AUSTRALIAN YOUTH WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS - WEEK 2 DAY 4 WRAP

Semi-finals were the talk of the town on the penultimate day of the second week of competition at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships, with teams from around the country leaving nothing to chance.

To watch the replays from today’s livestream - click here

Exciting games took place across a variety of Brisbane pools, with the outcome of some deciding tomorrow’s gold medal lineups.

Despite being four goals down going into their final quarter, Dylan Jennison and the UQ Barras made the most of their final minutes, decreasing the margin and scoring a final goal with 1.7 seconds to go to take the game to penalties.

In a comeback story for the ages, a thrilling penalty shootout saw the 16&U UQ team clinch the win and secure themselves a place in the gold medal match.

“There was a lot running through my mind in that last quarter, we were down by four so we had to do something to bring it back, and the boys managed to get it done,” said Jennison.

“Our coach called a timeout with two seconds to go. I wasn’t expecting too much from it but we ripped a goal from halfway and managed to get ourselves back in the game.

“We can improve on the game we played today, so we’re looking forward to doing that tomorrow in the final, we can’t really believe it to be honest,” he finished.

12&U player Isabelle Hatch scored five goals in today's rain-delayed game for the SNB Breakers.

“This is my first time here and the best part about it is that I get to hang out with my friends, have fun and play water polo,” said Hatch.

“We got to do our coaches' makeup the other night and she looked a bit like an Oompa Loompa but it was really fun and we all laughed a lot.

“I’ll definitely come back next year, it’s really fun to be here and I like playing against all the different teams.”

For Championship first-timers Blake Ngaheu and Quinlan Bartlett from the 12&U Hunter Hurricanes, the competition has also been a great opportunity to travel and play against new teams.

“It’s been a really fun week, some of our games were quite challenging but overall I think we’ve done quite well considering that most of our team is bottom age,” said Ngaheu.

“I thought we were going to come last, but we’ve done really, really well and we’re all really proud of how we’ve done,” added Bartlett.

“My favourite part about the week has been meeting teams from all over Australia, we’ve made lots of friends from different clubs and different states.”

For 16&U player Zoe Romaniuk from the Drummoyne Devils, the Championships has been all about coming together with her team.

“This week has helped us really understand what being a team means, how to really work together and listen to what the coach is telling us,” said Romanuik.

“In the end, we’re a team and we’ve come together as one.

“I played in 14&U in Brisbane two years ago, and both that experience and this one have been positive,” she finished.

For all the results from day four and upcoming draw - click here

TOP 17 THINGS TO DO IN BRISBANE

You’ll have a ball in Brisbane while here for the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships (AYWPC). Plunge into the city and surrounds with this list of must-do experiences, from island hopping and adrenaline-fueled fun, to a foodie feast and endless summer sport.

We hope to see you, your team and family out and about exploring Brisbane’s must-do experiences. 

CLICK HERE to find out more