Men's Born 2002 European Tour

Montenegro: The B2002 squad are training in Herceg Novi in Montenegro, at the Jadran Water Polo Club.  Upon arrival the squad had a training game with Germany and while there were no officials scores recorded, the coaches noted a marked improvement from when the squad faced them earlier in tour in Hannover. The improvements the squad has shown throughout the tour is demonstrated but the team work the side is showing. coming up the squad will ahve two additional training games with Germany and hosts Montenegro.

Hungary: The B2002 squad recently celebrated a great win over a combined Hungarian team, with players from their national team combining one of the strongest Hungarian Club players from Szolnok.  Aussie Sharks Captain Aaron Younger, himself played with Szolnok who went on to win the Champions League Final.

The game was held across 5 periods, with the Aussie young guns taking a 25-14 win.  Coaches agreed the boys playes well and were gaining a better undersanding of the attack strategies needed to compete on the international stage. 

Earlier in the week they had a trianing game with the Born 2003 Hungarian team, where they narrowly went down by one goal 15-16.  After some long travels, it was a slow start for the Aussies but they managed to re-group and deliver a strong finish.  

Netherlands 

Australia’s Men’s Born 2002 Water Polo Team is midway through a European tour which is giving players valuable pool time against formidable opponents.

The two-week tour has the Aussies training with and playing against their counterparts from the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary and Montenegro.

Beginning in the Netherlands, the team played two games against the Dutch, going down to a strong home side 18-8 in their first match.  

Local support was strong for the teams with the game attracting hundreds of spectators, including some Australians. The Aussies showed signs of good potential when they worked well to improve their skill level, particularly in the second half of the first match.  

There was no reprieve for the team as they travelled to Hannover (GER) for games against the Netherlands and Germany.

The team started well in their game against the Netherlands and they were right in it, however the Dutch’s superior swimming ability shone through resulting in a 25-15 score line.

The Germans also proved tough opposition defeating Australia 15-7. After another strong start, fatigue and a loss of concentration set-in and the Australians were unable to keep pace with their opponents. 

The Aussie bounced back in their next game against Germany, resulting in a 14-14 draw, a morning training session dedicated to extra man attack and defence proving the difference.

It’s now off to Hungary for the remainder of the Tour.