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:47:00 +1100

Aaron Younger - Szeged Beton (Hungary) Euro Champions League In Goup C reigning champions Partizan Belgrade gained a much needed 9-5 victory over Vasas in order to keep their quarter finals hopes alive.

After Szeged's 10-9 win at Eger, Partizan will face Szeged in the last game of the preliminaries in a battle for the first place while Vasas take on Eger.

Szeged Beton (HUN) vs. ZF Eger (HUN) 10-9 (4-3, 1-2, 2-3, 2-2)

Standings: 1. Szeged 5-10, 2. Vasas 5-8 points, 3. Partizan 5-7, 4. Eger 5-3.

Aaron Younger (Szeged): With just two games to go and a very tight group, every point has become very important. Szeged has also not won in Eger for over eight years so we were determined to change that. We got off to a horrible start with Eger scoring in the first seven seconds of the game due to some average defence. After this we scored off the very next attack. From here on it was goal for goal the whole game with no team being able to establish a proper lead. With about four minutes to go we conceded a goal to put us one behind. With about two and a half minutes to go we managed to bring it back to a draw again. Then with around 30 second remaining we managed to score another goal to win the game. This was a good result for the team especially seeing the situation we were in. Looking at the game critically though, we weren�t as clinical as we should have been. We had a few situations of sloppy defence and average team play. This can probably come down to not playing an official game together for almost two months. Besides some average moments, the game wasn�t too bad and the result is good for us putting taking us to the lead in our group. We still don�t have a confirmed position in the top eight yet, as the top three teams are all with in three points of each other so it will come down to the last game against Partizan.

Click here for video footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jcw-V3zxAw Hungarian League

Round 13 of the Hungarian league resumed on Saturday, with some movements at the top of the table. Leader Szeged was held to a 6-6 draw at home to Szolnok while Honv�d secured a 11-11 tie against Vasas. The only team benefiting from both ties was defending champion ZF-Eger who gained a clear 17-8 win against FTC. A combined nine goals by the trio of Norbert Hosnyanszky, Zsolt Varga and captain Peter Biros were a big part of the win. In Szeged, the home team trailed 4-2 at half time but came back in the second half to lead 6-5 with a minute to play, before Szolnok centre-forward, Gabor Kis scored the equaliser. For Honv�d, the tie was realised in the final minute of play. Gergely Katonas put Vasas 11-10 in front with just over a minute to play but the third goal by Miklos Gor Nagy, with fourty seconds left in the game, brought the home team level. Eger now leads the league with Szeged two points behind in second place, but the current Champions League group C leaders played one less match than Eger.

Szeged Beton VE - Szolnoki D�zsa-K�ZG�P 6-6 (1-1, 1-3, 2-1, 2-1)

Goals Szeged: Aaron Younger 2, Bal�zs Somogyi 2, B�la T�r�k, G�bor Heged�s.

Goals Szolnok: Tiberiu Negrean 2, �ron Reg�s, M�ty�s P�sztor, G�bor Kis, Gerg� Marnitz. Aaron Younger (Szeged Beton): The last time we played against Szolnok we drew the game in pretty average form. And yet again we managed to draw with them with another sub par performance. As a team in defence, we were very good putting together a solid team performance. But then when we went into attack it was disjointed with bad shooting options, no movement and just very individual play. The main positive in the game would be that we were losing 1-4 and managed to get the score to 6-5 our way with about 1-2 minutes to go in the game. A pretty bad result from our team but hopefully this will improve us moving forwards. Click here for video footage: http://www.vlv.hu/media/item/17219/65-younger-masodik-golja-(szeged-szolnok-bajnoki-20120211)

http://www.vlv.hu/media/item/17214/24-younger-elso-golja-(szeged-szolnok-bajnoki-20120211)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQQvKtW_mHY&feature=related

The standings are now as follows:

1. ZF-Eger 13 - 34 pts
2. A-HID Szeged Beton VE 12 - 32
3. Szolnoki D�zsa-K�ZG�P 13 - 29
4. TEVA-Vasas-UNIQA 12 - 26
5. Groupama Honv�d 12 - 25
6. Debrecen: 12 - 19
7. FTC FisherKl�ma 13 - 14
8. KALO M�H CS&K SZENTESI VK 13 - 10
9. BVSC - Zugl� 13 - 10
10. PSVK-F�sz�rt 12 - 7
11. Kaposv�ri VK 12 - 7
12. Orvosegyetem SC 13 - 4 Aidan Roach - Vojvodina Novi Sad (Serbia) European Champions League

Wasserfreunde Spandau 04 (GER) vs Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB) 9-8 (2-0, 3-1, 2-3, 2-4)

Standings: 1. Jug 5-15 points, 2. Mladost 5-9, 3. Spandau 5-4, 4. Vojvodina 5-1.

