Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks

The Australian Men’s water polo team, also known as the ‘Aussie Sharks is the senior representative team. 

With a proud record on the international stage, the Aussie Sharks contest international tests around the world including the FINA World Championships, FINA Super League, FINA World Cup and other tournaments. 

The major focus for the Aussie Sharks is the Olympic Games, held every four years.  Since Australia first qualified for the Olympic Games in 1948, the Aussie Sharks have qualified for every subsequent Olympics.   

History

Australia first played in the Olympic Games in 1948, and has qualified for all subsequent Games.

Since then the Aussies have qualified for all Olympics (except Atlanta in 1996) and World Championships, gradually moving up the rankings to a high of fifth in 1984 at the Los Angeles Olympics. The team then went one better at the 1998 World Championships in Perth, the Australian men’s team made the semifinals of the World Championships for the first time, losing to Yugoslavia in the bronze-medal play-off.

The Sharks finished in the top eight in the 2000 Olympics with one win and two draws.

The Olympic Games of 2004 in Athens witnessed the Sharks heading off Croatia for ninth position. 

The Sharks went in with high expectations to the 2008 Beijing Olympics following a bronze medal at the FINA World League Super Finals in 2008. The team lost three games by a single goal and drew with European champion Montenegro but could only finish eighth. The team’s defining moment was coming within centimetres of drawing with eventual champion Hungary, losing 13-12 in the finest game of the tournament.

In the 2012 London Olympics the Australian Men’s team reached the quarter finals going down to Serbia 11-8 in the Quarter Final going on to defeat the USA in the play off for 7th and 8th 10-9. 

At the 2016 Rio Olympics the Men’s team opened their campaign losing to the home nation Brazil 8-7 before bouncing back to draw with Hungary and beat Japan. Despite the solid effort in the preliminary rounds it wasn’t enough for the team to progress through to the Quarter Finals. 

The Aussie Sharks finished 9th at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where Richie Campbell and Rhys Howden joined an elite club, representing Australia at their fourth Olympic Games. The Aussies recorded mixed results in the pool stages, highlighted by a victory against European powerhouse Croatia.

At the Paris Olympic Games, the Aussie Sharks showed they are not to be underestimated on the world water polo stage. After a tough loss to Spain in their opening pool game, the Aussie Sharks claimed three wins in a row against some of the world's heavy hitters in water polo, including eventual gold medalists Serbia, host nation France and historically strong Hungary. After a tough penalty shoot out loss to USA in the quarterfinals, the Aussie Sharks finished 8th.

Current Squad Bios

International Results