Largest regional water polo tournament keeps getting bigger

GEELONG Marlins junior co-ordinator Deb Johnson was thrilled to see a record number of water polo athletes at the seventh Tri-States Junior Water Polo Tournament at the weekend.

The Marlins-hosted event at Kardinia Aquatic Centre featured 54 teams and 600 competitors from regional Victoria, metro Melbourne, regional New South Wales and Tasmania.

Johnson said the Marlins battled hard against stiff competition, with several opposition teams featuring national representatives.

“Our (mixed) under-12s finished fourth which was amazing because for a number of our under-12s, that was their first tournament, some their first game, and they were a very young side so that was an incredible effort,” she said.

Johnson said the under-14 girls narrowly missed out on finals while the new-look under-16 boys’ team received praise from their coach for their gallant effort.

The event featured under-12s through to under-16s with teams split up into girls, boys and mixed.

Some players will compete at the Australian Youth Championships held in Western Australia in April.

The water polo season for juniors runs from October to April.