AJ Roach (Vojvodina): This was meant to be a close game the whole way through, but unfortunately we started off very slowly losing the first half 5 1. After this, we got our act together and started to get our counter attack going executing a couple of quick goals. However, they always managed to stay just ahead and when we pulled within one in the last quarter they immediately got a kickout and converted their opportunity. This put the game beyond reach and was disappointing as it was our best opportunity to take a win in the euroleague.

Serbian League The first round of the Serbian league was supposed to be played last weekend with the derby game between LEN Euro Cup quaterfinalists Red Star and Champions League participant Vojvodina, being cancelled because of electricity cut backs by the local government due to severe weather conditions. The game will be played on 22 February, as was announced today.

Rob Maitland - Mediterrani (Spain) Spanish League - Week 11 The restart of the Spanish League was all about the final spot for the Spanish Cup. The top seven of the league plus hosts Sant Andreu will battle for the Cup, so there were four teams still in the race for that final position. With both Navarra and Mediterrani losing their respective matches, C.N. Montjuic benefited by remaining at seventh place although the newly promoted side had to swallow a big 23-7 loss at Real Canoe. The eleventh round saw title-holders Barceloneta easily win their derby 13-2 against C.N. Barcelona, who played with just six senior players due to difficulties with their Chinese internationals returning from the Asian Olympic Qualifying Games. Second placed C.N. Sabadell secured a comfortable 17-7 win at Catalunya, while third seeded Mataro Quadis notched a 19-7 victory over last placed WP Turia on Sunday.

C.E. Mediterrani - C.N. Sant Andreu 8-12 (1-3, 4-4, 1-3, 2-2)

Rob Maitland (Mediteranni): Sant Andreu is not a very good team at all but we played shockingly allowing them 4 centre forward goals and three identical extraman goals. They have three good outside shooters which we were told to pay attention to, but we ended up paying all our attention to them and forgot about the centre forwards and playing any zone. We did create a number of chances in attack but the final shot or extraman was not good enough the majority of the time. We got back into the game after being a number of goals down at the start but at crucial moments we missed and they went to the other end and scored. Week 12 Terrassa gained a big 10-9 win over Mataro Quadis in the Spanish League on Saturday. With the victory, Terrassa now moves to fourth place on the table, equal in points with Mataro who has the fifth spot. Navarra notched up a good win as well, beating Catalunya 8-7 and are now tied with C.N. Barcelona on the rankings. The top-three teams made no mistakes. League leading side Atl�tic-Barceloneta gained a easy 13-3 triumph over Sant Andreu, while current number two Sabadell got the 11-8 victory at Mediterrani. League number three, Real Canoe, did a good job for the goal difference against last placed WP Turia winning 22-2.

C.E. Mediterrani - C.N. Sabadell 8-11 (0-4, 4-2, 1-2, 3-3) Rob Maitland (Mediterrani): Although Sabadell are a much better team than Sant Andreu we still started poorly not taking our chances in attack and allowing a number of very soft goals in defence mainly from bad blocking or just general unawareness. We got back into the game again but then at crucial moments particularly in extraman we were unable to convert. Click here for video footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6p86L9F3kio

The standings are now as follows:

1. C.N. Atl�tic-Barceloneta 12 - 32 pts
2. C.N. Sabadell 12 - 30
3. Real Canoe N.C. - Isostar 12 - 24
4. C.N. Terrassa 12 - 22
5. C.N. Mataro Quadis 12 - 22
6. C.N. Montjuic 12 - 16
7. C.N. Barcelona 12 - 15
8. C.D. Waterpolo Navarra 12 - 15
9. C.E. Mediterrani 12 - 11
10. C.N. Catalunya 12 - 11
11. C.N. Sant Andreu 12 - 10
12. C.D. WP Turia 12 � 0

