.

What a Month!

2012-05-08T19:31:00.004-07:00

Presentation Night

Saturday 23 June 2012

Cronulla Leagues Club

Showroom Room

5.30pm-8.30pm then Disco

Smart Casual

$25 per/head (includes entry, entertainment, disco and Cocktail Meal)

Please contact your summer team manager

And inform them of how many will attend.

Which one of the following are you?

Manager

Have you taken the names of people from your summer team going to the presentation night and emailed them to Lisa at lisa@ecoya.com.au

Have you determined the MVP for your team?

Player

Have you told your summer manager if you and your family are going to presentation night?

Do you have photos or a video you would like to be shown at presentation night? If so email to richarddavies@parkesconstructions.com or contact him on 0407433 468

The Annual General Meeting of the

Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club

Will be held at the Sharks Leagues Club

In the Immortals Room at 3:00pm

0n 30.06.2012

Australia's women's water polo team charged into Olympic gold medal contention after defeating the USA 6-5 in the final of the London test event.
Since capturing gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Australia finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Games and picked up bronze in Beijing four years ago.
The performance of the Stingers on Sunday against the Beijing silver medallists demonstrated they were a legitimate shot of taking out the Olympic competition.
Australia and the USA have played off for medals at the past three Olympics and the latest edition of the rivalry was always going to be a tight affair.
Australian goalkeeper Alicia McCormack had an outstanding game while Nicola Zagame top-scored for the winning team with two goals.
After finishing a disappointing fifth at last year's world titles, emerging victorious in the four-nation tournament at the temporary venue with the distinctive inflated roof was a major boost.
"We came here wanting to win every game in this pool, we went down to America the other night (10-9 in a round robin match) but we have the gold medal and now we know what today felt like," McCormack said.
"The coach (Greg McFadden) tried to put as much pressure on us today about how it is going to feel in two and half months time.
"He tried to make it as realistic as possible. Hopefully it will go that way (in August)."
Australia's coach Greg McFadden said his team had plenty of improvement in them before the Olympic competition begins on July 30.
"We are happy with where we are at," he said.
He said playing in front of the big crowds at the Olympic venue this week had been invaluable with eight of Australia's players having not competed at an Olympics.
"This is new to the eight of them and it is great for them to experience such an atmosphere," he said.
The USA made a bright start with two quick goals before Australia fought back to capture a 4-3 halftime lead.
Zagame scored back-to-back goals to hand Australia a two-goal advantage and, at 6-4, McCormack produced a fine save to deflect American Lauren Silver's penalty shot onto the bar.
The Stingers led 6-5 heading into the final quarter and neither side was able to add to the score sheet in a tense finish.
The match followed the release of the Olympic draw on Saturday.
McFadden was happy with his side being grouped with Italy, Great Britain and Russia.
"You have to beat them all," McFadden said.
"There is no easy path to get to the final and I am pretty confident we can beat all three teams."

The Cronulla Sharks have won their first National Water Polo League title since 2006 ending the three year reign of the Brisbane Barracudas with a 6-3 victory at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre today.
After losing last year’s gold edition in an agonising penalty shootout, Cronulla came out with all guns blazing as they attempted to end the Barracudas shot at four straight titles.
The Sharks were superb in defence all game as Nicola Zagame at centre back and Alicia McCormack in goals dominated the Barracudas attack.
The scores were level at 1-1 at the first break, before the Sharks netted four goals to one in the second term, including a double to 16-year-old Lena Mihailovic, to open up a three goal lead.
A single score in the third then increased the margin to 6-2 going into the last quarter.
Brisbane tried to mount a fight back in the last netting an early goal through Gynther, but the sharp reflexes of McCormack worked to deny the Barracudas’ a shot at further history.
McCormack, who was part of the championship winning team in 2006, said it was a fabulous feeling to know they had triumphed over one of the best team’s ever.
“The team spoke earlier today and all we wanted to focus on was playing our style of polo,” McCormack said.
“Our coach was also great as he told us there was no pressure and that all he wanted to see was a great team effort. And I think we did that.
“Last year we had a stacked team and unfortunately we came up short, so to do what we did this year with a much younger team is great.
“All our younger girls really stepped up and to know that we will only get better next year makes this even greater.”
Despite the loss, the Barracudas remain one of the most successful team’s ever with three straight wins, a sliver and a bronze from the last five season.

