Live stream: Sydney University giving out lessons at Australian Youth Water Polo Championships

The coach of five-time national title winners Sydney University has implored teams around the country to start reading from his playbook. Read about the Lions historic youth champs gold medal win.

National title-winning Sydney University Lions coach and Australian Under-20s Cadet coach Dragan Bakic has implored coaches across the country to start reading from his playbook.

The Lions put the finishing touches on a ’perfect’ week in the pool to clinch the team’s fifth-straight gold medal, and the club’s third-straight Under-18s title, at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships.

RE-WATCH ALL OF THE MEDAL ACTION FROM THE POOLS IN BRISBANE

While they matched the physicality of the ‘fairytale’ Sunshine Coast side, it was on the fitness end where the Lions blew their rivals out of the water in the 19-7 win.

Sydney University’s Ashton Brown added another feather in his cap as he finished the decider with six goals, taking his tournament total to 34 goals - more than six beyond his nearest rival.

Sydney University Lions celebrate after winning the gold medal at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships. Picture: Rogue Gun Photography and Media

The Lions finished the tournament with an incredible 161 goals from seven games, with their mix of high pressure on defence and speed on the counter a key to their success.

Bakic said he hoped other coaches would adopt a similar style in future to ease the transition on players bound for the elite levels of the game.

“I would like to see more teams playing with a similar type of high press, good fitness levels and focus because that’s what I took away from our European tour with the Australian team,” he said.

Sydney University Lions player Zac Izzard in action at the Australian Youth Championships. Picture: Facebook

“It would be great to see other junior Australian sides to do the same so that the transition is a lot smoother at the elite level.”

It would be hard for a team winning it’s fifth-straight title to still find ways to improve, but it was the way in which they won the national crown this week which defied belief.

“Our results throughout the tournament had us averaging a winning margin of 15 or 20 goals, which is unheard of,” Bakic said.

“Coming here I was hoping to win, we prepared really well and this is the best team I’ve ever coached because I couldn’t tell you who my best player or worst player is.

“Our squad had so much depth and that’s why we were able to dominate all of the teams.

“We knew we were favourites but that also comes with plenty of pressure, so we had to show it in the pool and prove our worth, which we did.”