WATCH THE REPLAYS: BWPI polo grand finals
WATCH THE REPLAYS: The 22 BWPI water polo club grand finals.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Courier Mail apologises for technical difficulties which caused us to miss the first quarter of the opening clash from the Valley Street pool.
Watch the replays of the 22 BWPI club grand finals staged today at the Valley Pool.
The stars of the future came out to play in a gala celebration of the sport. Reports, images from today and replays below.
WATCH THE BRISBANE WATER POLO INC FINALS IN THE PLAYER ABOVE AND THE ONE BELOW. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE REPLAYS AND THE SCHEDULE
THE BWPI MATCHES
The UQWPC Barras (14Cs) and Stuartholme School (17Cs) drew first blood on a bumper day of BWPI grand finals with winning efforts.
Barras defeated Somerville House in a 6-5 thriller, while Stuartholme survived a dramatic comeback by Loreto to win 7-4.
Stuartholme stormed ahead 5-1 after goals to Isabelle, Lucia Allen (3) and Tiana Craig.
But Loreto came back hard, with a stirring second and third quarter comeback after Annabelle Marshall, Emma Nyrne, Sarah Pillon and Roby Borret had got their school on the scoreboard.
WATCH THE AWL THUNDER V UNSW WESTS DOUBLE HEADER AT THIS LINK
It was a thriller between Barras and Somerville House, with a last quarter goals by Sophia Hiscox and Charlize Lambert clinching victory.
What a match it was as Somerville House shared goals between Ruby Patton (2), Lizzie Hooper (2) Imogene Quarterman and Amelia Sanders who scored to tie it up at 5-all.
In the 14Bs final, Somerville House prevailed 11-2 over All Hallows’ School, jumping their rivals early to lead 6-1.
A first quarter hat trick to Kaia Bottomer and a double to Sallie Bromell aided the early surge by Somerville House. Bromell went on to score five goals.
All Hallows’ got back to 6-2 after Zoe Hopman and Ruby Stretton scored, but Somerville House kicked on.
In a 14Cs Div 1 grand finals thriller, All Hallows’ and Loreto went toe-to-toe for three quarters, only for All Hallows to assert last quarter dominance over their rivals.
From 6-5 it blew out to 11-5 and a great tussle between the two inner city rivals.
Charlotte Moore (2), Eliza Evans, Sara Tufui, Luca Gibbons all scored in the final.
Loreto’s goals were scored by Charlotte Mutton (3) and Margaret Albion (2).
North Brisbane Polo Bears claimed a cracking 14As decider 8-7, prevailing in a penalty shoot out.
Bless Daly scored the winner, but both team’s received a hero’s welcome from the crowd.
It was a ripping match where one side would score, followed by the other, leading to the 4-all.
All Hallows’ had its head in front, 4-3, entering the last quarter, but a Chanel Streek goal levelled the score.
Polo Bears then nailed four penalty goals - by Ali McCarthy, Alex Rush, Daly and Doyle.
Both teams, take a bow.
In an all UQ Barras’ affair in the 15 years’ boys, Barra purple won 7-4.
Sam Eyles scored a double for the Barra purples who, despite being kept scoreless in the final quarter, claimed the win.
The Barra white boys hung, scoring the only two goals - by Dylan Jennison and Elijah Morrissey - in the last quarter despite trailing 7-2.
In a low scoring 16Cs decider, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School overcame River City 5-1.
In what was a defensive shut-out, with St Margaret’s Grace Turnbull, Lucia Donger, Katie Stevens, Neve Mattsson and Ruby Peacock pushing past the outstanding River City goalie Stella Young to score.
But Imogen Simpson did an even better job in goals for St Marg’s. Indeed it took until the last quarter before River City scored through Scarlett Baker.
In the Mt St Michael’s v Brisbane Girls’ School School 18Cs encounter, MSM bounded to a 10-5 victory.
It was a big performance by the girls from the west as MSM turned a first quarter arm wrestle into a flourishing win.
A six goal third quarter performance was the key, and even though BGGS fought back in the last quarter, MSM had established a match winning lead.
In the third quarter Claudie Legge scored twice, along with Eleanor Keogh, Jessica McGill, Charlotte Scott and Chloe Sullivan.Keogh finished with three goals.
The comeback was on from BGGS in the last quarter - Amaia Parsell, Camille Derrick, Elodie Anthony and Jade Somerville all scored - but they could not bridge the gap.
In the 16Bs grand final BGGS put aside a determined opposition to beat Mermaids 8-4, but Mermaids rose to the occasion in the 16As decider, beating St Rita’s 10-1.
Mermaids’ Sienna Owen scored four goals as her side worked over the opposition in a clinical grand final performance.
Mermaids’ offensive was outstanding, reducing St Rita’s to a lone goal by Langestraat.
Still it was a great effort by St Rita’s to reach grand final day - it is just they came up against a better side.
