Aussie Sharks on verge of history at Paris Games as they search for maiden Olympic medal

For so long, the Aussie Sharks have had to prove they belong at the biggest water polo tournaments. But on the back of their success in Paris, they’re ready to spark a new chapter.

History awaits the Aussie Sharks.

The Paris Olympics has already been a trailblazing one for the national men’s water polo team. They have progressed through their Olympic group for just the third time since 1948, and the first time since London 2012.

But following landmark wins against Serbia, France and Hungary, they’ve never been better placed to go on and win a breakthrough Olympic medal. If they defeat the USA in their quarterfinal on Wednesday night, they’ll have at least two chances to ensure, for the first time, they don’t come home from an Olympics empty-handed.

“I think like everything you can go look to the glory bit,” captain Nathan Power said. “But we’ve got to be cognisant of the hard work bit.

“For us, all our success has been on the back of hard work, and being willing to do that work that no one else wants to do.

The Sharks will take on the USA for a place in the final four. Picture: Getty Images

“So, it’s make sure we go through our processes to get our bodies right. Because we know that we have to go and give everything we possibly can to give ourselves a chance.”

Both the men’s and women’s water polo teams have emerged as one of the best narratives of these Olympics. Their success in the pool has already had an impact back home, with Water Polo Australia being inundated with calls about how people can sign up for their local clubs.

For the men in particular, they’ve gone about this tournament more differently than ever before. They’ve dedicated time to learning about one another out of the water, prioritising those bonds in the hope that it will make them a stronger team. The results already show it has.

“I believe there’s a number of teams who don’t invest enough time into understanding each other,” coach Tim Hamill said.

“We’ve had some belonging sessions whereby each player presents their story. That’s been an opportunity for each of us to learn more about each other. It’s an emotional presentation that the players give.

The Aussie team prepare for battle with one final pre-match huddle. Picture: Getty Images

“They share their story about how they got here today, and they aren’t always rosy. You hear about the difficult times. But by the end of that, we understand more about each other. And that starts to show in the water.

“We know that we’re not the most skilful team, so before every game, our price of entry is always effort.”

In addition to fostering that sense of camaraderie, pre-match routines have included breathing and meditative exercises to provide a sense of calm in the 30 seconds before chaos ensues.

It’s a complete juxtaposition to the wild scenes in the pool of Nic Porter celebrating a save or Milos Maksimovic scoring an outrageous backhander.

However, for a team that has 10 players on Olympic debut, their achievements in Paris should already be celebrated. But they’re ready to take their performances to the next level and create a new legacy for the sport.

Power is confident this team at its best can match it with any team in the competition. Picture: AFP

“For a long time, an Australian team has had to first prove that you belong with an opportunity to win a game,” Power said.

“But that’s switching now, we’re in that arm wrestle for it because now, eight teams can medal.

“That closeness is something that we lean into because when we get into a grind, if you look across you know there’s a person who wants to do everything they can do to help you. We’re really in those trenches together, a bunch of brothers just looking to succeed against the world.

“We’ve shown we can make the right decisions with the big wins we’ve had so far. So, we’ve got incredible confidence looking forward to what should be an awesome game.”

Originally published as Aussie Sharks on verge of history at Paris Games as they search for maiden Olympic medal