Marlins bouncing back

GEELONG water polo officials hope recent success in and out of the pool will encourage more players to give the sport a try.

Geelong Marlins are inviting more locals to dip their toes in the water to build on continued membership growth and a string of state representatives from their junior production line.

Nine of the region’s best young talents earned Victorian selection during the past year in boys and girls teams across under 14, 15 and 16 age groups.

Participation is also up for the local club, with more than 60 junior members aged nine and up playing polo and about 150 members signed up across the club overall including volunteers and parents, after it had started with just six members four fears ago.

The Marlins have continued to build their member base despite being particularly hard-hit by COVIID-19 – restrictions imposed on pools meant that training and competitions were unviable for the club even after lockdowns had ended.

But hot summer Geelong nights and a friendly atmosphere have continued attracting players since water polo could return this season.

The club’s junior co-ordinator Deb Johnson said the club was proud of its growth despite its recent challenges and its status as a minority sport for Geelong.

“We’ve been through tough times but we’ve done well. A couple of grants from governments and councils have enabled us to keep fees to a minimum to attract people,” Ms Johnson said.

Ms Johnson said the Marlins aimed to be a “family-oriented and inclusive” club, that provided a friendly atmosphere for social participants while still offering pathways for competitive players.

“We cater for kids that might be total learners. A couple of those kids in state team started when they were six or seven and have come right through and are doing really well,” she said.

The Marlins senior team will head to Ballarat for the Victorian country championships on the weekend, and are hopeful of bringing some back silverware at the state competition.

Geelong will also host the Tri-states tournament event at Kardinia Aquatic Centre the following week, on February 19 and 20, which will attract dozens of teams from across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.

The Marlins train each Monday night at Geelong’s outdoor pool until April, with juniors starting at 6.30pm and open age groups at 7.30pm.