2012 NWPL Weekend Preview: UWA face Barras in Moran's 200th

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:07:00 +1100

The UWA Torpedoes women�s water polo team will be out to stop their winless start to the 2012 National Water Polo League season when they take on the KFC Queensland Breakers and Brisbane Barracudas in week four action. The Torpedoes, who lost both home fixtures to the in-form Cronulla Sharks and Victorian Tigers, are anchored to the bottom of the table and will look to overtake the 11^th placed Drummoyne Devils when they start their Queensland tour against the Breakers tonight. Their second-up clash against the Barracudas on Sunday will be a particular highlight with Brisbane stalwart, Jane Moran, set to play her 200^th NWPL game. The UWA club was supposed to play in another milestone match against the KFC Breakers on Saturday, but Australian legend Raf Sterk has delayed his 350^th game for a fortnight when his team travels to Melbourne and Adelaide. Moran, who will become Brisbane�s first ever female to reach the milestone, said the occasion was a wonderful achievement and admitted that it was great to be able to bring it up for such a great club. �I definitely do see this as an important game,� Moran said. �I had a look at the statistics and I will become only the second ever player to reach 200 games in the women�s competition. �Obviously, the game itself is important as we look to build on our good start to the year, but I think it�s going to be a pretty big deal for the Barracudas.� The 26-year-old Aussie Stingers star is already the second most capped behind Fremantle�s Sharon Wheelock, and is second only to Stingers� teammate Gemma Beadsworth in the all-time goal scoring list. In other women�s fixtures, the Cronulla Sharks host the Balmain Tigers, Adelaide have a road trip against Sydney Uni and UNSW, while Fremantle and Victoria both have the weekend off. The UWA men will look to back up from their 2-0 home series win against Cronulla last week, when they face a Breakers outfit yet to post a victory in 2012. Aussie Sharks squad member Luke Quinlivan has been a wall for the Torpedoes all year, while the absence of the ever-reliable Sterk will hurt the Breakers even more. Brisbane counterparts, the Barracudas, are at the opposite end of the scale and are in a four way tussle with the Victorian Tigers, Drummoyne Devils and UNSW Wests Magpies for top spot. Drummoyne just have the one match against Cronulla on Sunday, while Wests should get all eight points over another winless team in the Fyfe Adelaide Jets. The fifth placed Sydney University Lions kick off week four when they also play Adelaide at 8.20pm tonight. For the full list of fixtures and results go to bit.ly/xaq1S8 For current men's ladder click here For current women's ladder click here Upcoming Player Milestones Elysha O'Neill (Sydney Uni) 150th vs. Adelaide on Friday James Young (Sydney Uni) 100th vs. Adelaide on Friday Jane Moran (Brisbane Barracudas) 200th vs. UWA on Sunday Lea Barta (UNSW Killer Whales) 150th vs. Adelaide on Sunday Josef Balczer (UWA Torpedoes) 150th vs. Brisbane on Sunday Josh Frost (Adelaide) 100th vs. UNSW Wests on Sunday Note: Rafael Sterk (KFC Queensland Breakers) 348 games

