Vale - Nino Sydney (1932 - 2022)

Published Mon 10 Jan 2022

The NSW and Australian water polo communities are in mourning this week following the passing of former Bondi and NSW captain, and Australian coach/manager Nino Sydney, who died on the 3rd January 2022. Nino Von Somogy was born in Zagreb in 1932 and became involved in swimming and water sports at an early age. He commenced his water polo career during the war, but really improved under expert tuition after joining the premier Mladost Club in Zagreb, then part of Yugoslavia. Nino was selected in the Yugoslavian Junior team, and the Yugoslavian National University team before being added as a squad member of the Yugoslavian National team in 1952. But Nino left Yugoslavia to play water polo in Luxembourg and later joined Rote Erde Hamm, who were then the German Champions. Amidst a troubled Europe, he emigrated to Sydney aged 23 in early 1956. Later that year he travelled to Melbourne for the Olympic Games and was poolside at the famous Hungary v Russia ‘blood in the water’ semi-final.

Upon his arrival in the harbour city, Nino immediately sought involvement in water polo and joined up with the Bondi Club. Bondi was then the top club having won the NSW 1st grade premiership for the previous eight years, but with the addition of Nino Bondi side easily won the 1956 grand-final, being undefeated on the season. The 1956/57 season saw Nino again in the Bondi line-up when they won their 10th consecutive 1st grade premiership, a record breaking achievement that still stands today. Bondi continued to be amongst the top Sydney teams and were runners up for a number of years. Nino kept the Von Somogy surname until 1960/61 when he had it anglicised to ’Sydney.’ Nino was also in the Bondi team during the unique drawn premiership of 1961 against Bronte, when the manager at North Sydney pool turned off the lights because of too many bouts of extra-time!v

In those years the lighting for evening matches, played at Rushcutters and Dawn Fraser Baths, left a lot to be desired with a number of tennis court type lights beating down on the pool, and looking up was a sure fire way of going temporarily blind. But Nino exploited this handicap by flicking the ball into the air in front of goals, where it disappeared in a blaze of light, calling out “where is de ball?” Then with the defense confused, Nino, who knew exactly where the ball was, would pull it down past the goalkeeper and into goal. It was a very clever move and typified the way Nino played his intelligent and deceptive style of game.

Representing Bondi, Nino became an Australian Water Polo champion in the very first year of his selection for the New South Wales team at the 1957 Nationals in Adelaide. Such was his skill thereafter that he was selected in the NSW State team on four more occasions in 1958, 1961, 1962 (National Champions, Sydney) and 1964, being appointed NSW captain at the 1961 Australian Championships in Adelaide.

Unfortunately, under ASA rules, Nino was ineligible for selection in the Australian Olympic team as he had not been a resident in Australia for the required period. However, he was appointed to manage and coach the Australian team on its first non-Olympic tour of Europe from 5th May to 29th July 1965. The touring party included most of the 1964 Australian Olympic team and while some greats like David Woods were excluded, this team nevertheless recorded a number of outstanding performances. The Australians played in Greece, Austria, Luxembourg, France and West Germany where Nino’s strong relationship with the 'Rote Erde Hamm' club enabled a number of matches… a result of which saw the Australians record a draw with the West German National Team.

The pace of this tour was frantic and a number of injuries and illnesses occurred, with Nino playing in some of the games to cover the team. Although Nino was the coach, he faced difficulties with the scheduled games in his former Yugoslavia, which as a citizen may have required him to enrol in their “National Service” program, so it was agreed that Tom Hoad (c, WA) would coach the team during the Yugoslavian leg. Afterwards they travelled to Holland, Belgium and Great Britain where “the tour exceeded its aims and helped enormously to build the prowess and prestige of Australian water polo. Nino’s command of Croatian, German and Slavic languages along with his organisational skills and international connections greatly helped in team management.” (Water Warriors, p.197)

As a result of this tour, Nino Sydney became Australia’s most successful men’s water polo coach with the team only losing 8 of their 59 matches, a feat which may never be repeated. Nino’s final report summed up the very successful tour:

“The Australian water polo team was a boy when it left on its first [non-Olympic] tour of Europe, but returned a man.” (Nino Sydney, Manager/Coach)

Later in life, Nino added to his coaching accolades by focusing on a group of talented players nearer to his home at Northbridge. In 1968 he pulled together a diverse array of players from Bondi, Parramatta and other clubs to form the Collaroy Red Devils. This was a bold move, but very successful and many of those players look back at that period and value the many skills that Nino drummed into them. The Red Devils played and trained at Northbridge Baths, which just happened to be near Nino’s home. Collaroy re-established a competitive water polo club on the Northern Beaches, which later became the Manly Water Polo Club and is today the Sydney Northern Beaches Water Polo Club.

Then around 1974, Nino joined the powerful Universities club in Sydney under Peter Montgomery, and inducted his son's Mark and Danny into the great game.

"I was just 14 and dad encouraged me into playing for 4th grade with Ian ‘Mini’ Trent in goals, while Nino played in the field… I remember going with Dad to the magic Saturday morning training sessions at Darlington Pool.” (Mark Sydney).

By 1977/78 Nino was back in Europe for a stint, coaching at Salzburg Delfin Wasserball, who played in the Bundesliga 1st Division in Austria, with Mark again alongside him for this adventure.

Nino was professionally of course, one of Sydney’s most notable architects (see https://www.theage.com.au/property/news/hero-of-australian-suburbia-beachcomber-designer-nino-sydney-has-died-20220105-p59m0d.html), but his next great sporting achievement was in the sport of Squash, which he took up at the tender age of 40 and later won the World Championships for his age group.

Nino Sydney will be sadly missed by his family, and by his many admiring ex-teammates, who knew Nino as a genuine and well-respected gentleman, teammate and friend. All are welcome to attend his funeral, which will be held on: