Brisbane matches crucial whilst inner west rivals square off

The last round of the 2018 OVO Australian Waterpolo League has arrived and with finals positions in the women’s competition still up for grabs.

Fremantle travel to Brisbane for a crucial four match road trip to determine which teams will play in the finals series in Sydney next weekend.

This is the first time in 2018 that Fremantle Mariners will meet both Queensland Breakers and Brisbane Barracudas.

Fremantle Marlins currently sit in sixth position with Barracudas in seventh. Out of all three teams, Breakers are the best placed in fifth position, seven points clear of both Marlins and Barracudas.

Breakers need to win just one game to guarantee their spot in finals, otherwise they will be relying on Marlins beating Barracudas for a place next weekend in Sydney.

Barracudas must win both of their games against the Marlins to be any chance of qualifying for finals.

Marlins four matches should provide them with enough opportunity to win at least one match which will book their ticket to Sydney.

A long-standing rivalry between two inner west teams Drummoyne Devils and UTS Balmain Tigers will take centre stage on the OVOPlay live stream with both teams playing for the Steve Large trophy when on Saturday, which recognises Steve’s significant contribution across both clubs during his lifetime.

Sitting inside the top two on the ladder the Devils women’s captain Bre Appel knows it is a big opportunity to send a message to the rest of the competition ahead of finals.

“We have a rule nobody comes to our pool and beats us. We take so much pride in where we play, it’s a great iconic spot and we don’t really like to get beat there.

“We could rest up for Saturday but we definitely want to take that number one spot and set that expectation. It is always exciting to be the live stream match, we definitely want to finish on top, being number one or two is something we have never done before,” she said.

In a season with many great performances, one game in particular stands out for Appel.

“The loss against Sydney Uni Lions at the beginning of season scared us and it has always stuck in our mind and we know we don’t want to feel that disappointment again.

“As a team we’ve never done anything better than scraping into finals. It’s exciting for us and Wests who have struggled to be dominant in the past to be where we are today on the ladder,” she said.

Opposing captain, Louise Hoban says there are three reasons that their last game of the season on Saturday will be played with a lot of energy.

“It’s our coaches last game after coaching for Balmain, Ashley Bower is also playing her last game and whilst it’s a dead rubber on the draw, it does mean something and there is always passion in there when we play Drummoyne.

Tigers will welcome back Tiana Sinclair and Maddison Schmid after completing study commitments.

Devils men’s captain and goalkeeper John Hahn believes the live stream will add extra motivation to perform well on Saturday as well as the fact that Saturday and Sunday will be their last home games for the season.

“It definitely means a lot to the group because a lot of the team have grown up playing lot of junior water polo there and have a lot of close ties to the area.

“It’s always a big boost when you’re at home with familiar faces in crowd and familiar noises from the balcony gives you an extra edge.

“For our girls they’re potentially playing for a minor premiership which will be a huge achievement and we’re really proud of what the girls have done this season,” he said.

Taking the last finals spot, Hahn credits their trip to Perth in round five as a pivotal moment in their season and overall team belief.

“We had a tough start early on and missed a few players at the beginning of the season, we went away knowing how important it was to win at least three out of the four games.

“To get three wins in Perth set up for the rest of the season. It has been a close competition, particular amongst the top six teams, but that trip in and out of the water was very important for the team and set us on the path we are now on.

“You can win it from anywhere in the top six. Past years we might have snuck in and potentially just overachieved and haven’t been as strong as we feel we are now.

Tigers men’s captain James Clark is looking forward to what his young Tigers side will achieve in the coming years.

“Balmain is involved in a lot of the shields within the competition which comes back to Balmain’s history in Australian water polo and the comradery and competition we have with a lot of other clubs.

“Certainly, we’ll talk about it (Steve Large trophy), we always mention what we’re playing for but we don’t’ just get excited because of a shield or trophy, we should already be excited just to be playing the game we love,” he said.

Looking at the season realistically, James understands there hasn’t been much success but points to a new coach and blooding young players as an important piece of the puzzle for their rebuild.

“A lot of young guys got good exposure and experience and they are the foundation and building blocks of our club in the medium-term future.

“We have introduced a new coach Martin (Callaghan), who has brought new ideas and revitalised our sense of enthusiasm. He has done a really good job and is a key component for our team moving forward.

“Guys like Scotty Dyson have improved a lot, he has played at Balmain since he was 10 years old and has come a long way. He has Junior national team experience and now he is bringing that to the team. Dean Munk and Sean O’Shea have got some good game time and used it well,” he said.

To view full fixtures for round 11, click here.

Can’t make it poolside? Watch it via OVO Play.

Drummoyne Devils vs UTS Balmain Tigers

Saturday April 28, Drummoyne Pool

Women’s match 3:00pm AEST

Men’s match 4:30pm AEST