BGGS’s effort to defeat Mermaids in the 16Bs was built around a big third quarter performance when goalie Charlie Howard kept a clean sheet while her team added four goals - three of them to spearhead Amelia Bender.
From 3-all it went to 6-3 and then 8-3 before Mermaids’ Jessica Thomas scored her team’s fourth goal.
In the big boys clash, the 18s grand final, UQ Barras took on River City while next door UQ Barras confronted North Brisbane Polo Bears in the 14 years decider.
The Barra boys (14 years) found their way to the winners post after starting strongly.
Taoso Taoso, Harrison South, Oliver Moncur and Dylan Jennison scored to establish scoreboard superiority before River City got into a second quarter wrestle.
Barras edged ahead again when Moncur added a further two goals and the winners post was in sight when his team turned for home leading 9-3.
The UQ Barras scored 10 goals on their way to beating River City, with Jack French firing four goals into the back of the net and Will Valentine three goals.
One of the great, fast emerging under age sporting rivalries in Queensland continued today when the Mermaids pipped North Brisbane St Rita’s to win the 18As grand final in a penalty shoot out.
In a drama charged finale, Mermaids Molly Nasser, Taafili Taoso, Lulu Elliott and Phoebe McGuire scored in the penalty shoot out.
The victory by Mermaids cannot tarnish an outstanding goalkeeping performance from North Brisbane Mermaids Horatia Schlect whose effort was partly the reason North Brisbane were close enough to level the scores at full-time.
Ultimately Mermaids goalkeeper Victoria Kininmonth recovered from conceding the opening penalty shoot goal to repel North Brisbane.North Brisbane had clawed back two goals in the final quarter to level the scores, plunging the match into a penalty shoot out.
And additional momentum was with them at the start of the penalty shoot out when Claudia Czerniawski scored first.
Nasser had a glorious return from a shoulder injury lay-off, with her left handed thunderbolts finding the back of the net in the first, second, fourth quarters and in the penalty shoot out.
North Brisbane found something from within in that fourth quarter to peg back Mermaids lead and water polo supporters cannot wait for the next chapter in this storybook rivalry.
In the 18Bs clash, North Brisbane Polo Bears’ depth came to the surface in a hard fought victory.
Four goals across the opening three quarters by Gemma Hutchings helped her side rise to a 7-3 advantage entering the last quarter.
It was a tight affair, locked 2-all at the first quarter break after Hutchings (twice) and Clancey Smith and Tanna-Lai Hornung (for Mermaids) had scored.
Molly McIntyre and Ruby Johnson scored three goals each as Somerville House claimed the 15Bs premiership, 7-4 over Stuartholme School.
In a tense tussel, Somerville House shaded Stuartholme throughout without ever breaking free, and it was to Stuartholme’s credit that they out scored their rivals 2-1 in the last quarter - with goals by Edie Campbell and Zara Hampton.
The Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School’s 15Cs (Div 1) claimed their school’s second premiership of the day with victory over Stuartholme.
BGGS laid the foundations for victory with a blazing start that established a 9-nil halftime lead.
Annabelle De Stefani(2), Zoe Robertson (2), Poppy Pennell (2), Willow Thomas, Isabel Robertson and Emma Bond all scored in this period. BGGS eventually won 12-nil.
Stuartholme were beaten, but if you make a grand final you have had a winning season and hats off to the girls from the base of Mt Coot-tha who did so well in the BWP1.
In the pool next door, All Hallows’ School’s Hannah Dollar scored the winning goal as her school had another win, 2-1, in a low scoring slug fest with St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School in the 15Cs Div 2 grand final.
St Margaret’s had opened the scoring in the second quarter when Georgia Lillicrap pushed a shot past the keeper, and there was not a struck match between the teams until Dollar scored in the third and then the fourth quarters.
The Mermaids then snared another two premierships - the 17As and the 17Bs.
The A team defeated Somerville House 6-4 while the Mermaids’ B outfit claimed its title with a 3-2 win over All Hallows School.
Often low scoring finals are the best and so it was the case when Mermaids and All Hallows went to the line locked at 2-all - only for Kate Peck to score late and secure victory for Mermaids. Earlier Ida Stelingrabe and Riley Herrod had scored for Mermaids.
All Hallows’ led 1-nil after the No.1 quarter courtesy of Bridget Spooner scoring, while Molly Murphy added another goal in the third quarter.
In the 15As decider, it was an all Mermaids affair as the club flexed its depth in the competition.
Mermaids Pink won 7-5 over Mermaids Blue, inching their way ahead of their rivals over the opening three quarters.
The Blue side out scored Mermaids Pink 3-2 in the fourth quarter when Harper Simons, Charlotte Boothey and McKenna Simpson scored.
Jazmyn Green and Pia Hatzipetrou both scored three goals for the winners, Mermaids Pink.
In the final matches of the day, the under 16 UQ Barras (purple) overcame their club mates (Barras Blacks) 17-4, with 11 different scorers on the sheet.