The Australian Junior Women’s water polo team has ended their three match test series against New Zealand undefeated after securing a second consecutive draw against their Trans Tasman rivals in Sydney on Tuesday night.
The Aussie girls came out of the blocks firing jumping out to a 2-0 lead at quarter time before the Kiwis won the next two terms to set up a tantalising finish.
Both teams then exchanged multiple goals to end the game at 9-9. KFC Queensland Breakers star Emily Benson scored four goals for the Aussie girls, while Drummoyne’s Morgan Baxter pitched in with two.
Australian coach Peter Szilagyi said he was pleased with the team’s effort and believed the girls had progressed nicely heading towards the FINA World Junior Championships next year.
“It was a good quality game tonight,” Szilagyi said.
“I was very pleased with the way we started and our defence was much improved, but in saying that they should not have scored four goals against us in the last quarter.
“Overall the players improved a lot in this test series, both as individuals and as a team, and I think our great extra man defence in all three games is something that we can take with us into the future.
“To be the best junior team in the world, however, and to be the gold medallists at the world junior championships next year, we will need to work on a lot of other areas before we leave Australia.”
Australian goalkeeper Michaela Davies agreed with her coach, saying that the 9-9 draw was one of the group’s better performances.
“I think our game last night was our best game but in defence there were a few lapses in concentration which cost us some silly goals. Overall, though, this was the game when our team came together,” Davies said.
For the trio of Taylor Leonard, Jess Brooks and Claire Negus, they believed their time with squad was highly beneficial.
“We all came into the squad for this camp and it’s been such a great opportunity to train with Peter and the Australian Junior team,” the girls said.
“We have been able to train and play with the best girls in this age group and we have all learnt greatly from the experience.”
New Zealand coach Richard Claridge echoed the thoughts of everybody saying that it was a fantastic week and that both teams had bright futures ahead of them.

URGENT URGENT URGENT

2012-05-02T23:01:00.005-07:00

"WHEN COMPLETING REGISTRATION, HIT THE GREEN CONFIRM BUTTON ONLY ONCE. MAY TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO REACT"

U14 National Championships

2012-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our baby Sharks ventured across the Nullarbor (by plane thankfully!) for the 2012 Under 14 National Championships in Perth.

Both teams did us proud with the girls coming 5th from 21 teams and boys 7th from 21 teams.

They all played very well, showing true Cronulla Sharks determination and everyone had the most enjoyable time in Perth. From all reports the parents also showed true Sharks determination but enough of that!

The players and parents appreciated the coaching efforts of Kerry Turner and Sandra Holden and hardworking Managers, Taryn Milinkovic and Anne Turner.

Congratulations to Kiara Holden who was the top scorer in the girl’s competition, well done.

The group in general were excellent representatives of our club and were, on several occasions, commented upon positively by other club officials.

Bring on 2013.

2012-04-25T03:50:00.002-07:00

Winter Competition Teams

Sharks Water Polo win National silver

2012-04-14T03:12:00.004-07:00

The Cronulla Sharks water polo club have won silver at the boy’s National 18 & under Club Championships, going down to UWA Torpedoes 3-1 at the AIS in Canberra.

The Torpedoes jumped to a two-nil lead by quarter time with goals to Nicholas Hughes and Andrew Ford before Uga Mihailovic added one in the second quarter to keep the Sharks within touch.

The goalkeepers, Joshua Zekulich (Torpedoes) and Sam Cocokios (Cronulla) put on strong displays deflecting a series of shots from both teams throughout the third quarter to ensure the score remained 2-1 at the final break. A goal by UWA’s Tom Cunningham mid-way through the final term ensured the win for the Torpedoes.

Cronulla coach Predrag Mihailovic, was proud of his team, but disappointed with the result. “It was a very slow game, we could have played better, UWA deserved the win. Congratulations to the Torpedoes, we will get you next time” Mihailovic said with a grin.

Softening the blow slightly for the Sharks players was news that Blake Buckley, Nic Brooks and Sam Cocokios have been selected in the (Born 94) Australian training squad for an elite training camp in Sydney this week. Cocokios was also named Goalkeeper of the Series at the National Championships.

