WA-based Triton-Phantoms leave no stone unturned in pursuit of AYWPC participation

The Western Australia-based U16 Triton-Phantoms composite team have left no stone unturned in their dream pursuit of participating in the 2022 Australian Youth Water Polo Championships. And if that meant reaching out to regional NSW to include a goalkeeper from Tamworth in the squad, the Triton-Phantoms were more than happy to go the extra mile.

“Our team was a composite team made at the start of the season by Water Polo WA as an amalgamation of smaller club teams to participate in Western Australia's under 16s A state division,” explained Coach Kelcee Byrnes.

Due to the composite nature of the team, many of the Triton-Phantoms athletes had little to no playing experience with each other. Additionally, many had never been exposed to playing in a high-level division before.

“We used [the team] as a development tool, to expose the athletes to a better standard of water polo,” continued Byrnes. “But the boys far exceeded our expectations.”

Despite joining the division late in the season and playing four less games than the other teams in the U16 category, the Triton-Phantoms side were able to maintain 3rd place on the results ladder. With such potential on display, coach Byrnes took it upon herself to take the team the AYWPC, supported by all clubs and parents.

The final piece of the puzzle was to reach out to Tamworth Water Polo Club - Byrnes’ former junior team - and get goalie Ky Wheeler to join the squad. With team chemistry developing almost immediately, new friendships were formed while different playing styles contributed to improving skills and experience in the pool.

“I am learning so much,” said Lachy Toomath, who originally comes from the Geraldton Demons club and is the team captain of the U16 Triton-Phantoms for the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships. “Being coached by Kelcee has been great, and playing with boys from across the state has been a fantastic opportunity to make new friends and enjoy water polo,” he said.

With additional training sessions scheduled during the week and extended training time on weekends, preparations for the AYWPC have been placing extra demands on the players, some having to make long round-trip journeys to join their teammates to practise and play in Perth.

“But all the athletes in my team are hardworking, positive and motivate each other to push themselves to be better,” explained Byrnes. “Throughout this season, I have watched each one of these boys develop their skills, personally and as a team, and have been extremely proud to watch their growth as water polo players,” she said.

Even though all the U16 Triton-Phantoms players will participate in the AYWPC for the first time, lack of experience won’t be an issue, according to Danny Kelly, a North Coast Phoenix player currently on loan to the team.

“Preparation has been going well. This will be a first experience at AYWPC for the whole team, but our team came together because we felt like we deserved to play a higher level of water polo.

“We are looking forward to travelling to Brisbane together and playing against teams from other parts of Australia,” he said.

The AYWPC are set to be held from 14-18 April 2022, with teams from across the country converging on Brisbane for five days of water polo fun and action. The draws for all age categories can be viewed here with all the information about the event also available on the event website.

Looking for things to do while in Brisbane for the AYWPC? CLICK HERE to find out more