HUNTER HURRICANES READY FOR WHIRLWIND AWL 2021

The 2021 Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) will be a season like no other, with all ten teams travelling to Brisbane for an intense eight day long competition.

When it comes to lightning fast, back to back competition, Hunter Hurricanes Men’s Head Coach Daniel Marsden, himself a dual Olympian, said his team could not be better prepared.

“Our teams are young, fit and mobile - we don’t get mixed up in the heavy brutality and I think we’ll fair a lot better with the back-to-back competition,” Marsden said.

“We’ve been lucky enough to play in the Sydney Super League, which has provided us good week-in week-out competition and to have that leading into the AWL is definitely ideal.

“I think it suits us better, and the boys are definitely up for the challenge,” he said.

Marsden, believes that the culture of the Hunter Hurricanes club is what will give them the upper edge.

“It’s all about culture, and the culture you’re breeding in the team and the club,” Marsden said.

“The first thing we do as a group at every training is appreciate the fact that everyone turned up, and without everyone turning up we wouldn’t be able to do what we love which is play water polo.

“Building that mutual respect between the players, as well as the coaching staff is crucial to our success.

“Having the experience that I do means I can part some wisdom on them, but the fact that someone turns up every day, and we do train six times a week, to coach the boys is enough to inspire them,” Marsden said.

Apart from coaching his boys to hopeful success, Marsden is looking forward to the positive atmosphere that is bound to take over Brisbane, with the Australian Waterpolo League and Australian Youth Water Polo Championships both heading to the Queensland capital in April.

“With any sport, you’ve got to create heroes for kids to look up to and want to be like,” Marsden said.

“Providing the opportunity for the Youth Champs players to see the best talent in the country play, and have the opportunity to form that hero making legacy in the sport, is crucial.

“Young players need to be able to see their idols in the flesh, and water polo is one of the sports that does that really well and allows our national players to mingle with the grassroots,” he said.

The Australian Waterpolo League will kick start the largest water polo festival in Australia. The 2021 Australian Waterpolo League will kick off in Brisbane on Wednesday 31 March, with teams battling it out across seven days of competition before the all important finals at Brisbane Aquatic Centre on Wednesday 7 April.

The 2021 Australian Waterpolo League is a COVID Safe event in compliance with QLD Health guidelines.

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