Australia men's national water polo team

The Australian national water polo team represents Australia in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Water Polo Australia. The national men's team has the nickname of "The Sharks". It is organised into the Asia/Oceania regional group.

Australia
FINA codeAUS
Nickname(s)Aussie Sharks[1]
AssociationWater Polo Australia
ConfederationOSA (Oceania)
Head coachElvis Fatović
Asst coachDean Kontlc
Paul Oberman
CaptainAaron Younger
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current11 (as of 9 August 2021)
Highest7 (2012)
Lowest11 (2016, 2021)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances16 (first in 1948)
Best result5th place (1984, 1992)
World Championship
Appearances18 (first in 1973)
Best result4th place (1998)
World Cup
Appearances9 (first in 1981)
Best result (2018)
World League
Appearances16 (first in 2003)
Best result (2007, 2008, 2019)
Commonwealth Championship
Appearances2 (first in 2002)
Best result (2006)
Media
Websitewaterpoloaustralia.com.au

History

Australia has competed internationally since the 1948 London Olympic Games, and has qualified for all subsequent Olympic tournaments except Atlanta in 1996, and although not achieving the success of European teams, has remained relatively competitive at international level since.

In 1968, the team qualified to compete at the Mexico Olympic Games, but was denied entry by the Australian Olympic Federation.[2]

Australia scored their first point in Olympic competition when they drew with Bulgaria in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

The Australian team placed 5th in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the highest Olympic placing so far, and finished 4th in the World Championships at home in Perth in 1998.

Australia's best international water polo success came in 1996, when the Sharks won the six-nation Control Cup in Hungary, and followed it up with a bronze medal at an eight nation tournament in Italy in the same year. However, they failed to qualify for that year's Olympics for the first time since 1948.

A reinvigorated youthful team managed to finish second to Canada in an international tournament in England in 2002, and in 2003, they beat then world champions Serbia 12–11 in a FINA Water Polo World League match in Hungary, and followed it up by beating Croatia 10–6 at the 2003 Water polo world championship in Barcelona, Spain.

Australia finished 2nd at the 2018 World Cup in Berlin, Germany.[1]

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Australia surprisingly beat former champion Croatia. Yet, the Australians were not to able progress through to the quarter finals, but still managed to clinch two wins out of their five games.[1]

Tournament history

A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Australia

Olympic Games
Main article: Australia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
Olympic Games record
Year[3] Round Position Pld W D L
1900 Did not participate
1904
1908
1912
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1948 Group stages 17th 2 0 0 2
1952 Group stages 17th 2 0 0 2
1956 Group stages 9th 6 1 0 5
1960 Group stages 15th 3 0 0 3
1964 Group stages 12th 2 0 0 2
1968 Qualified but did not compete
1972 Group stages 12th 9 0 2 7
1976 Group stages 11th 8 1 1 6
1980 Group stages 7th 8 5 1 2
1984 Final Group stages 5th 8 2 2 4
1988 Group stages 8th 8 3 0 5
1992 Group stages 5th 8 4 2 2
1996 Did not qualify
2000 Group stages 8th 8 1 2 5
2004 Group stages 9th 8 3 1 4
2008 Group stages 8th 7 3 1 3
2012 Quarter-finals 7th 8 3 0 5
2016 Group stage 9th 5 2 1 2
2020 Group stage 9th 5 2 0 3
Total0 Titles17/27105301362

World Championship

World Cup

World League

Commonwealth Championship
  • 2002 – Silver medal
  • 2006 – Gold medal
  • 2014 – Did not participate

Team

Current squad

Roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Head coach: Elvis Fatović[4]

No. Player Pos. L/R Height Weight Date of birth (age) Apps OG/
Goals		 Club Ref
1 Anthony Hrysanthos 10GK 2R (1995-11-28)28 November 1995 (aged 25) 70 0/0 Sydney University Lions [5]
2 Richie Campbell 20CB 2R 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 99 kg (218 lb) (1987-09-18)18 September 1987 (aged 33) 287 3/23 UNSW Wests Magpies [6]
3 George Ford 20CB 2R 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 95 kg (209 lb) (1993-02-24)24 February 1993 (aged 28) 132 1/1 Sydney University Lions [7]
4 Goran Tomasevic 40CF 2R (1990-06-21)21 June 1990 (aged 31) 0 0/0 Sydney University Lions [8]
5 Nathan Power 20CB 2R 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 104 kg (229 lb) (1993-02-13)13 February 1993 (aged 28) 164 0/0 UNSW Wests Magpies [9]
6 Lachlan Edwards 50D 2R 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) (1995-02-06)6 February 1995 (aged 26) 79 0/0 Drummoyne Devils [10]
7 Aidan Roach 50D 2R 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) 88 kg (194 lb) (1990-09-07)7 September 1990 (aged 30) 192 2/6 Drummoyne Devils [11]
8 Aaron Younger (C) 50D 2R 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 100 kg (220 lb) (1991-09-25)25 September 1991 (aged 29) 199 2/9 Pro Recco [12]
9 Andrew Ford 50D 2R 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) (1995-04-21)21 April 1995 (aged 26) 75 0/0 UNSW Wests Magpies [13]
10 Timothy Putt 20CB 2R (1998-11-06)6 November 1998 (aged 22) 70 0/0 UNSW Wests Magpies [14]
11 Rhys Howden 50D 2R 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 84 kg (185 lb) (1987-04-02)2 April 1987 (aged 34) 234 3/14 Queensland Thunder [15]
12 Blake Edwards 40CF 2R 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) (1992-02-14)14 February 1992 (aged 29) 94 0/0 Drummoyne Devils [16]
13 Joel Dennerley 10GK 2R 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 91 kg (201 lb) (1987-06-25)25 June 1987 (aged 34) 151 2/0 UNSW Wests Magpies [17]
Average 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 94 kg (207 lb) 29 years, 123 days 134

Note: Age as of 23 July 2021
Source: Australia Men | Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Notable players

See also

References
  1. Swimming to success: Q&A with the Australian men’s water polo goalie Anthony Hrysanthos Marianna Alepidis (Neos Kosmos), 16 August 2021. Accessed 13 September 2021.
  2. "Games bid by Aust water polo team". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 December 1971. p. 11.
  3. "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 4, 14, 25, 40, 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. "Water Polo - FATOVIC Elvis". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  5. "HRYSANTHOS Anthony". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  6. "CAMPBELL Richard". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  7. "FORD George". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  8. "TOMASEVIC Goran". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  9. "POWER Nathan". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  10. "EDWARDS Lachlan Robert". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  11. "ROACH Aidan". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  12. "YOUNGER Aaron". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  13. "FORD Andrew". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  14. "PUTT Timothy Francis". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  15. "HOWDEN Rhys". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  16. "EDWARDS Blake". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  17. "DENNERLEY Joel". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
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