Australia men's national water polo team


The Australian national water polo team represents Australia in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Water Polo Australia. The national men's team has the nickname of "The Sharks". It is organised into the Asia/Oceania regional group.

History

Australia has competed internationally since the 1948 London Olympic Games, and has qualified for all subsequent Olympic tournaments except Atlanta in 1996, and although not achieving the success of European teams, has remained relatively competitive at international level since.
In 1968, the team qualified to compete at the Mexico Olympic Games, but was denied entry by the Australian Olympic Federation.
Australia scored their first point in Olympic competition when they drew with Bulgaria in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
The Australian team placed 5th in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the highest Olympic placing so far, and finished 4th in the World Championships at home in Perth in 1998.
Australia's best international water polo success came in 1996, when the Sharks won the six-nation Control Cup in Hungary, and followed it up with a bronze medal at an eight nation tournament in Italy in the same year. However, they failed to qualify for that year's Olympics for the first time since 1948.
A reinvigorated youthful team managed to finish second to Canada in an international tournament in England in 2002, and in 2003, they beat then world champions Serbia 12–11 in a FINA Water Polo World League match in Hungary, and followed it up by beating Croatia 10–6 at the 2003 Water polo world championship in Barcelona, Spain.

Tournament history

A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Australia

Olympic Games">Water polo at the Summer Olympics">Olympic Games

[Water polo at [the World Aquatics Championships|World Championship]]

Current squad

Roster for the 2019 World Championships.
Head coach: Elvis Fatović
NamePos.HeightWeightL/RDate of birthClub
1Joel DennerleyGKR UNSW Wests Magpies
2Richard CampbellFP
3George FordCBR UWA Torpedoes
4Joe KayesCFR ACU Cronulla Sharks
5Nathan PowerCBR UNSW Wests Magpies
6Lachlan EdwardsCFR USC Trojans
7Aidan RoachFPR Drummoyne Devils
8Aaron Younger CBR Fremantle Mariners
9Andrew FordFPR UWA Torpedoes
10Timothy PuttFPR
11Rhys HowdenFPR Brisbane Barracudas
12Blake EdwardsFPR USC Trojans
13Anthony HrysanthosGKR Sydney University Lions

Notable players