AUSTRALIAN YOUTH WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS - WEEK 2 DAY 3 WRAP

The second week of the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships has reached the halfway point, with 12&U and 16&U teams from across Australia and New Zealand giving their all in the pool.

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

Liam Niceforo from DVE Aquatics in Melbourne is proud of his team’s performance this week, stating it’s not so much about winning, but the experience itself.

“We had a good match today, the team did very well and a couple of our newer boys scored a bunch of goals so that’s great for them and for the whole team,” said Niceforo.

“It’s not every week you get to do this, so the whole experience here so far has been great. We’ve come out with a couple of wins which have lifted the spirits up, but even the losses have been great fun.

Having scored twice in this morning's match at Valley Pool, Niceforo is enjoying coming up against teams from other states.

“It’s a good challenge, playing against teams we don’t normally play, cause you don’t know what their strategies and skills are, so you have to adjust yourself quickly to their game style,” said Niceforo.

“In the pool we’ve been talking a lot, telling everyone where they need to go and helping get the ball around to where it needs to be, so our communication has been a big factor in our wins,” he finished.

Violet Ellemor from Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s 12&U team is enjoying the week and playing the sport she loves with her friends.

“My favourite thing about water polo is playing with my friends, and I’m really proud of all of us because we’re doing the best we can,” said Ellemor.

“It’s been really great playing against new teams, it’s fun to mix up the games and experience playing teams from different states. It’s also fun to play the teams we normally face in a more competitive competition because it tests us,” she finished.

For fellow Brisbane local Lola Murphy, competing in Brisbane with her team, from All Hallows’ School in the 16&U Girls competition, has been a great experience inside and outside of the pool.

“This competition is one of the first times our team has all played together, so it took us a few games to really click in the pool, but we’ve really learnt a lot from each game and each other,” said Murphy.

“We came out really strong this morning, held the ball, communicated, and came out with our first win, so that was great.

“It’s been really fun spending time with all the girls too, we all get along so well, we have lots of laughs. We’ve all made a lot of new friends, it’s been so great being able to play lots of teams from other states and countries.

12&U team mates Harry Dircks and Dominik Playle from SNB Breakers have also enjoyed playing teams they don’t normally come up against.

“It’s a really good experience playing teams from around Australia and it’s been really fun getting to know our teammates a bit more,” said Dircks.

“I’d definitely like to get a medal, that would be awesome, but I also just want to enjoy the rest of our games,” he said.

“It’s been really fun for sure, playing against other teams, we’ve gone well and everyone is excited for the rest of the week,” added Playle.

For all the results from day two 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