Australian Water Polo League finals live stream: Aussie Stingers, Queensland Thunder keeper Gabi Palm sounds warning

She’s hoping to head to Paris in a few months, but first there’s the small matter of another AWL title for Stingers and Thunder goalkeeper Gabi Palm. Catch her LIVE in the finals from Thursday.

Queensland Thunder will boast a full-strength team with their eyes firmly fixed on the title as they head into the Australian Water Polo League finals series this weekend.

And while the Thunder consistently missed their six national team players throughout the regular season, they still managed to take out top spot on the women’s ladder.

“I think other teams are definitely wary of us,” Aussie Stingers and Thunder goalkeeper Gabi Palm said.

“We know each other really well, we know how each other plays so I think that, when the time comes on Friday, we’ll be able to seamlessly slip into that.”

SEE HOW TO WATCH THE AWL FINALS LIVE

Aussie Stingers keeper Gabi Palm will be crucial for the Thunder in the AWL finals. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The 2024 AWL finals series kicks off on Thursday with the Thunder to feature in their first match on Friday.

All the action across four massive days will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV.

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Palm and her fellow national team members, with Stingers duty restricting her time in the AWL to just two games this season.

“It’s pretty much been heads down in the Australian team since January,” Palm said.

“Time has just flown this year, like it’s only three months to go (until the Paris Olympics) and I think time is just going to go faster now that it’s getting even more exciting.”

Palm is hoping to make her second Olympic squad this year after featuring for the Aussie Stingers in Tokyo in 2021.

She said although those games will always be special to her, she is looking forward to an Olympics not impacted by the pandemic.

“I think a big thing I’m looking forward to is the crowds, it’s really quiet playing in an empty stadium,” she said.

“Crowds really add another element to it, sometimes when we’ve played in Hungary, the crowds have been so loud you can’t even hear each other talking in the water.

“And I think it’s so special to be able to look up into the crowd and see your loved ones and supporters.”

Due to the pandemic, Palm said her family wasn’t able to watch her live her Olympic dream in Tokyo but they are planning on making the trip to Paris if Palm is selected.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my family,” Palm said.

“It’s not just the big trips, it’s the day to day stuff like driving you to training, it all adds up.

“So being able to celebrate the big moments with them, knowing they were there for me before any of this was a possibility is really special.”

Palm and the Thunder team will get the first day of AWL finals off due to finishing first and are set to face second-placed UTS Balmain Tigers in a qualifying final on Friday.

If successful against the Tigers, Queensland will automatically move into Sunday’s grand final and skip another day of action on Saturday.

“Sometimes it is a bit difficult, having to find your groove and then having that break,” Palm said.

“I think it’s just going to be really important for us to just keep that momentum going, rather than seeing it as a day off we instead see it as the tournament progressing.”

Originally published as Australian Water Polo League finals live stream: Aussie Stingers, Queensland Thunder keeper Gabi Palm sounds warning