The 22-player squad will later this year be cut to 13 for the FINA World Youth Championships in Perth in December.

ResultsGold: UWA Torpedoes 3 (Nicholas Hughes, Andrew Ford, and Tom Cunningham) beat Cronulla Sharks 1 (Uga Mihailovic)

U18 girls do us proud

In addition to the strong performance from our boys and despite not achieving their stated goal of reaching the top four our Under 18 girls managed a very creditable 5th place at the National Championships. Coach Mardi Daddo was very proud of the way the girls embraced the challenge and they completed the tournament with only one loss. Their loss occurred at the quarter final stage against UNSW. After speaking to Mardi (and the supporters) it appears it was just 'one of those days’.

However as we know sport is not always about the result. The girls turned their loss in the pool into a positive as they came together even more as a team following this disappointment. The adversity they faced provided the opportunity for them to grow as a team and made it very apparent that they cherish the privilege of being part of the Cronulla Water Polo community.

This experience will no doubt be great for the girls and will also be great for our club as we look to the future.

Following the QF loss, the girls re-grouped and went on to win their remaining two games.

A special congratulations to Maddy Schmid who was selected in the Born 94 Australian Training Squad as they work towards the World Champs in December.

Sharks Bites

2012-04-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Have you booked for the Luncheon?

20th April 2012

12 noon - 3:30 pm

Georges River 16ft Sailing Club

Mark it in your diary now.

Sharks U14 Team Named Leader Junior Sports team of the year.

Sharks win 2011/2012 Metro in 14 Boys, 18 Boys, M4 and M6

2012-03-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Click Here for your

Sports Luncheon Invitation

Vale Frank Jordan (19 Aug 1932 - 13 March 2012)

2012-03-20T16:23:00.001-07:00

Frank (second from right above) was the youngest member of Australia's 1952 Helsinki Olympic Water Polo team (aged 19) and played a significant part in the growth of aquatic sports throughout Australia and in particular our beloved Sutherland Shire.
Described by his daughter Robin as the “Grandfather” of the Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club, Frank’s insight as a visionary and educator was manifest and exceptional.
For it was he who convened a meeting at Cronulla Surf Club for the purpose of starting a water polo club in the area that would enable local players to become eligible for selection in New South Wales, Australian and Olympic teams.
If Olympic representation is the highest pinnacle of athletic aspiration and one of the prime reasons for the Club's establishment, then our founding Grandfather’s vision has truly become a reality. Frank has delivered to our Community a heritage steeped in endeavor and success and helped build a community that fosters passion, perseverance and pride.
May his spirit live on!

Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club 2012 Sports Luncheon

2012-03-16T16:27:00.006-07:00

20th April 2012

12 noon - 3:30 pm

Georges River 16ft Sailing Club

Mark it in your diary now.

With the London Olympics fast approaching there is lots to talk about. Some Sharks players are preparing to make the Olympic team and with less than 100 days to go we will get an insight into their preparation. There will be other sports stars to entertain you with some of their stories.

Some of the sports stars who entertained last year.

Don't miss out on this fantastic event. Get a table for your team and enjoy the fine food, drinks and fun entertainment.

Supporting the Violet Foundation

Trivia Night Success

2012-03-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

Last Friday night the annual Sharks trivia night was held at Cronulla High School. About 200 people showed up to support the club and were treated to some diverse brainteasers catering for all ages. Amongst the fun and games the crowd were also treated to a ‘cap up’ by the girls a very entertaining ‘deck change’ by the boys.

Boys Deck change competition. Check out mankini third from right.

Plenty of beautiful smiling faces

With the usual rounds of pick the faces, number crunch and a variety of general knowledge questions the favourite round seem to be ‘music mania’ which had the crowd dancing or in full song many times.

Plenty of wisdom at this table but not good enough on the night.

Above are the Luscious Luchi's who are the 2012 Trivia Night Champs. Check out the tension.

A big thank you to everyone who helped pull the night together, particularly Lisa and Anne. I would also like to thank the business' , families and idividuals who donated gifts and prizes for the night. Also many thanks to Cronulla High School for supporting our club.

To all those who went, thank you for supporting the club and if you couldn’t make it this year make sure you pencil it in for next year.

