Australian water polo guns, debutants to watch in USA, Japan Tests, schedule, results

Updated: There are teens, a former footy star, an outback gun, a bio mechanical engineer and debutants galore. The Aussie water polo players starring against USA and Japan.

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

5 min read

January 12, 2023 - 10:37AM

NewsLocal

Some of the rising stars of water polo from across Australia.

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The Sharks were barely unrecognisable as they unleashed six debutants in their opening match of a Test series against Japan on Wednesday night - with stunning results.

In extraordinary scenes, both the Sharks and Stingers played out draws against Japan and USA respectively in the Test matches.

The Sharks drew 13-13 with Japan after a seesawing match.

Jacob Mercep was one of the stars on debut with six goals. Fellow debutants Sam Siobodien and Milos Maksimovic scored three and one respectively.

“It was a little too close for my liking but credit to the Japanese, they are extremely fast and their real strength is their counter attack,’’ said captain Blake Edwards.

Some of the rising stars of water polo from across Australia.

“There were moments in the game where we probably needed to control it a little better in our offence. But it’s all a learning experience for our young team.’’

In the women’s match the Stingers lead 8-4 at half time but allowed the USA back into the game for their 10-10 draw.

Olympians Zoe Arancini and Elle Armit scored three each with Danjiela Jackovich and Sofie Pontre debuting.

AUSTRALIA V USA GAME 1 RESULTS

AUS 10 USA 10

(AUS-USA): 2-2; 6-2; 2-3; 0-3

AUSTRALIA: 1 Genevieve Longman; 2 Pascalle Casey (1); 3 Elle Armit (3); 4 Danjiela Jackovich; 5 Bridget Leeson-Smith; 6 Jamie Oberman (2); 7 Jessica Emerson; 8 Sienna Hearn; 9 Zoe Arancini (3); 10 Maddy Steere (1); 11 Sofie Pontre; 12 Brooke McClean; 13 Lilian Hedges

USA: 1 Ashleigh Johnson; 2 Maddie Musselman (2); 3 Tara Prentice; 4 Rachel Fattal (2); 5. Jovana Sekulic (2); 6 Maggie Steffens; 7 Emily Ausmus; 8 Ava Stryker; 9 Denise Mammolito; 10 Rachel Gazzaniga; 11 Julia Bonaguidi; 12 Jordan Raney (4); 13 Amanda Longan

AUSTRALIA V JAPAN GAME 1 RESULT

AUS 13 JPN 13

(AUS-JPN): 3-2; 2-5; 4-3; 4-3

AUSTRALIA: 1 Damian Williams; 2 Keenan Marsden; 3 George Ford; 4 Milos Maksimovic (1); 5 Nathan Power (1); 6 Angus Lambie; 7 Matthew Byrnes (1); 8 Jacob Mercep (6); 9 Andrew Ford; 10 Marcus Berehulak; 11 Tristan Glanznig; 12 Blake Edwards (1); 13 Joey Parnis; 14 Sam Slobodien (3); 15 Nick Elphick

JAPAN: 1 TANAMURA Katsuyuki; 2 OKAWA Keigo (5); 3 ADACHI Seiya; 4 DATE Kiyomu (2); 5 NISHIMURA Towa; 6 NITTA Ikkei; 7 TSUTA Fumiya (2); 8 URA Itaru; 9 MAITA Yuki; 10 WATANABE Taiyo (1); 11 SASANO Ren (2); 12 YAMADA Nagi 91); 13 YAMAMOTO Masayuki; 14 OGIHARA Daichi

NEW FACES, NEW ERA FOR AUSTRALIAN WATER POLO

Earlier: Four players who grew up dreaming of playing for Croatia, Serbia and the US are on track to make their debuts for Australia instead, potentially in Test matches against Japan and the US this week.

And in an extraordinary blooding of young talent, eight new men’s players have the potential to wear the green and gold at a senior level for the first time in the matches being played in Western Australia.

While our teenage stars play at the Australian youth championships in Perth, the Sharks and Stingers will take on Japan and the USA respectively on January 11, January 13 and January 15.

It kicks off a massive year for the Australian senior sides who already have Paris 2024 in their sights.

Coaches are already looking beyond Paris with squad sizes expanded in recent times as our young players are given more opportunities to impress.

