Battle of the Bridge turned Battle of the Brothers
Published Thu 06 Feb 2020
The Battle of the Bridge will form a battle of a different kind when brothers Tyler and Connor Martin go head to head for their clubs Drummoyne Devils and UTS Balmain Tigers.
The two sides are yet to meet in the 2020 season, but their round three battle is set to pack a punch.
Rio Olympian Tyler Martin will once again line up for his Drummoyne Devils said, admitting it’s always special getting to play against his brother, especially when it’s for their AWL teams.
“We’ve been playing against each other for 15 years now, and in that time I think we’ve changed a lot as players,” Tyler said.
“It’s always great playing against Connor and this weekend will be no different,” he said.
His brother Connor will lineup for Balmain and said he’ll be focusing on his team.
“I think nowadays it's more about the team’s success rather than our sibling rivalry like it used to be in juniors,” Connor said.
“As far as I’m concerned he’s just like anyone else - but I definitely won’t be holding back this weekend,” he said.
Balmain are currently undefeated and sit atop of the men’s ladder, but Connor said they’re expecting some tough games from Drummoyne this weekend.
“On paper they are probably the strongest team in the competition, so we’re expecting a really physical and fast paced battle,” Connor said.
“We’ve got a relatively new team, and have had a fortunate start to the season so we’ll be hoping to continue that in round three.”
Drummoyne and Balmain’s games this weekend will be significant for many reasons - Saturday’s match will be the Battle of the Bridge before the two sides go head to head for the Steve Large Shield on Sunday.
But Drummoyne have also teamed up with mental health organisation LIVIN in support of their message that ‘It Ain’t Weak to Speak.’
Round three of the OVO Australian Waterpolo League will shine a light on mental health, something that Tyler said is important to not only Drummoyne, but the whole water polo community.
“Mental health has touched everyone - whether that’s through personal experiences or someone they know - so it’s important to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma around mental health,” Tyler said.
“Water polo is a strong willed sport so it’s important to highlight that it’s okay to not be okay, and to ask for help when you need it,” he said.
The Drummoyne Devils-UTS Balmain Tigers feature games will be streamed LIVE on OVO Play or can be watched via the OVO Play App from 4:30pm on Sunday 9 February.
For full fixtures and results stay up-to-date via the Match Centre
Get social this season #OVOAWL2020 and follow @WaterPoloAus
If you are experiencing a hard time, need someone to talk to, or are in a crisis, we would recommend giving our friends at https://www.eheadspace.org.au/ a message, calling the Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
To find out more about LIVIN - check out their website.