Arancini seeks Olympic inspiration from fellow Stingers

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:56:00 +1100

The Australian women�s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers, is bringing together a unique mix of youth and experience as they endeavour to become the first women�s water polo team to win two Olympic gold medals, when they take on the best in the world at London later this year. Caught in the middle is East Victoria Park�s Zoe Arancini, who on top of being one of five members from the bronze medal winning team at last year�s the junior world championships, is also one of the more experienced having already played over 70 tests for her country. So much has happened so quickly for the 20-year-old Western Australian that she is pinching herself as to the level of player she has been selected alongside in the Aussie Stinger 17-person Olympic train-on squad. It was only four years ago that Arancini one day dreamt of joining the likes of Beijing heroes Melissa Rippon, Kate Gynther, Gemma Beadsworth, Bronwen Knox and Alicia McCormack on the Olympic medal dais. Now, with just six months remaining until London 2012, Arancini has the distinct chance of seeing this dream come true and the Fremantle Marlins star is looking forward to knuckling down and playing the best polo she can. �Ever since I made the initial squad I have always been hopeful of making the team and just like all the other girls I have trained really hard, whilst always trying to play to the best of my ability,� Arancini reflected. �I just figured that I would aim to control what I could and let all the other things look after themselves. I�ve always taken the attitude to expect nothing and treat everything you do get as a bonus, so we�ll see what happens. �Olympic selection would of course be the absolute pinnacle of sporting excellence, one of the most exciting and exhilarating things, and to say it would be a dream come true is an understatement. �I understand where I sit in relation to selection and know that each time I train or play I have to make the most of every opportunity and keep pressure on the senior players. �Therefore remaining fit and injury free is an absolute priority whilst trying to ensure I keep enjoying what I am doing.� And she won�t be alone. Not only are the four other junior girls in the same position, but so too, the remaining 12 members of the squad as they try and impress head coach Greg McFadden. But Arancini, who first made her senior debut for the Stingers in 2009, believes it is not just about the push for selection, but ensuring the squad as a whole has the best preparation possible for London. �Training and playing with all the girls in the team is a fantastic opportunity, and to have people like Bronwen (Knox) and Macca (Alicia McCormack) in the squad is great, as they have always been really supportive to the younger players, so anything that may happen down the track in relation to selection is a bonus,� Arancini said. �For me, my opportunity as been amazing and I wouldn�t trade what I�ve achieved in my polo career for anything, and I know all of the other younger girls feel the same and understand the opportunity that has been provided to us. �When it comes down to it though, we all get on pretty well and bring the best out of each other when training and playing. There are no doubts that we have the team to win gold at these Olympics, it�s just a matter of being able to put it all together on any given day.� Arancini will continue her campaign towards London in the National Water Polo League, where her Fremantle Marlins are currently in top position. The Stingers will have training camps in Australia, including one next week in Canberra, before finalising Olympic preparations with the London Olympic test event in May and the FINA World League Finals in June.

Call for Team Manager B'94 National Women's youth Squad

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:05:00 +1100

Australian Water Polo Inc is calling for applications from interested and suitably qualified persons to the position of Team Manager for the National Women�s B�94 Australian Youth Squad. The appointments will commence immediately with the opportunity to take the squad through to the 2012 Youth World Championships in Perth later this year. Please note that the position is subject to periodic review by the Board of Australian Water Polo Inc. A brief �Curriculum Vitae� should accompany applications or expressions of interest etc. Please note applications close on or before 5.00pm (EST) Friday 24 February 2012. For all inqueries please email Tom Hill on tom.hill@australianwaterpolo.com.au

2012 NWPL Season Week 3: Fremantle and Victoria move to top

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:47:00 +1100

The Longmont Fremantle Marlins have moved into top spot in the 2012 women�s National Water Polo League after clean sweeping last year�s minor premiers, the Cronulla Sharks, 2-0 in their home series in Perth over the weekend. The previously undefeated Sharks were no match for the Marlins outfit who were decisive in both attack and defence on the back of outstanding performances from Aussie Stingers trio Zoe Arancini, Gemma Beadsworth and Glencora Ralph. Fremantle took out a tight opening match 10-6, before the Western Australian�s stamped their authority in the second contest running out 10-3 victors, with Arancini scoring four goals to better her three in game one. For Cronulla, fellow Aussie Stingers player Nicola Zagame was the star for her team scoring five goals, to go with her 11 she scored in the two matches against the UWA Torpedoes. Fremantle now have nine wins and lead the competition ahead of the second placed Brisbane Barracudas, who showed signs of their three-time premiership winning form, after easily accounting for the UNSW Killer Whales. Kate Gynther celebrated her 150th game for the club in fine style as the Stingers captain netted five in Brisbane�s opening 16-6 win, before Ashleigh Southern (5) and Jane Moran (4) stole the show in the Barracudas 22-6 triumph. In other matches, the Adelaide women secured their club�s first ever victories at the new South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre, defeating the Hunter Hurricanes 11-7 and 15-9, while the Balmain Tigers dominated rivals Drummoyne Devils and Sydney University Lions in their local derbies. The highly anticipated men�s clash between the Brisbane Barracudas and UNSW Wests Magpies lived up to expectation, with just one goal separating the two sides during normal time. The Magpies took the first game in an enthralling penalty shoot-out with Aussie Sharks goalkeeper Joel Dennerley making a fine save from Dan Young to clinch the 14-12 win. The Barracudas had earlier fought back from three goals down at the last break to level the contest, with Rhys Howden scoring four for the home team and Richie Campbell and Johnno Cotterill three each for Wests. Anthony Martin, who missed a crucial shot in the penalty shoot-out, redeemed himself in game two by scoring five goals to lead the Barracudas to a narrow 12-11 win. Brisbane was up by four at three-quarter time, before allowing the Magpies back into the contest with Campbell scoring four goals for the match. The Victoria Tigers moved into top spot on the ladder after two convincing wins over the Hunter Hurricanes, while previous leaders the Drummoyne Devils relinquished their position after going down to Sydney University Lions 12-11 in a penalty shoot-out The teams were locked at 8-8 after normal time before Drummoyne captain Mitch Emery missed the opening penalty to give the Lions the advantage. UNSW Wests and Brisbane are in third and fourth positions, while Fremantle round out the top five after they completed a whitewash of Cronulla. Jamie Beadsworth scored his 400th goal for the club in the Mariners 22-3 win, while teammate Mitchal Ainsworth scored his 150th two days later. In other results, the UWA Torpedoes go their first wins of the year defeating the hapless Sharks 16-4 and 17-6, while Adelaide remained winless after going down to the Hurricanes. In next week�s milestones, Raf Sterk will play his 350th NWPL game for the KFC Queensland Breakers, while Jane Moran will become the first Barracudas female to play 200 games.