2012 U14 State Championships

2012-02-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

A strong contingent from Cronulla ventured the 400km’s to Tamworth for the 2012 U14 State Championships.

The group rounds played over Friday and Saturday saw our Boys and Girls Blue teams compete very strongly. The girls remained undefeated through these rounds while the boys met a very good team in Hunter and suffered their only loss in the group games.

Our boys Black team, did very well, wining two of their round games to finish second in their group, a great effort for a second team, while our Boys and Girls White teams competed strongly but were unable to get over the line during the group games, although they did come close a couple of times.

The Boys Blue and Black teams played their Quarter final qualifiers on Saturday afternoon, with the Blue team successfully defeating Alstonville while the Blacks couldn’t quite get there against Ovens & Murray.

As with all State Championships, Sunday is what it is all about. Our Blue girls continued their winning ways with a strong win over SNB in the Quarter Final and a close 1 goal victory over UNSW in the Semi Final. Our Blue boys had a great quarter final win over Drummoyne which resulted in a re-match with Hunter in the semi. Unfortunately for the boys, the result was the same as the round games with a very strong Hunter team proving too good.

Also on Sunday, our Boys White, who became affectionately known as the ‘mighty whities’ enjoyed their first victory with a win over Ryde. Our White Girls finished their tournament with a draw against Syd Uni and our Black boys had a close loss the Alstonville in their final game.

Sunday 3.15pm saw our Girls Blue play a strong Ovens & Murray team. Despite their best efforts our girls had to settle for silver as O & M ran out winners 9 – 4.

Congratulations to Ovens & Murray in the girls and Hunter in the boys on their victories. While it hurts Cronulla weren’t the victors, it is a State Championship so it is good to see the sport strong around the state.

Thank you to the teams, coaches and managers for representing our club proudly and a special thank you to the support crew who made the weekend an enjoyable time for all, especially the kids.

Finally, congratulations to all the boys and girls selected in the U14 State Squads & U13 Development Squads. Good luck to the U14’s with the selection process and we look forward to seeing as many sharks as possible representing NSW.

We were fortunate to have 7 girls, 5 boys & 2 reserves selected in the U14 Squad and 5 girls and 11 boys selected in the U13 Squad.

‘Sideline Eye’

ATTENTION Players in L1, L2 and U18

2012-02-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

In January, Predrag Mihailovic, Cronulla Head Coach, took 16 senior men’s players on a training camp to Europe. By all reports, this training camp was a spectacular success. Predrag is now proposing to take a similar tour for senior ladies at the end of June 2012.

It is still only an idea at this stage – but we would like to understand if there is any interest in going to the next stage.

The general details for the proposed tour are:

a) Commence end of June

b) Approximately 2-3 weeks

c) Destinations – Istanbul, Belgrade and Greece (TBC)

d) Training and sparing games

e) Cost - approximately $5,000

f) Manager – a manager will be appointed for the tour – but this is subject to discussion.

g) Limited to 13 participants.

We are not asking for firm commitment at this stage – we are simply trying to gauge if there is enough interest to proceed to the next step – which involves detailed pricing and preliminary organisation.

Please register your interest in attending this tour to Chris Brooks, chris.j.brooks@team.telstra.com or call 0439 670 165 by this Friday 10^th Feb, 2012 so we can determine if this is going to the next stage.

Thanks

Season Opener Sharks V Jets

2012-01-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

28.01.12. The Mens Sharks Team were out to prove that the opening game was no fluke. After a good start they quickly blew out to a two goal lead in the first quarter. This was then pegged back by the Jets to make it 3-3 at half time. Neither team could break away leaving the score at 6-6 at full time despite the great full length of the pool shot by Alex Bennie that went just over the bar in the last second.

This then set up a very exciting penalty shootout which is how draws are going to be decided this season. With a great save by Patrick in goals the Sharks managed to scrape home for the second consecutive game. The women's team also backed up their first win with a 7-4 victory.

26.1.2012 The Cronulla Sharks Mens team got their 2012 Season off to a dream start with good team work and some geat goalkeeping by Patrick Northem (below) the Sharks got out to an early lead only to be hauled back by half time.

