WSL2 - Report by Torben Fink-Jensen

With Essendon 2nd from the bottom of the ladder, a game against the bottom team was expected to bring out our best play. At the beginning of the match we lined up with 12 players against NYP's 8, so it looked like we had an advantage before we jumped in the pool. The game meandered a bit in the first quarter until about half way through when Lisa Ando unleashed a 10m smash with 1 sec to go on the shot clock. We had a few good shots but nothing that went past the keeper before Kyrene also shot from around 7m to sneak in the near post. We missed a penalty and then an NYP player turned our defence, leaving her a clean run to goal for 2-1 at the end of the quarter. We started strongly in the 2nd quarter but allowed them to pull back to 2-2 before Maria enjoyed a drive into goal for 3-2. NYP had 11 players by now so our swimming advantage was lost. They evened up at 3-3. From there we put our foot down and went out to 5-3 with shots from Kyrene and a penalty from Alex. Our next goal was slow in coming as we missed another penalty, but on the other hand, we stopped the goal flow at the other end with Katie making some great Inspector Gadget trademark saves. Eventually the drought was broken by Emily on a fast break, followed by two more fast breaks leaving Mietta free at the far post twice in a row with easy tap-ins - a nice way to mark her first game for Essendon since April 2023. Denise finished off the quarter with a free shot to the bottom corner of the net.  With the score at 9-3 we then lost a bit of momentum and let slip two goals for 9-5 at the end of the 3rd quarter. The first goal in the final quarter took 5 minutes to arrive as Alex turned her player in CF and scored. NYP hit back immediately to make it 10-6. They then managed a penalty to bring it to 10-7, and with 3 minutes to go, had a brief flash of looking like they might find a way back to a drawn game. But Essendon rallied and eventually we scored once more through Alex for 11-7. One final goal from NYP wasn't enough and we were across the line.

Essendon defeated the NYP Dragons Yellow : 11 - 8   

Goals : Alex 3, Kyrene 2, Mietta 2, Lisa 1, Maria 1, Emily 1, Denise 1

The WSL2 team in action this week (photos courtesy of Torben Fink-Jensen, see more on our FB page)

WSL3 - Report by Lisa Murray-Segal

Sitting at the bottom of the ladder without a win for this comp, we knew our best chance for getting on the board was against Monash, just above us on the ladder. Our last game against them saw us come close, losing by a goal. Come game time when they only had 6 players signed on, we were quietly bouyed and keen to get on with things. Though light on numbers Monash had plenty of talent and speed putting the first goal on the board , then adding another 2. We were slower to get organised and take advantage of our extra player, but finally hit the net through Isi, down 1-3 at the break. Our second quarter was better, but we struggled with accuracy in front of goals and some wayward passes resulted in hard earned opportunities going down the gurgler. Sandra was solid in goals denying Monash a score, while LisaMS added to our tally with a solid shot after Heidi drew her defender. The halftime 2-3 scoreline was looking promising. We scored the first two goals in the third, another to Isi and Sally putting away a lovely angled shot. The scoreboard showed us ahead 4-3. But the glory was short lived, with Monash capitalising on turnovers and adding another 3 to their tally. And so we went into the final quarter down 4-6. It was a tight tussle, as we started to get some rythm and shot truly through Sally and Meg. But we were struggling all night to get a favorable ref call, and this continued to impact our attack in the final term as Monash took the ball and ran from a free to hit the net. They also scored a double to finish off the game. Whilst the result was disappointing (and a little embarrassing) it was probably one of our better played games with repsect to pool space and defence.

Essendon were defeated by Monash : 6 - 8 Goals : Isabele 2, Sally 2, LisaMS 1, Meg 1

MSL4 - Report by Marcus Jones

I would like to dedicate this wrap to our President – Bryan Wee. This man is the long-time President of Essendon Water Polo, serves on the Australian Water Polo Tribunal, is a successful lawyer, unbelievable family man donates his money and time to many Essendon WP initiatives and is friends with everyone. Fundamentally Bryan is a ripping good guy but there is one thing he isn’t – he isn’t a goal shooter – and dear readers its not from lack of trying……..tonight’s game was a great example, by half time Bryan had missed 4 goals from almost point blank range. At one stage we thought he was missing deliberately to give the team more swimming practice!!

Dear readers I need to tell, the team was supportive – we gathered at half time and agreed on the Pass to Bryan Strategy. This strategic genius worked and allowed Bryan to have 6 more shots from almost point blank range for a zero return………..by the end of the game all we could say – Its Bryan!!!!

In other news the team played really well with great swimming, passing and successful shooting. The only real blip was the Silver Fox lost one swim off but made up for it by shooting the goals that others missed. Per usual the Mills boys were excellent – Go Go Gadget Arms Paul was a brickwall in goals. Well done guys and keep supporting Bryan in his quest to score a goal.

Essendon defeated Melbourne Surge Onyx : 15 - 1 

Goals : Great team effort with most players scoring with 1 notable exception.

Youth Boys - Report by Felix Neal

Playing up against the top team is no small task and this week our efforts were spectacular. And whilst we didn't win, we were rewarded with a close game coming up just short.

Essendon/Monash/NYP Dragons were defeated by Melbourne Collegians : 7 - 10 Goals : TBC

14&U Boys - Report by Tim Elmore

In the opening quarter, Essendon and Richmond Black matched each other's intensity, with only six players in the water for Richmond. Despite Essendon's early pressure from forwards like Jack, Nate, and Toby, they couldn't convert their opportunities. Richmond responded swiftly, testing Essendon's defense, but goalkeeper Magnus thwarted their attempts, allowing only one goal in. So Richmond ended the quarter with a slight lead. The second quarter saw Essendon at full strength with Timo bolstering their defense. This allowed Jack and Nate to capitalize on their scoring chances, supported by Toby and Zac's assists. Essendon managed to edge ahead, ending the quarter at 3-2 after Jack converted a late 5-meter opportunity. However, Essendon's discipline waned in the third quarter, leading to multiple fouls and majors awarded against them. Nate's expulsion from the game halfway through the quarter further weakened Essendon's defense. Richmond capitalized on their power plays, scoring several goals and taking control of the match. Heading into the final quarter, Essendon found themselves in foul trouble, prompting strategic adjustments like moving Timo into the goal and cautioning Jack to maintain composure. Despite their efforts, confusion over fouls and player availability allowed Richmond to dominate, scoring multiple goals and securing a commanding victory.

Essendon were defeated by the Richmond Tigers Black : 3 - 11 Goals : Jack 2, Nate 1

Whilst we reported on the U14 Boys and U16 Girls last week, we now have a report written by Felix, who played with the U16 Monash team.

U16 Boys - Report by Felix Neal

Hi! My name is Felix Neal and in the recent Tri-State comp, I played with the U16’s Monash squad and had great fun. Saturday, we had a tough first matchup for the day and despite being down a player we only lost by 3 goals : 8-11. However the afternoon's game was far closer with our Monash squad taking the win at 5-2. Sunday morning was off to an early start with the first game kicking off at 8:30am. It was a rough fought match but in the end we lost 9-5. In between games we helped out with coaching and umpire duties while also making sure we stayed pumped for the games ahead. The second game of day 2 was even rougher with many players experiencing extreme levels of fouls. The final game was hard fought by both teams and with no substitutes we went down 4-7. Overall I really enjoyed theTri-State experience, it was super fun and enjoyable.