For the full list of results and fixtures go to http://bit.ly/xaq1S8 For current men's ladder click here

For current women's ladder click here Leading 2012 NWPL Scorer MEN Johnno Cotterill (UNSW Wests Magpies) 32 Rhys Howden (Brisbane Barracudas) 25 Anthony Martin (Brisbane Barracudas) 23 Richie Campbell (UNSW Wests Magpies) 20 Trent Franklin (Sydney Uni Lions) 20 WOMEN Nicola Zagame (Cronulla Sharks) 33 Sarah Harris (Hunter Hurricanes) 32 Zoe Arancini (Fremantle Marlins) 28 Bronwen Knox (Victorian Tigers) 26 Rowie Webster (Victorian Tigers) 25 Player Milestones Elise Rosato (Victorian Tigers) 150 games vs. Hunter 9/2/12 Jamie Beadsworth (Fremantle Mariners) 400 goals vs. Cronulla 10/2/12 James Falzon (Balmain Tigers) 200 goals vs. Drummoyne 10/2/12 Mitchal Ainsworth (Fremantle Mariners) 200 goals vs. Cronulla 10/2/12 Kate Gynther (Brisbane Barracudas) 150 games vs. UNSW 12/2/12 Joel Davis (Balmain Tigers) 100 goals vs. Sydney Uni 12/2/12 Mitchal Ainsworth (Fremantle Mariners) 150 games vs. 12/2/12 Scott Berry (Hunter Hurricanes) 150 games vs. Adelaide 12/2/12 Zoe Arancini (Fremantle Marlins) 300 goals vs. Cronulla 12/2/12

2012 14 & Under Club Championships

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:01:00 +1100

The 2012 14 & Under National Club Championships will be held at the Challenge Stadium, Mt Claremont, Perth, Western Australia, commencing at 8am on Friday 6 April 2012. The Championships will finish on Tuesday 10 April, around 3pm. ENTRIES

Boys	Girls
City Beach Bears City Beach Reds City Beach Black Cronulla Dolphins White Dolphins Blue Drummoyne Hunter Blue Hunter Grey Melbourne Collegians Melville Sharks Melville Stingrays Melville Snappers Ovens & Murray Richmond SE Qld Bees Sunshine Coast Sydney Nthn Beaches Tasmania Triton UNSW Wests	All Hallows Balmain Brisbane Barracudas City Beach Bears City Beach Reds City Beach Blacks Cronulla Dolphins White Dolphins Blue Drummoyne Essendon Hunter Hurricanes KFC Breakers Melville Marlins Melville Sharks Ovens & Murray Stuartholme Sydney Nthn Beaches Tasmania Triton UNSW Killer Whale

AGE
The 2012 14 & Under National Club Championships are for athletes born 1998 or later. DATES
The dates for the 2012 14 & Under Club Championships are 6-10 April 2012 inclusive.