Chris Batty (top) and Patch Falson (above) had strong games both contibuting 5 goals between them. The win sets up the team for a promising season under the guidance of the new coach, Predrag Mihailovic. The fittness and experience from the recent camp seems to be paying off.

Earlier in the day the Womens team accounted for the Jets 8-4. The Sharks got off to a slow start but eventually clicked into gear in the second half moving away to a comfortable win.

The Sharks fielded a very young side but guided by the more experienced girls such as Australian Stinger, Nicola Zagame (above), the younger ones, like 15 year old Lena Mihailovic (below) were able to contribute to the win.

Photos by Dick davies

Men's European Training Camp 2012

2012-01-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Serbian Parliament House

Tour Group

Click here to read Tight's Diary

Budva Montenegro

International Test Match Series

2012-01-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Cronulla rise to the top. U18 State Champions.

2011-12-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just one week after Cronulla won the Col Smee (U20) tournament, the Cronulla U18 Men’s side has put in a dominant performance to win the U18 State Club Championships at Ashfield last weekend. With 10 of the side backing up from the Col Smee tournament, the Cronulla boys played some strong water polo to remain undefeated in this competition. Cronulla won the final against Drummoyne 13-5 – in what was a hard fought match.

The standout characteristics of the team were again their strong team work and general overall fitness. They supported each other throughout every game and remained in control of each match. Again – this shows the benefits of Predrag’s short time as the Cronulla Head Coach and is a great indicator for the future of the Men’s Program.

Uga Mihailovic was awarded the Most Valuable Player, and Cronulla had 3 players named in the Team of the Tournament (Blake, Nic B, and Uga).

The gold medal winning team are: Sam Cocokios, Uga Mihailovic, Jack Jameson, Wade Turner, Matt Schweighoffer, Dylan Holden, Nic Brooks, Blake Buckley, Zac Quinn, Kieran Brunner-Evans, Keeland Tracy, Lachlan Greer.

Cronulla State Champions

2011-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

2011 Men’s Col Smee (U20) Tournament

The Cronulla Men’s U20 side has remained undefeated to win the 2011 Col Smee tournament.

It was a very even competition, and the Cronulla players had to fight hard in every one of their 7 games over the weekend. The two highlights of the weekend were the very strong defence throughout the competition and the way that the team supported each other in every game. It was even commented on by a number of players from other teams, that the real standout feature of Cronulla’s play was their teamwork. Everyone played their part.

The team is a relatively young side, and did not allow themselves to be fazed by their opposition teams who came to the tournament with impressive reputations.

The semi-final win against Balmain on Sunday morning was a great game which Cronulla won 9-6, setting them up for the final against Hunter. After a torrential downpour, they played a very tight and at times physical match, which again demonstrated a very strong defensive side with Cronulla winning 8-5. The team showed the benefits that Predrag has provided to the club in his short period as Head Coach.

Sam Cocokios was brilliant in goals all weekend and was named tournament MVP. Cronulla has 4 players (Sam C, Nic B, Blake B and Sam B) named in the NSW U20 Blues squad and 3 players (Uga M, Dylan H and Keeland T) named in the NSW U20 Waratah squad.

The gold medal winning team is: Sam Cocokios, Uga Mihalovic, Jack Jameson, Daniel Simpson, Matt Schweighoffer, Dylan Holden, Nic Brooks, Blake Buckley, Dylan Turner, Sam Baraket, Keeland Tracey, Kieran Brunner-Evans, Lachlan Greer.

Cronulla Sharks 2011 Xmas Party

2011-11-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

Boys and Girls National double Gold.

2011-10-19T01:52:00.000-07:00

Sydney club Cronulla have repeated their 2008 success by winning the boy’s and girl’s double at the 14 & Under National Club Championships in Canberra.

In two exciting finals, the Cronulla Blue boys over came a tough KFC Breakers side 9-4, while the girls defeated Melville 8-4.

The win was a family affair with husband and wife team Mark and Sandra Holden, coaching the successful teams which included their children, Rhys and Kiara. For Sandra, the win was the perfect end to months of training. “The girls have trained hard all year and they absolutely deserved the result they got,” Sandra said. “They work hard as a team, and that’s the key to the win.”