Adelaide Jets captain and former footballer Joey Parnis/

In the wake of mass retirements after the Tokyo Olympics, Aussie Sharks coach Tim Hamill is using the opportunity to give new blood opportunity.

“We are seeing a new generation here. And we want to give them opportunity,’’ Hamill said.

“We want to see what they have got.’’

The eight potential Sharks debutants include six from NSW, with two of these players originally Croatian and American in Jacob Mercep, now with the Sydney Uni Lions, and Sam Slobodien, now with the Drummoyne Devils.

Also waiting in the wings are two teenagers in Tristan Glanznig, 19, from the ACU Cronulla Sharks and Laurence Barker, 19, from the Drummoyne Devils.

Sam Slobodien.

Milos Maksimovic

Glanznig, a young attacking driver, is a prolific goal scorer who stood out at the recent 19 and under national state championships and also plays in the Australia Water Polo League.

Barker was also named in the Australian youth squad in December after earning the mantle of MVP goalie at the Australian 19 and under championships.

Mitch Robinson is another young gun and at 21 a talented driver who originally came from Hunter Hurricanes but now plays with Balmain.

He has been in the sights of selectors for some years and relocated to Sydney recently for his water polo.

Damian Williams

Young water polo player Mitch Robinson

Joey Parnis is a young talent from South Australia who has quit the Adelaide Football League to concentrate on water polo.

The Adelaide Jets goalkeeper is a great leader looking to make his mark for the Aussie Sharks ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Damian Williams plays for Melville in Perth but hails from a small outback town in the desert almost 700 km from the ocean.

Williams grew up in the goldfield town of Leinster but moved to Perth to board as a youngster and has played water polo since.

AUSSIE SHARKS DEBUTANTS

Joey Parnis (SA), 25, UTS Balmain Tigers/Adelaide Tritons

Damian Williams (WA), 24, Melville

Laurence Barker (NSW), 19, Drummoyne

Mitch Robinson (NSW), 21, UTS Balmain Tigers

Milos Maksimovic (NSW), 28, ACU Cronulla Sharks (originally from Serbia)

Jacob Mercep (NSW), 24, Sydney Uni Lions (originally from Croatia)

Tristan Glanznig (NSW), 19, ACU Cronulla Sharks

Sam Slobodien (NSW), 25, Drummoyne (originally from USA)

Brooke McClean

There are two players who can potentially make their debut for the Stingers in the Test series in Pippa Pedley and Dani Jackovich.

But the team has a number of other young guns who are also worth watching.

Pedley hails from Perth and has been in the Australian water polo system for a number of years.

She also plays for UWA club and has been playing water polo since she was 11 and is a versatile player, a good shooter and centre forward and can also play a driving game.

Jackovich was with Stanford Athletics and is also a talented basketballer now playing for Cronulla.

She hails from Illinois, has played in both Hungary and Spain in the past and is a bio mechanical engineer. She was also part of the US gold medal winning team at the World University Games back in 2017.

“We have lots of players overseas like Gabi Palm, Amy Ridge, Bronte Halligan, Charlize Andrews, Abby Andrews, Tilly Kearns, Ruby Swadling, Lena Mihailovic, Alice Williams and Nioka Thomas,’’ said Stingers coach Paul Oberman.

“This is a great opportunity to see who can cut it, who can put their head up and shine.’’

Maroons player Tenealle Fasala.

Other young guns who have made their debuts include Tenealle Fasala, a former Ipswich girls grammar student who made an extended Australian Olympic Games Squad but did not play in Tokyo. She is the daughter of Olympic silver medal winning swimmer Greg Fasala.

Sofie Pontre is a utility player and centre back who has been at the University of Michigan for four years and played at the World University Games.

Hayley Ballesty made her debut for the Aussie Stingers at the 2022 FINA World League Intercontinental Cup in Peru and has gained international exposure playing for CN Sant Adreu based in Barcelona.

Sienna Hearn is a star on the rise and a crucial part of the Stingers attack.

She is known for her ability to intercept and steal and hails from the famous Balmain clubs.

Brooke McClean is a centre forward who played at the Intercontinental tournament last year and debuted. Previously form Cronulla she now plays with Drummoyne.

Clare Durston is a goalie from Perth now based in Sydney who played at the 2019 world junior championships.

Jamie Oberman attends college in the US, is a centre back with a strong outside shot.