VENUE
The venue will be Challenge Stadium Pools
Stephenson Ave
Mt Claremont WA 6010
Locate the pool
CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES
Entries are now open and will close with AWPI on or before Friday 3 February 2012.
Your entry must be n the Entry Form available below. FORMS
Note that all forms can be used electronically, which is the preferred method of receiving forms and information.
Email address - peter.hobday@australianwaterpolo.com.au

2012 14 & Under Entry Form
2012 14 & Under Team Nomination Form
2012 14 & Under Team Photo Order Form
FEES
The Entry Fee is $550 (incl GST) per team. A Player Pool Entry fee of $20 per player (excluding Managers, Coaches, and Referees) is also payable. Both of these charges will be invoiced to the Club by AWPI. Do not send money with your entry form. TEAMS
Teams will be limited to fifteen (15) players per team.
Please note that the names of players (along with their date of birth and National ID number) in cap number order are required to be submitted to AWPI by Friday 23 March 2012. PLAYER & TEAM ELIGIBILITY
Please note that all players must be registered with a Club and State Association and comply with the Date of Birth criterion. Guidelines of ELIGIBILITY for Club Championships

METROPOLITAN CLUBS
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 9 January 2012.
2. Club teams which include players who are not registered with that club must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team.

REGIONAL CLUBS/ASSOCIATIONS
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club/association prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 9 January 2012.
2. Members of clubs aligned with a regional association may form one or more regional teams.
3. Teams which include players who are not registered with that club/association must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team.
TWILIGHT CLAUSE STATES (SA, TAS, ACT)
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 28 December 2011.
2. Members of State Association may form one or more Association teams.
3. Teams which include players who are not registered with that Association must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team.

REFEREES
The name of the referee accompanying the team must be notified at the time of lodgement of the initial Entry Form.
The referee must be independent of the team coach, manager or players.
There will be no centralised accommodation arrangements made for referees, teams must handle this themselves. Entry Forms that do not nominate a referee will not be accepted.
Each team must provide an exclusive referee to that team. Teams cannot share a referee.
Failure to provide a referee at the Championships will result in a penalty of $750 payable by the Club. REGISTERED MEMBERS
Please note that all players must be registered.
All Coaches, Managers and Referees must be registered members of either a club or their State Association. PROGRAM
Games will commence at 8.00 am on the morning of Friday 6 April 2012.
The program and format of the championship will depend upon the number of teams entering.
Every endeavour will be made to maximise the number of games each team will play.
The format will be advised shortly after entries close. PRE-EVENT MEETINGS
Meetings for the Coaches and Managers, and Referees will be held at 7.00pm on the veneng of Thursday 5 April 2012 at Sports House at Challenge Stadium.
Your cooperation is sought in having a representative at these meetings. TEAM TRAVEL
Teams may make their own travel arrangements.
AWPI recommends Moves Travel Group for air travel and accommodation. Contact details are
Emma Croft | Sports Department Team Leader
Moves Travel Group | Sound Moves Freight - Australia
P: +61 2 9217 8999 F: +61 2 9212 2155
e: emma.croft@movestravel.com
w www.movestravel.com | www.soundmoves.com Note that the program will be designed to allow teams to catch evening flights back to their home town on Tuesday 10 April 2012. There can be no guarantee that teams will be able to catch the 4.15pm flights if they are participating in the Medal Games and the Closing Ceremony. This will be dependent on how many teams enter the CHampionships and the draw. PRESENTATIONS
Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be conducted during the Championships and all teams are asked to attend in full uniform. COMPETITION RULES
Rules under which the Championships are to be conducted will be advised following the close of entries, as the Rules will be dependent upon the event format. CODE OF CONDUCT
The Championships will be conducted under the Constitution and By-Laws of Australian Water Polo Inc.
Your attention is drawn to the Codes of Conduct contained in Section 7 of the By-Laws for Players, Referees, Officials, Spectators and others. CHILD PROTECTION LEGISLATION
In accordance with the Australian Water Polo Inc Member Protection Policy which is binding on ALL members of AWPI, the following commitments must be met by Managers, Coaches and Referees who have contact with children under the age of eighteen years.
Managers, Coaches and Referees visiting Australian Capitol Territory must comply with State Legislative requirements. DRUG POLICY
Australian Water Polo Incorporated supports the Australian Government, the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, and the Australian Sports Drug Agency in their efforts to eradicate the use of drugs in sport. AWPI has published an anti-doping policy, which will be adhered to for this event. MEDIA STATEMENTS
State Associations, Clubs and teams shall be permitted to promote the event and or their team within their own state (subject to AWPI approval). However, no competitor, team manager, official or spokesperson for a state or team shall make media statements that could bring the 2012 National Club Championships Boys and Girls 14 Years and Under, its sponsor, or officials into controversy. Such statements shall be deemed to be a breach of AWPI discipline and may be dealt with accordingly. THEFT
Any person/s found stealing signage or any equipment owned by Australian Water Polo Inc or WA Water Polo Inc or the game venues or other venues may be immediately reported to police and that person/s will be brought before the AWPI Judiciary. Please note that automatic disqualification of the team from the championship will occur if any member is found guilty of theft. SPONSORSHIP
Teams may pursue their own sponsorship for the Championships, however, in the event of teams having conflict with event sponsors or AWPI sponsors, the latter will have precedence. INJURY STATISTICS
Australian Water Polo Inc is vitally interested in collecting injury statistics and, hence, forms will be provided at the briefing meeting to allow feedback of this information to AWPI.
Please be aware that these form require no private information on the player or access to their medical records. QUERIES
If you have any queries, please contact
Peter Hobday
Operations Manager AWPI
PO Box 60
Lindisfarne TAS 7015
0408 393 311
peter.hobday@australianwaterpolo.com.au

