WATER POLO AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES UPDATE TO NATIONAL AGE GROUP PROGRAMS

Water Polo Australia is pleased to announce more than 160 athletes for the Launch to LA program who have been identified through state based Talent ID camps and have demonstrated potential for future national representative opportunities.

State based talent ID camps were held in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, South Australia and Tasmania, with the first crop of athletes announced. Athletes can be added to this list at any time during the lead up to the Launch to LA camp (see list below).

Update to Camps

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions across the country, the scheduled Launch to LA Camp that was to be held in September/October school holidays will be postponed. A revised date for these camps will be announced in the coming weeks as State borders and COVID-19 continue to be monitored.

Additionally both the Men’s and Women’s 20&U Australian Squad training camps have been postponed along with the Women’s Path to Paris camp. The Women’s Path to Paris camp was set to be the first of many for the next Olympic cycle and athletes were looking to be selected based on performance and availability. While no camp squad had been announced for the Women’s PTP camp, it is intended to hold a camp early in 2021 with further information still to come.

Water Polo Australia (WPA) Pathways Manager, Nicola Johnson, said the number of athletes selected from the recent talent ID camps for the Cadet and Youth age groups shows the depth of talent across the country.

“Thanks to the State Associations, the talent ID programs have provided us with more than 160 athletes from across the country to be part of our Launch to LA program,” said Johnson.

“We are disappointed to postpone the camp that is scheduled for the September/October school holidays, which was to replace the cancelled National Championships, but there may be an opportunity to hold the camps in December. Of course any revised date will be contingent on COVID-19 restrictions and border closures.

“In the meantime athletes will have opportunities within their respective States and Water Polo Australia will look to deliver some online learning and professional development opportunities for those athletes selected. WPA expect that all athletes will be training hard in their respective Club programs in preparation for the forthcoming local competitions and the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships,” she said.

Current athletes selected preclude athletes from Victoria and Western Australia. Water Polo Victoria was unable to hold talent ID camps due to current COVID-19 restrictions. Water Polo Western Australia are yet to nominate players for this program. Both States will have the opportunity to nominate athletes at a later stage.

ATHLETES SELECTED - LAUNCH TO LA CAMPS

Cadet Women

Milla Arthurs (NSW) UTS Balmain

Layla Barclay (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Scarlett Beaumont (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Charlotte Blanchard (ACT) Nordek

Lauren Brownhill (QLD) All Hallows School

Lexie Burdack (NSW) Central Newcastle

Olivia Byram (QLD) All Hallows School

Georgia Chapman (NSW) UTS Balmain

Nikki Collins (NSW) UNSW Wests

Annabel Cowan (QLD) Mermaids

Josephine Crimmins (QLD) Mermaids

Tayla Dawkins (SA) Henley Sharks

Louisa Downes (QLD) Mermaids

Lily Dunn (NSW) UTS Balmain

Phoebe Fredericks (QLD) All Hallows School

Mia Freeman (QLD) Mermaids

Grace Gallagher (QLD) All Hallows School

Samantha Hardingham (NSW) Sydney Uni

Meg Hofstee (QLD) Mermaids

Tilly Hughes (QLD) St Rita's

Amali Jarrett (NSW) Central Newcastle

Chelsea Johnson (QLD) Mermaids

Lara Johnston (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Charli Karsay (NSW) UNSW Wests

Phoebe McGuire (QLD) All Hallows School

Eliza Moroney-Plouffe (SA) Adelaide Tritons

Olivia Muir (QLD) Mermaids

Zoe Negline (ACT) Gungahlin Dragons

Anneliese Pamp (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Emma Pickering (QLD) Mermaids

Anne Poynter (TAS) Tasmania

Freya Rees (NSW) UNSW Wests

Eilis Rogis (ACT) Nordek

Horatia Schlect (QLD) St Rita's

Layla Smith (NSW) UTS Balmain

Taafili Taoso (QLD) Mermaids

Zoe Thomas (NSW) UTS Balmain

India Troughton (NSW) Sydney Uni

Caitlin Wallace (ACT) Tuggeranong

Cadet Men

Edward Blanchard (ACT) Nordek

Matthew Bonser (QLD) Sunshine Coast (Kawana Waters)

Xavier Borralho (NSW) UNSW Wests

Declan Brady (QLD) Barracudas

Curtis Bramley (NSW) Sydney Uni

Marcus Brischetto (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Tommy Doe (QLD) River City

Joshua Eyles (QLD) Sunshine Coast (Kawana Waters)

Jack French (QLD) Barracudas

William Gould (NSW) Ovens and Murray

Thomas Grimmond (NSW) UNSW Wests

Auguste Korac (QLD) Sunshine Coast (Noosa)

Ben Lucas (NSW) UTS Balmain

Cooper McFadden (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Mack McInnes (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Elih Mutsch (NSW) Ovens and Murray

Thomas Neal (QLD) Sunshine Coast (Noosa)

Bryn O’Grady-Cousins (NSW) Central Coast

Tallan Raftery (QLD) Gold Coast

Thomas Serhan (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Jamie Sharman (NSW) Sydney Uni

