2011-12 Annual Report - Australian Water Polo Inc

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WATER POLO AUSTRALIA 2011/12 ANNUAL REPORT 22 enhance aerobic capacity. In February and March 2012, the field players spent 2 x 11 day blocks at (2500-3000m) again in the AIS altitude house. This was designed to prepare the team for the overseas competition block. On return form World League finals in June 2012, selected players who had shown positive adaptations spent a final ten-day block in the altitude house before departing to Europe for the final Olympic preparation. Field-testing and Hb mass measurement were used to assess how each player was adapting to the altitude stimulus. Heart rate monitors were used to monitor training load and performance during each training block. Institute Challenge Once again the Institute Challenge was held at the AIS from 27th November to 2nd December. We limited it to four teams QAS, NSWIS, WAIS & VIS, drafting the SASI athletes to increase the depth of the other teams, making it a stronger competition. Everyone played each other twice, with the top two playing off for the gold & the bottom two for the bronze. QAS went through the rounds undefeated and once again was meeting NSWIS who had accounted for WAIS & VIS in their round games. The finals were very entertaining and competitive affairs with QAS holding on to win their 3rd successive Institute Challenge victory 10-8. The VIS turned the tables on WAIS who had defeated them twice during the round games to win 12-10 to win the bronze. Canada Cup This tour started with a 5-day training camp. Following this we contested the Canada Cup. We went through the rounds undefeated by beating Hungary 12-8, Spain 12-11, Canada 7-6 and drawing with Netherlands 6-6 and China 8-8. This meant we would meet China in the final. After an outstanding first quarter, where we jumped out to a 4-0 lead, we maintained our dominance for the remaining three quarters to run out comfortable 11-8 victors. It was a very impressive performance throughout the whole tournament, which culminated in the final and all players contributing throughout the competition. Pan Pacific Championships, Melbourne After a well-earned break for Christmas the girls were back in camp at the start of January with some common training with Canada prior to the Inaugural Pan Pacific Championships in Melbourne. Again we went through the rounds undefeated, after some very tough games. We opened up our account with an easy 18-2 win over Brazil, backed this up with defeats over Canada 9-7, USA 8-7, Australian Barbarians 8-3 and China 8-7. This meant that we were to play the USA in the gold medal match. After a very tough first half, we grinded out an extremely satisfying 7-4 victory to become the Pan Pacific Champions. USA Test Series, Sydney The USA & Australia teams both flew to Sydney the next day after the Pan Pacific Championships for a three test series, which was run by Cronulla Water Polo Club. The first game was held at Homebush and unfortunately we could not produce the same standard of performance that we displayed in Melbourne and went down 12-13. The next two games were critical, as we wanted to win the series to try and gain a psychological advantage over the USA. After some soul searching the girls responded brilliantly and dominated the second test match from start to finish winning comfortably 11-6. This set up the third test as the decider and we expected the USA to come out firing. Once again the girls started strongly and opened up a 5-2 first quarter lead. From there we were always in control and went on to win 12-7. On completion of the Test series we trimmed our Olympic Squad from nineteen to seventeen players. Unfortunately for Rebecca Rippon & Lea Barta they had been left out. Rebecca then announced her retirement after 258 games for Australia and representing at two Olympic Games in 2004 & 2008 plus numerous other major competitions. Rebecca was an outstanding player and role model who played a major role in helping Australia achieve some of their best results. Photo Credit: Anthony Pearse, Pearse Photography
WATER POLO AUSTRALIA 2011/12 ANNUAL REPORT Great Britain Test Series, Canberra Great Britain arrived on the 20th February for some common training and a five match test series until 29th February. This was the first time we had played Great Britain since 2006 Commonwealth Championships, so we were very unsure of what to expect. We won all five test matches comfortably 13-5, 14-4, 15-6, 14-8 and 14-3. Training Camps and All Star Game During the National League season we scheduled in two more training camps prior to the National League Finals. The first was an 11-day camp in Canberra and the second was a 4-day camp in Sydney. We also used this camp as part of preparation for the Women’s Inaugural All Star game that was held in Canberra 14th April. The All Star game was a resounding success with the game being played in front of a packed house at the AIS as all the players competing in the u18 National Club Championships attended. The Southern team defeated the Northern team 7-6 in a very high quality and tight match. National League Finals, Sydney