2012 18 & Under Club Championships

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +1100

The 2012 18 & Under National Club Championships will be held at the AIS and Tuggeranong Pools, Canberra, ACT, commencing at 8am on Tuesday 10 April 2012. The Championships will finish on Sunday 15 April, around 3pm. ENTRIES
Entries have been received from the following teams

Boys	Girls
ACT Fins Brisbane Barracudas Cronulla Drummoyne Hunter Hurricanes KFC Breakers Melbourne Collegians Melville Saints Melville Sharks Ovens & Murray South Australia Sydney Nthn Beaches Sydney University UNSW Wests Magpies UWA Torpedoes	ACT Fins All Hallows Brisbane Barracudas Cronulla Drummoyne Hunter Hurricanes Melville South Australia Sydney Nthn Beaches Blue Sydney Nthn Beaches White Sydney Uni/Balmain Sunshine Coast UNSW Killer Whales UWA Torpedoes Victorian Tigers

AGE
The 2012 18 & Under National Club Championships are for athletes born 1994 or later. DATES
The dates for the 2012 18 & Under Club Championships are 10-15 April 2012 inclusive.

VENUES
The venues will be AIS Pool
Leverrier Street
Bruce ACT 2616
Locate the pool
Tuggeranong Pool
Cnr Anketell St & Athllon Dr
Tuggeranong ACT 2900
Locate the pool It is most likely that the boys will play at AIS (30 metre pool) and the girls at Tuggeranong (25 metre pool) This will depend on entries. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES
Entries to these Championships are invited.
Entries are now open and will close with AWPI on or before Tuesday 24 January 2012. FORMS
Note that all forms can be used electronically, which is the preferred method of receiving forms and information.
2012 18 & Under Entry Form
2012 18 & Under Team Nomination Form
2012 18 & Under Team Photo Package Form
Teams will be limited to thirteen (13) players per team.
Please note that the names of players (along with their date of birth) in cap number order are to be submitted to AWPI by Tuesday 27 March 2012. FEES
The Entry Fee is $550 (incl GST) per team. A Player Pool Entry fee of $20 per player (excluding Managers, Coaches, and Referees) is also payable. Both of these charges will be invoiced to the Club by AWPI. Do not send money with your entry form. PLAYER & TEAM ELIGIBILITY
Please note that all players must be registered with their State Association and comply with the Date of Birth criterion. Guidelines of ELIGIBILITY for Club Championships

METROPOLITAN CLUBS
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 9 January 2012.
2. Club teams which include players who are not registered with that club must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team.