For both coaches, to take home the double is special. “It is fantastic to take both championships, both teams work hard and support each other in and out of the pool,” Mark said. “Both teams have big hearts, and they always play with passion,” Sandra added.

For girl’s captain Samantha Mitchell, winning the gold wasn’t her only achievement of the day, she also took home the Player of the Series award. But for Sam, the award wouldn’t have even been possible if not for her team. “It is amazing, to win the championships and then Player of the Series,” Mitchell said. “But without my team I couldn’t have got either. We played amazing today and were rewarded with the gold.” Mitchell’s teammate Maddison Nusdorfer was awarded the Goal Keeper of the Series in the girl’s tournament.

Boy’s:

Gold – Cronulla Sharks Blue; Silver – KFC Breakers; Bronze – Melville Sharks

Player of the Series - Rowan Farrell (Drummoyne Devils); Leading Goal Scorer – Jake Robinson (Hunter Hurricanes); Goal Keeper - Lucas Pensini (Melville Sharks)

Girl’s:

Gold – Cronulla Sharks Blue; Silver – Melville Sharks; Bronze – Drummoyne Devils

Player of the Series - Samantha Mitchell (Cronulla Blue); Leading Goal Scorer – Kristy Donkin (Sydney Northern Beaches Breakers); Goal Keeper - Maddison Nusdorfer (Cronulla Blue)

14's Supreme

2011-10-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Cronulla sent 3 boys girls and 2 girls’ teams to a very hot Tamworth weekend. All teams performed well over the weekend with each team consistently making improvements and securing some great wins. The Boys Blue Team won gold and the Girls Blue Team won gold and went through the tournament undefeated.

The 14 Blue girls had one of the tougher pools which meant some harder games during the rounds which set us in good steed for the playoffs.

After an inspirational pep talk from Kerry Turner the girls came out all guns blazing in the final to secure an early lead over Drummoyne. The girls continued to dictate play and rise throughout the game to convincingly win the game 9-4. This win is a testament to the amount of talent we have within our junior members and the dedication of every player in this team.

Congratulations to Samantha Mitchell who was awarded MVP and to all the girls who made TAP and development squads.

Thank you to all the parents for your assistance and support over the weekend, you all helped achieve this fantastic result. We can’t wait for Nationals.

The 14 Blue boys started the tournament a bit slowly, but as the games went on the boys started to play some really good ‘team’ water polo. After finishing 2nd in our pool we found ourselves playing Parramatta in the playoffs. This was the game we started to build our confidence with a solid 15 – 2 win, which saw us having to return to the pool at 8am on Sunday for a game against the hot favourites Drummoyne Red.

After a great bonding session we started off strong and eventually took the game in the third quarter with a rewarding 6 – 0 lead and eventually wining 9 – 3 to see us progress to the Semi finals against Breakers.

Another solid performance saw us win 11 – 4 to earn our place in the final against Alstonville. We came out all guns firing against Alstonville and leading 5 – 0 at half time. Alstonville produced some impressive water polo to come back to 6 – 4 before the last quarter. The boys held their nerves and finished the game winners 9 – 6.

Col Smee

2011-10-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Recently the U20's Cronulla boys competed in the U20 Col Smee Tournament at Parramatta pool on the 17th, 18th, 19th December.

The boys played well and were very competitive coming up against some well drilled teams and talented individuals. Well done to all who participated! Thank you to Glenn Simpson for assisting with the coaching and Chris Brooks for managing the boys. Congratulations to Blake Buckley, Sam Baraket and Sam Cocokios who were selected in the NSW U20's squad. It was Captain Luke Brbot's last year competing in the tournament. U18's Championships coming up February 4th-6th at Parramatta pool. Final Result 5^th Coach: Chris Batty

Sharks Futurama

2011-10-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

On Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th of January two Cronulla teams participated in an Invitational 12 years and under Water Polo Tournament at Dawn Fraser Baths, Balmain(Playing at the Dawn Fraser Baths was in itself an experience that will never be forgotten by the children) Cronulla played teams from Tamworth, UNSW Wests, Balmain and Barbarian teams. The Tournament was very well organised and of a very high standard. We would like to thank Ann-Marie Miranda and her Committee for the outstanding job they did.