The finals were contested by, three year reigning champions Brisbane Barracudas, Victorian Tigers, Fremantle Mariners, Cronulla Sharks, Balmain Tigers & the Adelaide Jets who were competing in their first ever finals series. The top four teams from the home & away competition won, continuing through to the semis with Balmain 11 defeating Adelaide 10 in extra time for the 5th place playoff. All National squad players except for one were competing in the semi finals. Cronulla caused the first boil over by defeating Fremantle 6-3 in one semi while Barracudas 9 defeated Victorian Tigers 7 in the other semi to give them a chance to defend their title. Fremantle caused an upset by defeating Victoria 13-10 in a penalty shootout to take out the bronze medal, while the young Cronulla team led by their veteran Goalkeeper, Alicia McCormack beat Brisbane 6-3 to win the gold medal. experience by playing against China but went down 4-14. The water polo venue for the Olympics was outstanding and after losing to the USA 9-10 in our second game we qualified for the final with victories over Great Britain 10-4 and Hungary 17-12. In another very tough encounter we held on to the 6-5 lead we had established at the end of the third quarter to keep them scoreless in the last quarter. This meant in our last eight games against the USA we had won six off them. As soon as the game was over we headed straight to the airport so that we could fly to Chiba, Japan to play the second round of the World League. We needed to win one game to qualify and we did this in our first game against China when we defeated them 11-10. We finished the rounds off with a comprehensive 18-2 victory over Japan. Due to the World League Finals being held in Changshu, China it was pointless and financially not viable for us to travel back to Australia for a training camp. So we organised to have a 12 day training camp at the Shanghai Institute of Sport. From there we went to Changshu for the World League Finals. We went through our rounds undefeated after beating Canada and Italy 20-4 & 12-2 respectively. We then had a very tough game to win our group against Russia 9-7 in a penalty shootout. This was significant as it was the first penalty shootout we had won since our Olympic bronze medal in 2008. Our quarterfinal match up was with Germany defeating them 18-0 to set up a semi final against China. Once again they jumped to a 4-0 lead midway through the second quarter but another gutsy comeback saw us win 8-7. In the final we once again would come up against our rivals the USA. In another tight encounter we held a 4-3 half time lead before poor execution and some costly defensive errors allowed the USA to win 6-4. On arriving home we announced our 2012 Olympic team; Goal Keepers Alicia McCormack Victoria Brown Field Players Gemma Beadsworth Sophie Smith Holly Lincoln-Smith Jane Moran Bronwen Knox Rowie Webster Kate Gynther Glencora Ralph Ash Southern Melissa Rippon Nicola Zagame Acknowledgements A huge thank you must go to the following because without your support, co-operation and dedication we would not be one of the best teams in the world. All of the athletes who were part of the Senior National Team program. My 2 managers Lynne Morrison & Jenny Liessmann. Our medical staff, Andrea Mosler, Liz Steet & James Trotter, and Grace Bryant. To my assistant coaches Ryan Moar, Dalibor Maslan, Greig Richardson, Aleks Osadchuk, Peter Szilagyi and Eddie Denis. The AIS and SIS/SAS programs support staff Ted Polglaze, Laura Garvican, Julian Jones, Kirsten Peterson, Tamara Kerford, Adam Gorman, Greg Cox & Christine Dziedzic. Debra Waser (AIS), Iain Brambell (ASC) & John Coates (AOC). You continually look after the Women’s Water Polo program beyond our expectations. National League clubs and coaches. The Board and staff at Water Polo Australia. Reg Hatch for very much appreciated personal advice and guidance while helping me become a better coach. Second last and certainly not least, Karen Buffier. She is the backbone of the program, making sure all our plans fall in place. Finally, to the best wife in the world, Sonia and my beautiful children, Rebel and Cooper. Without your support and love I would not be able to devote the time to try to achieve the dreams of our team, in becoming the best in the world. Greg McFadden Head Coach Senior Women 23 London Test Event and World League Due to the scheduling of the London Test event and the 1st round of the World League being held at the same time we decided to send our strongest team to the London test event. We did this so that our players could experience playing in the Olympic pool and what London would be like so that we would not have too many distractions during the Olympics. Our second team went to Shanghai to help us qualify for the World League Finals. They achieved this by beating Japan 12-6 and China “B” 11-4 plus they also gained valuable Our final training camp in Australia was a 12-day training camp at the AIS before we headed to Montenegro on the 30th June.
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2011-12 Annual Report - Australian Water Polo Inc

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