Four families come head to head at Water Polo Queensland junior grand finals at the Valley Pool
It was a family affair at Water Polo Queensland junior grand finals. Father and son Peter and William Downs coached against each other in the 13As boys final while sisters Nicola Johnson and Kristina Sherer were in different corners for the 16As girls showdown.
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It was a family affair at the Valley Pool today as clubs converged for the Water Polo Queensland junior grand final day.
Father and son Peter and William Downs coached against each other in the 13As final while sisters Nicola Johnson (Mermaids) and Kristina Sherer (All Hallows School) were in different corners for the under 16As final.
Dad Peter Downs had a 9-5 win over his boy in their final which featured two teams from the Barracudas club.
William said last year was the first season he had coached against his father. “It is great except when we go home we heckle each other,’’ William said.
Peter said it was a pretty simply concept. “If he wins, I just take his petrol money off him,’’ smiled the senior Downs.
Both men were pleased to see Barras feature in the same final. “We (the club or family) can’t lose. It is a matter of who is going to get wet, that is the question,’’ Peter Downs he said in reference to the traditional water polo celebration when the winning side jumps as a group into the pool.
At the same time as that match, up the northern end of the Valley Pool, the Johnsons and Sherer familes were at it.
Mermaids, coached by Nicola Johnson and her husband Lance, were prevailing 5-3 over her sister’s All Hallows outfit in the 16As final.
It was a massive day for the emerging Mermaids club which was started five years ago by Nicola.
Now they are the junior powerhouse of Water Polo Australia and yesterday featured an unprecedented 12 teams in grand finals.
“It is a fantastic achievement to get 12 teams in. The good thing is it is a whole club effort,’’ Johnson said.
Johnson said many of her players doubled up in matches and played a year up which gave them experience against old opponents.
She said her biggest challenge was making sure the kids, some of whom were embarking on a Mermaids’ club tour of the USA next week, had their minds on the job.
There were also celebrations at the Albany Creek-based Polo Bears club which captured the under 12A premiership.
The Daryl Edwards-coached Polo Bears beat arch rivals Barras whom they had clashed with on three previous occasions this season.
Two previous matches this season were won by Polo Bears and there was also a draw, and today was another close game with Polo Bears winning by two goals.
“There is always a good rivalry between the two,’’ Edwards said.
“They (Barras) are obviously one of the top sides in Brisbane.
“The Polo Bears have had a great rivalry with the them.’’
He said the win by the under 12s was a great moment for the club which was looking to become stronger from the younger age groups.
He said the key to continued success was to then try and keep their juniors together at the Polo Bears club.
River City under 15A coach Vlad Fodor and his assistant Ian Quinn also wore wide smiles after River City claimed a 7-2 win over Barras.
The match concluded an unbeaten season for River City.
“We fancied ourselves (to win) but we knew it was going to be hard. Barras are a very good team and they brought their A game,’’ Fodor said.
Fodor said defence was the key to City’s unbeaten run this season in the age group. “That is where it started,’’ he said.
Brisbane Girls Grammar School coach Hannah Dyer could not conceal the pride she had in her under 13As beaten by a whisker by Mermaids in the final.
At one stage Mermaids had led 5-nil before BGGS rallied and stormed home.
“It was a great game by the girls. The fought throughout the game and they worked hard for it,’’ Dyer said.
“It is unfortunate we did not comeback, but the Mermaids were very deserving.
“Our three goal comeback in the last quarter was fantastic and it showed our fighting spirit.’’
St Rita’s College also came up against the force of the Mermaids in the under 15A final, which they lost.
But coach Madi Wall was righly delighted with St Rita’s effort in defeat.
“We had a great season and it is the best way to finish the season. The girls showed up well and that is all you can ask as a coach,’’ Wall said.
Results:
Under 12 girls:
A final:
Mermaids beat BGGS 7-3
B final:
Polo Bears beat Somerville House 8-5.
C final:
St Rita’s College beat Loreto 16-7
Under 12 boys
A final:
Polo Bears beat Cudas 6-5
Under 13 girls
A final
Mermaids beat BGGS 5-4
B final:
BGGS beat Loreto 11-7
C final:
BGGS beat AHS 7-6
Under 13 boys
A final
Cudas beat Barras 9-5.
Under 14 girls
A final
Mermaids beat All Hallows 5-3
B final
St Peters beat All hallows 8-3
C final
Under 14 boys
A final
Barrs beat River City 9-2.
Under 15 girls
A final:
Mermaids beat St Rita’s 7-3
B final:
BGGS beat Loreto 10-4
C final:
Mermaid beat BGGS 20-3
Under 15 boys
A final:
River City beat Barras 7-2
Under 16 girls
A final:
Mermaids beat AHS 5-3
B final: Somerville House beat Loreto 7-4
C final:
Mermaids beat River City 703
Under 16 boys
Barras beat River City 8-1
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