The Cronulla Gummy Sharks Team was entered in a younger division. They made the finals and were runners up in that division going down in a hard fought battle to the Tamworth Tigerlillies, 6 - 3. A great effort!

The Cronulla Sharks Team went through the Tournament undefeated. They played eight games over the two days then won the Final against UNSW Wests 9-7. A very close and hard fought final showing the exceptional skills of boys in both teams. I would like to congratulate both teams for they fine effort and for the way they conducted themselves displaying good sportsmanship both in and around the pool. They were fine young ambassadors for the Cronulla Club. Congratulations boys on your fantastic achievement!

Back row : Keelan Milinkovic, Daniel McStravick, Ryan Greer, Jet Turner, Jed McStravick, Kylie Spencer (Coach)
Front row : Patrick Gibbons, Boyd Spencer, Matt Sparks, Andrew Condos, Declan Spencer

The Small Gummies

Around the world

2011-10-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

"Academy" opens a "Window to the World of Water Polo" - Maddie & Kristyn - representing Australia U18s European Tour.

Holly and Ziggy with their Silver medal and “C” ronulla

Australia

’s dreams of retaining its FINA World Cup women’s water polo crown in Christchurch August 22 were dashed when a very alert America came out fighting from the start. In an incredible game, the world and world league champion USA suffocated the Aussie Stingers in the first half, winning the first two quarters 3-0 and finishing 6-3 ahead. It wasn’t until Nicola Zagame sparked the Stingers into action at the start of the third quarter that a glimmer of hope remained in the camp. However, at 6-2 heading into the final quarter the writing was on the wall and head coach Greg McFadden was left lamenting what could have been.

Thank You Brew Falson

2011-10-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Bruce has had an association going back 21 years with NSW Water Polo, to 22nd November 1989 - he has now finished working with NSW Water Polo. Before Bruce started employment as Coaching Director with NSW Water Polo he was involved as a volunteer coaching NSW woman’s representative teams.

A staggering 24 teams over 14 years and nearly all teams won the tournament they played in. Bruce was a very understanding and knowledgeable coach and was able to readily empathise with his charges to bring out the best in them.

Bruce was responsible to the development of the NSWWPI Coach Education Program and drew on a vast range of resources when presenting the course. Feedback received from participants of courses conducted by Bruce was always positive, with the new coaches inoculated with an appreciation that the game of Water Polo is for the player’s enjoyment. Since AWPI has developed the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme Bruce has presented this course with the same passion he has always held for the sport. At international level as a coach Bruce excelled, coaching the Australian Junior women’s team over a thirteen-year period. The results were;

1995 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Saint Fe 2nd Place

1997 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Prague 2nd Place 1999 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Messina 1st Place

2001 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Perth 2rd Place 2003 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Calgary 6th Place

2005 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Perth 3rd Place 2007 FINA Junior Women's World Championships Porto 1st Place (unable to attend because of a leg injury)

Appointed to the position for 2009 but ultimately withdrew himself on health grounds.

In all that time Bruce lost about 6 games only as an Australian Coach, a remarkable achievement in the international arena. Bruce was remarkable for spotting talent and developing athletes through the junior ranks into senior National Teams and his knowledge of the game and scouting of opposition teams could not be faulted.

New South Wales Water Polo and Australian Water Polo wish Bruce every success with his future endeavours.

Bruce intends to keep himself involved with the sport, especially coaching his beloved Cronulla Sutherland Sharks.

Australian All Schools Championships

2011-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last month the Girls NSW All Schools won the Girls Australian All Schools Championships at Woy Woy Aquatic Centre. NSW consisting of four Sharks National League Players (Maddy Schmid, Emily Car, Michaela Davies and Jess Brookes) went through the championship undefeated beating Queensland 10-5 in the final. Maddy Schmid was named player of the Championship. Maddy was also named, along with Emily Car and Michaela Davies in the Australian All Schools Team to tour Europe at the end of the year finishing with a test series in NZ. The successful team was also managed by the tireless Shark, Sandra Holden.

The NSW Boys were runners up losing to Victoria in the final by one goal. Sharks Nic Bbot was a member of this team and was also name as a reserve for the Australian School boys Team

In other news from the Academy, Kristyn Watkin was named in the Aussie Born 93 squad.