Harper Stewart (NSW) UNSW Wests

Aidan Suttie (NSW) Sydney Uni

Ben Symington (ACT) Nordek

Ben Taylor (SA) Adelaide Vikings

Sam Toal (ACT) Tuggeranong

Ethan Topp (QLD) North Brisbane Polo Bears

Harrison Underhill (NSW) UNSW Wests

Liam Wood (ACT) Tuggeranong

Lucas Young (NSW) Sydney Uni

Youth Women

Lily Austin (ACT) Gungahlin Dragons

Lucy Bebb (NSW) UNSW Wests

Paige Black (QLD) Mermaids

Kate Blew (QLD) Mermaids

Stephanie Brettargh (ACT) Tuggeranong Vikings/Sydney Uni

Alex Brown (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Olivia Camilleri (QLD) St Rita's 

Lily Carrick (QLD) St Rita's

Mary Comiskey (QLD) BGGS

Phoebe Cummins (NSW) Sydney Uni

Indigo Ditterick (NSW) Sydney Uni

Michaela Dyson (NSW) UNSW Wests

Lulu Elliott (QLD) Mermaids

Iesha Feeney (QLD) Barracudas

Olivia Fernie (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Hannah Fredericks (QLD) All Hallows School

Dayna Garside (NSW) UNSW Wests

Eve Gath (QLD) All Hallows School

Evie Glover-Rylah (NSW) UTS Balmain

Alexis Graham (NSW) UNSW Wests

Sienna Green (NSW) Sydney Uni

Freya Green (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Sabine Hatzipetrou (QLD) Mermaids

Jasmine Higgs (NSW) Drummoyne

Abigale Houston (QLD) St Rita's

Emily Humphries (QLD) Mermaids

Victoria Kininmonth (QLD) Mermaids

Molly Nasser (QLD) Mermaids

Magali Ogg (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Lara Owen (QLD) Mermaids

Lucy Peers (QLD) Mermaids

Ruby Pinn (QLD) Mermaids

Charley Porter (NSW) Sydney Northern Beaches

Madissyn Powells (NSW) Sydney Uni

Victoria Ridhalgh (NSW) Sydney Uni

Tiahna Riley (NSW) Sydney Uni

Bronte Ryan (NSW) Drummoyne

Tahlia Scipioni (SA) Eastern Saints

Isabel Scott (QLD) Mermaids

Gabrielle Seccombe (QLD) Mermaids

Nioka Thomas (NSW) UTS Balmain

Isabelle Walls (TAS) Tasmania

Amelia Watt (QLD) St Rita's

Alyssa Woolley (SA) Eastern Saints

Youth Men

Corin Arkell (TAS) Tasmania

Mitchell Barnett (TAS) Tasmania

Marcus Berehulak (QLD) Barracudas

Mason Black (QLD) River City

Angus Blanchard (ACT) Nordek

Mattia Bognolo (ACT) Nordek

Hayden Brown (NSW) Sydney Uni

Spencer Burdack (NSW) Central Newcastle

Maxwell Churchyard (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Max Culleton (QLD) Barracudas

Jack Dwyer (NSW) Drummoyne

Jack Fodor (QLD) River City

Matija Gacevic (NSW) UNSW Wests

Koby Gilchrist (NSW) UNSW Wests

Edward Gilmore (NSW) Drummoyne

Owen Gladdy (SA) Adelaide Vikings

Tristan Glanznig (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Toby Goldschmidt (NSW) Sydney Uni

Ryan Goldschmidt (NSW) Sydney Uni

Andrej Grgurevic (NSW) Sydney Uni

Wil Griffiths (ACT) Nordek

Josh Keepkie (NSW) Drummoyne

James Kininmonth (QLD) Barracudas

Tyler Krenkels (NSW) Sydney Uni

Luka Kricka (NSW) Sydney Uni

Luka Krstic (NSW) Sydney Uni

Isaac Kyle-Little (QLD) River City

Jordan Lancaster (NSW) Drummoyne

Bryn Leonard-England (NSW) Central Newcastle

William Markham (QLD) Gold Coast

Dylan McDonald (QLD) Barracudas

Rory McKell (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Sam McKenzie (SA) Adelaide Tritons

Ryan Medic (QLD) River City

Samuel Mellick (QLD) Barracudas

Harrison Miller (NSW) Sydney Uni

Daniel Munk (NSW) UTS Balmain

Zachary Newman (ACT) ACT

Aiden O’Neill (NSW) Sydney Uni

Flynn O’Neill (QLD) Gold Coast

Aedan Pilch (NSW) UNSW Wests

Samuel Powell (QLD) River City

Aidan Principe (NSW) Sydney Uni

Ben Pritchard (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Thomas Rathbone (NSW) UNSW Wests

William Smith (NSW) Sydney Uni

Luke Stimson (NSW) Sydney Uni

William Valentine (QLD) Barracudas

Jack Winchester (NSW) ACU Cronulla Sharks

Hunter Wright (TAS) Tasmania

Edward Wydell (NSW) Sydney Uni

Joshua Wylie (TAS) Tasmania

Luca Zollo (QLD) River City