Old Ignatians premiership player Joey Parnis makes national water polo team, puts footy on hold
From the footy field to the pool – an Adelaide Footy League gun has hung up the boots for 2022 to pursue a career with the Australian water polo team.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An Adelaide Footy League star will put footy on hold for the season 2022 as he pursues a career with the national water polo team.
2021 Old Ignatians premiership player Joey Parnis – who is goalkeeper and captain for the Adelaide Jets water polo club – recently made the Aussie Sharks team.
The 24-year-old has been playing water polo since he was 13, starting at Saint Ignatius College and working his way through the ranks at the Jets.
Through his performances at state level, Parnis caught the eye of national selectors and began representing the country at Under-20 level, and four years later – after a national team overhaul – he has the opportunity to cement his place in the senior side.
“After the Tokyo Olympics there was a bit of a reshuffle with the Sharks, with a few of the older players retiring and a lot of younger players joining,” Parnis said.
“Both goalkeepers left so there was an opportunity for me to make the squad.
“I went to a training camp in Sydney just before Christmas, which was daunting but I quickly settled as there were some familiar faces, including new coach Tim Hamill, who I’ve had as a coach before.”
Parnis was a standout for Old Ignatians last Adelaide Footy League season, playing multiple roles and kicking two goals in the club’s division two grand final win over Glenunga.
After his success with the Sharks in December however, the gun footballer made the decision to focus solely on water polo.
“I’ve definitely tried to keep playing as many sports as possible and I loved playing footy last year, we had a lot of success and it’s a great club,” Parnis said.
“Since the opportunity with the national water polo side has come up though, it’s been something I want to throw myself at completely.
“Making the team is a goal I’ve had for a lot of my career but I would also like to return to football one day. I can’t rule it out.”
Parnis will now spend time adhering to the Sharks’ training program in Adelaide and attending regular camps with the team in Sydney.
The star goalkeeper is hoping for national and international success in 2022.
“I’m hoping I can have some success with Adelaide in the national league this year, and I want to put my hand up for the world championships this year too,” Parnis said.
“The Olympics is also a goal, that’s the peak of the sport. So I’m trying to perform my best and put my name forward for Paris 2024 and LA 2028.”
The water polo world championships will be held in Japan this year and begin in July.
Watch now: SANFL Girls Intrastate Carnival, Day 2
North will be looking to continue a dominant start as Sturt, West and the Eagles are also in action on day two of the SANFL Girls Intrastate Carnival. Watch LIVE from 10.30am Wednesday.
Revealed: Top SACA Premier Cricket players to watch in 2024/2025
From new recruits to rising stars and champions of the competition – we’ve picked the men’s and women’s players to watch this SACA Premier Cricket season. See who made the cut.