The Sport

Victorian Water Polo Inc. is the governing body for the water polo sport played in Victoria, and is based at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC). All players participating in water polo tournaments must be registered with a Victorian club such as Essendon Water Polo Club.

The sport is physically demanding, and has similarities with basketball and soccer. There are seven players in the pool, an interchange bench to rest, and a “sin bin” for players committing an offence. There is close physical competition between opponents which occurs both above and below the water’s surface. Stringent rules and strong refereeing ensure the sport is played in good spirits. Injuries are uncommon in water polo, though mouthguards are strongly recommended given the nature of the game.

For seniors, there are two metropolitan tournaments run every year at MSAC. The Winter Competition (April-June, 10 weeks) and the Victorian Championships (August-November, 18 weeks). Each tournament is open to both men and women with a variety of grades to cater for the differing abilities within the sport. Games are generally played on a Tuesday or Thursday evening. Junior players also have two competitions per year, usually coinciding with the school terms. Typically there is a Term 1-2 Tournament (which breaks whilst the school holidays are on) and then a Term 4 Competition. These are played generally on a Sunday, either at MSAC or at the Hawthorn Leisure Centre. The Essendon Water Polo Club actively supports the promotion of the sport within Victoria.

Club History

The Essendon Water Polo Club has seen many changes over the years and was originally know as the Oak Park Water Polo Club. In 1985 members and friends of the Oak Park Swimming Club got together to play water polo for the first time. A group of 8 men dubbed “the water ratz” took to the pool, in the lowest Victorian Water Polo grade on offer, finishing last. It was their developing love of the sport and their determination that saw them succeed over the years and grow in numbers, to include a women’s team in 1990. With the expansion of it’s membership and the arrival of juniors to the club, it needed to find improved facilities and moved from the outdoor pool at Oak Park, to the new indoor Windy Hill (Essendon) Fitness Centre, in the early 1990’s. This brought about name changes over several years, moving from Oak Park, to Essendon-Oak Park and then finally Essendon.

And so began our long standing relationship with the Essendon Football and Community Sporting Clubs (EFCSC), which encompasses all the local sporting clubs in the Essendon area. As a result of our members supporting the Windy Hill Social Club, we receive tremendous financial support from the EFCSC, and proudly display their logo alongside ours.