The Aussie Sharks have finished their Tokyo Olympic campaign on a high, defeating Kazakhstan 15-7 tonight at Tatsumi Water Polo Centre.
The Sharks caused an upset in the early preliminary rounds, defeating medal favourites Croatia, but it wasn’t enough to remain in the hunt for a medal of their own, suffering three losses which saw them finish fifth in their group.
Tonight’s win was a confidence booster for the Australian men, who ended their campaign with two wins.
It also marked a special occasion for triple Olympian and goal keeper Joel Dennerley, who was named honorary Captain for the game after serving the last five years as Aaron Younger’s vice-captain.
As the last game of the Olympics, the playing group bestowed upon Dennerely the captain duties.
“That was a very special moment, and I really appreciate it,” Dennerley said.
“It was a real privilege to be captain today, and lead such a great bunch of guys.
“We’ve got a great group, and not just the group we’ve had together for the last five years, but the last few Olympic cycles,” he said.
Dennerley was proud of the efforts of his team, not only in this game, but the whole Olympic cycle.
“We’ve got a group that’s been together for a long time, with plenty of experience,” Dennerley said.
“We know our preparation was quite strong, in terms of our conditioning, philosophy and tactics.
“The lack of match experience we’ve had in the last couple of years probably caught up with us a little bit.
“But that doesn’t take away from the belief that we could do something special here,” he said.
The game was full of emotions for the Aussie Sharks, not just for the end of their Olympic campaign, but also the end of coach Elvis Fatovic’s time at the helm.
Fatovic was appointed Head Coach of the Sharks in 2013, leading the Sharks to historic wins at the World Cup, a career capped off at the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s really emotional - I’m really grateful that I’ve had the chance to work with this group of people,” Fatovic said.
“It was a privilege to work with them, to share good and bad things, for the last eight and a half years.
“We’ve done really great things together, and unfortunately we didn’t succeed here like we wanted to.
“But I’m so proud of them, and the effort they have put in.
“I can say that this chapter of my life is maybe one that I have enjoyed the most.
“Both as a player and a coach, and while that has just finished, I’ll always feel like my home is in Australia,” he said.
#HaveAGo at Water Polo
Water Polo
WHAT IS WATER POLO?
Water Polo is Australia’s most popular aquatic team sport, that is designed for participants of all backgrounds and abilities. Two teams face off across four quarters, with the aim of throwing the ball into your opponent's goal. Each team has seven players, including a goalkeeper, and all play without their feet ever touching the bottom!
WHAT DO I NEED?
Just your swimmers and a towel! When you jump in the water you will be given a cap and a ball to play with your team!
WHO CAN PLAY?
Everyone 5 to 95+ years – water polo is a great sport for all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities focusing on water safety, team spirit and ball handling.