Josh Button and Sean Bright each scored three goals for the winners.
In the under 13 A final, UQ Barras pipped Mantras 8-7.
THE PREVIEW
The Polo Bears have a booming talent pool where rookie athletes like Olivia Camilleri, Cate Klinge, Horatia Schlect, Claudia Czerniawski and Amy Middlemas mix with Sydney 2000 gold medallist Jo Clark, four time Olympian Bronwen Knox and Jodie Stuhmcke - all coached by Sydney Olympic gold medal winner Naomi McCarthy.
RELATED LINKS
WATCH THE REPLAYS, Thunder v Hurricanes
WATCH THE REPLAYS – THUNDER v DRUMMOYNE BLOCKBUSTER
HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE REJUVENATED CLASS ACTS
WATCH THE REPLAYS - THUNDER v LIONS
“It is an incredible experience learning from them (the Olympians),’’ Amy Middlemas said. “They just have so much experience to offer and they are really accepting and offer so much advice. It is amazing the amount I have learned in such a short period of time.
“It is always a positive experience because you always learn something when you are with them.’’
Horatia Schlect added: “It is an incredible culture at Polo Bears. We train with not only the older girls but with the 18s boys and learn from them. We go to their games and they support us, it is such an amazing culture to be around.’’
At the other end of the scale is a fledgling club, The Vikings, which aspires to have juniors players in the BWPI by next season.
It is a club hoping to capture talent across the northeastern landscape of Hamilton, Wavell Heights and out to Banyo, Virginia and Boondall.
While the Vikings do not have a team in Saturday’s finals, they plan to within 12 months.
Under president Zac Hudson, Vikings formed a senior side in late 2020, and earlier this year started a Little Vikings junior training program aimed at 7-11 year-olds.
“We started it to keep senior athletes in the sport and keep them involved because there was a big drop out from the under 18s to seniors,’’ Hudson said.
“Now having a senior base, we are starting to get a junior base.’’
Boosting its junior program was partnership Loreta College and All Hallows’ School, and the Australian Catholic University at Banyo.
“We are starting to tap into the juniors,’’ he said.
Prominent senior players in the Vikings were All Hallows’ alumni Georgia Hickey (Queensland Thunder premiership winner, World Uni Games Australian player), current All Hallows’ student Phoebe Cervetto (Queensland under 14, under 16 representative) and Katelyn Sheterline (ex-Queensland national league squad member),
“Vikings Water Polo are excited to base our junior program out of the ACU McAuley Campus,’’ Hudson said.
“We believe there is a corridor in Banyo and its surrounding suburbs with an untapped player base.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our club and is only strengthened thanks to our partnership with ACU Brisbane.
Hudson said there was so much potential in the northern suburbs.
“In future we believe this area will allow the club’s junior program to go from strength to strength.
“The partnership with ACU Brisbane has also provided a much needed pathway for senior players to continue in the sport; offering competitive and social opportunities.’’
LIVESTREAM SCHEDULE
Valley pool, Wickham St end
14Cs Div 2: UQWPC Barras v Somerville
14Bs: Somerville v All Hallows
15s: UQWPC Barras (purple) v Barras (white)
16C: St Margaret’s v River City
16A: Mermaids v St Rita’s
REPLAY: 18s: UQWPC Barras v River City
1pm: 18As: Polo Bears St Ritas v Mermaids
REPLAY: 15B: Stuartholme v Somerville
REPLAY: 15C Div 2: St Margaret’s v All Hallows’
REPLAY: 17As: Mermaids v Somerville
REPLAY: 16s: UQWPC Barras (black) v Barras (purple)
Valley pool, rail line end
17C: Stuartholme v Loreto
14C: Div 1: All Hallows v Loreto
REPLAY: 14A: Polo Bears v All Hallows
REPLAY: 18C Brisbane Girls’ Grammar v Mt St Michael’s
REPLAY: 16B: Brisbane Girls’ Grammar v Mermaids
REPLAY: 14s: UQWPC Barras v Polo Bears
REPLAY: 18Bs: Polo Bears St Ritas v Mermaids
REPLAY: 15As: Mermaids (white) v Mermaids (pink)
REPLAY: 15C Div 1: Stuartholme 1 v Brisbane Girls Grammar
REPLAY: 17Bs: Mermaids v All Hallows’
REPLAY: 13As: UQ Barras v Mantras
Australian Water Polo League
6.30pm: Thunder (women) v UNSW Wests
8pm: Thunder (men) v UNSW Wests
How to face up against former Firebirds this Feb
A star-studded team of former Queensland Firebirds will lace up their netball shoes and return to the court to compete in next month’s Sunshine Challenge Netball Invitational at Nissan Arena. Here’s how you can rub shoulders with the greats:
Byron Best aspires to be a Warner Bros hit – in sport
He has the name of a Hollywood star and aspires to be seen on a Warner Bros production, but instead of movies this Brisbane teenager hopes it will be as an extreme sport ace.