REGIONAL CLUBS/ASSOCIATIONS
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club/association prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 9 January 2012.
2. Members of clubs aligned with a regional association may form one or more regional teams.
3. Teams which include players who are not registered with that club/association must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team. TWILIGHT CLAUSE STATES (SA, TAS, ACT)
1. Registered members of a club may form one or more club teams. Members must be registered with the club prior to the Call for Entries is issued, 28 December 2011.
2. Members of State Association may form one or more Association teams.
3. Teams which include players who are not registered with that Association must seek the approval of their state association to enter the "combined" team.

REFEREES

The name of the referee accompanying the team must be notified at the time of lodgement of the initial Entry Form.
Entry Forms that do not nominate a referee will not be accepted.
A team coach or manager cannot be a referee.
Each team must provide an exclusive referee to that team. Teams cannot share a referee.
Failure to provide a referee at the Championships will result in a penalty of $750 payable by the Club. REGISTERED MEMBERS
Please note that all players must be registered.
All Coaches, Managers and Referees must be registered members of either a club or their State Association. PROGRAM
Games will commence at 8.00 am on the morning of Tuesday 10 April 2012.
The program and format of the championship will depend upon the number of teams entering.
Every endeavour will be made to maximise the number of games each team will play.
The format will be advised shortly after entries close. PRE-EVENT MEETINGS
Meetings for the Coaches and Managers at 7.00pm followed by Referees will be held prior to the start of the event on Monday 9 April 2012 at the AIS.
Your cooperation is sought in having a representative at these meetings. TEAM TRAVEL
Teams may make their own travel arrangements.
AWPI recommends Moves Travel Group for air travel and accommodation. Contact details are
Emma Croft | Sports Department Team Leader
Moves Travel Group | Sound Moves Freight - Australia
P: +61 2 9217 8999 F: +61 2 9212 2155
e: emma.croft@movestravel.com
w www.movestravel.com | www.soundmoves.com Note that the program will be designed to allow teams to catch evening flights back to their home town on Sunday 15 April 2012. PRESENTATIONS
Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be conducted during the Championships and all teams are asked to attend in full uniform. COMPETITION RULES
Rules under which the Championships are to be conducted will be advised following the close of entries, as the Rules will be dependent upon the number of teams entering and the event format. CODE OF CONDUCT
The Championships will be conducted under the Constitution and By-Laws of Australian Water Polo Inc.
Your attention is drawn to the Codes of Conduct contained in Section 7 of the By-Laws for Players, Referees, Officials, Spectators and others. CHILD PROTECTION LEGISLATION
In accordance with the Australian Water Polo Inc Member Protection Policy which is binding on ALL members of AWPI, the following commitments must be met by Managers, Coaches and Referees who have contact with children under the age of eighteen years.
Managers, Coaches and Referees visiting Victoria must comply with State Legislative requirements. DRUG POLICY
Australian Water Polo Incorporated supports the Australian Government, the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in their efforts to eradicate the use of drugs in sport. AWPI has published an anti-doping policy, which will be adhered to for this event. MEDIA STATEMENTS
State Associations, Clubs and teams shall be permitted to promote the event and/or their team within their own state (subject to AWPI approval). However, no competitor, team manager, official or spokesperson for a State Association or team shall make media statements that could bring the 2012 18 & Under National Club Championships, its sponsor, or officials into controversy. Such statements shall be deemed to be a breach of AWPI discipline and may be dealt with accordingly. THEFT
Any person/s found stealing signage or any equipment owned by Australian Water Polo Inc or ACT Water Polo Inc or any Aquatic Centre or other venues may be immediately reported to police and that person/s will be brought before the AWPI Judiciary. Please note that automatic disqualification of the team from the championship will occur if any member is found guilty of theft. SPONSORSHIP
Teams may pursue their own sponsorship for the Championships, however, in the event of teams having conflict with event sponsors or AWPI sponsors, the latter will have precedence. INJURY STATISTICS
Australian Water Polo Inc is vitally interested in collecting injury statistics and, hence, forms will be provided at the briefing meeting to allow feedback of this information to AWPI.
Please be aware that these form require no private information on the player or access to their medical records. QUERIES If you have any queries, please contact
Peter Hobday
Operations Manager AWPI
PO Box 60
Lindisfarne TAS 7015
0408 393 311
peter.hobday@australianwaterpolo.com.au