WSL2   Report by Darren Steere

After driving to Canberra with the 17/u girls and back, a total of 1300km and 126 dead kangaroos on the side of the road, we fronted up to face NYPD in the inside pool, due to the swimming GP being setup. 

NYPD pregame asked if it was OK to take some photos while the game was on. No worries. Oh, they forgot to mention that they had dropped a WSL1 player down to help them out with numbers. We welcomed Maddie up from the 16s/WSL3 to play her first WSL2 game. 

The match got underway with no real action, we dominated play, but didn't put the ball in the most important area.......NYPD's goal.  Emmy opened our account with a field goal and then converted a penalty to make it 2-1 for the quarter.

The second quarter was much the same, but the attention was all on how much longer would their WSL1 player stay in the game, as she had collected 2 major fouls early. We struggle to get players that are on two majors, ejected on their third. Goals to Gen and Abbie moved the tally to 4-2.

As the third quarter got underway, we didn't have to wait very long, as Alex decided to take the responsibility of throwing her entire body at the WSL1 girl and get them both kicked out. Luckily it was only Alex's 2nd foul. NYPD then had to play with a player down for the rest of the game. NYPD were already showing signs of fatigue and a player down wasn't going to help.  The scoreboard gates opened and we took full advantage, 2 for Kate, one for Gen and despite being excluded during the quarter, Alex fired in 3, including a penalty, giving us a solid 11-5 lead.

The final quarter was very entertaining, as NYPD tried bringing their goalie down into the field play. It probably confused our girls more than troubled them, as we scored another 5 goals to their 2 long range, fingerscrossed lobs. 

Essendon defeated the NYP Dragons : 16 - 7  

Goals : Emmy 5, Alex 3, Gen 2, Kate 2, Josie 1, Abbie 1, Olivia 1 (BFIA*)

*Boyfriend in attendance 

WSL3   Report by Lisa Murray-Segal

With the game time changing to a later start, we were strapped for numbers this week with only 8 available, and 2 of those players would be joining us on the back of having played in the SL2 game just ahead of ours.  So we knew we'd be down on speed and strength against a side we drew with on our last encounter.  Despite that, we came out of the gates quickly and were first to net a goal, with a nice pass from Ari at CF to Maddy on the wing and in. Things tightened up after that, and neither side could break through on the scoreboard, finishing the quarter 1-0. The second was a reverse of the opening term. Monash scored, and held us back to make it 1-1 at the halftime break. Monash came out fresher in the 3rd quarter, using their bench of 3, whilst our second gamers were tiring and fighting off the oldies to get to the bench (and by oldies, I mean me😉). Our defence got a little sloppy and despite Sandras solid work in goals a couple slipped through. We were still making good space in offence and having plenty of shots, but we weren't quick enough to beat the goalie, and never really made her work. So we were down 1-3 when we started the final quarter. Monash scored first to assert their lead at 1-4, but we replied quickly with Abbie digging deep and barging her way through, shooting truly. Not content with a single, Abbie doubled down a minute later to make it 3-4. Then things got a little hectic on both sides, Georgia with a notable defensive play forcing a dangerous player out of range. Excitement grew when the ball was delivered to Sheridan at centre forward who turned and sunk one under the keepers arms to make it 4-4 with just a minute left. On the re-start we stole possession, but lost it again in offence, and with just 10 secs left on the clock they tore down the pool and managed to catch us out with a goal seconds before the siren. A disappointing loss, but a game we all gave our best. 

Essendon were defeated by Monash : 4 - 5   Goals : Abbie 2, Madeleine 1, Sheridan 1

MSL4   Report by Ilona Elmore

A change of venue tonight, with the game played indoors at MSAC as the pool prepares for the SwimGP event. This meant a full-size field for SL4, so the boys were going to need to bring their A-game. With a full squad of 13 players available, finals can’t be too far away!

Monash came ready to play. Essendon started strongly, but Monash’s speed up the pool and a vocal goalkeeper helped them take control of the game from late in the second quarter.

There were plenty of kick-outs, with Lee reaching his limit of three majors and even the goalkeeper getting in on the action with a kick-out of his own!

The pace was quicker and the pool was bigger, presenting a different challenge for the lads. There are a few things to tidy up, particularly our passing and limiting turnovers, but plenty to take away from the game.

Essendon were defeated by Monash : 5 - 7   Goals : Ryan 3, Henry 1, Jack 1

Below : the MSL4 team in action this week (photos courtesy of Ilona Elmore)

OSL5   (Editor)

The guys had a night off this week with a scheduled bye, but will be up against the MC Chiefs next week looking for the win!

12&U Mixed  (Editor)

After completing their 3 clinic style sessions, the DVE-Essendon 12s team had a scheduled bye this week, so will front up for their first official game this Sunday against Footscray Red

14&U Boys   Report by Hayden Woods

On Sunday the Essendon / NYP / Footscray U14 boys conglomerate faced up against a strong Monash Uni / NYP Dragons, currently 2nd on the ladder.  A bigger and faster team was always going to be a handful, in particular when trying to create space to receive passes and move the ball up the pool - the speed and size differential meant every pass was under pressure.  This led to some poor passing (and passing choices), with the resulting turnovers translating to pain on the scoreboard.  It was great to see some of the things we've been working on at training showing up in the game (such as better pressure on the ball carrier), but we do need to be aware of people sneaking past us in defence and make sure we get up forward to support our attacks.   

Essendon-NYP-Footscray were defeated by Monash-NYP : 1 - 18

14&U Girls    (Editor)

The Essendon girls were unavailable to play this week, and unfortunately WPV are yet to publish the match results from the weekend's games.

GAME 1 : Northcote-Essendon Vs Footscray-DVE (result TBC)

GAME 2 : Northcote-Essendon Vs Monash (result TBC)

16&U Boys  Report by Jamie Kirby

GAME 1 : A big weekend of water polo for our boys, with 2 games at Camberwell Grammar.  First up was Geelong/Northcote, a fierce contest early with lots of tight marking. Tied at quarter time, the boys came out inspired in the second, and managed a 2 goal advantage by half time. In the third it was tough, not for the faint of heart - a low scoring quarter (some brilliant keeping from Angus) giving us a 1 goal lead at the final break. The boys found some space in the fourth quarter, opening up a lead and then restricting the counter-attacks for a well deserved victory. 

DVE-Essendon-Footscray defeated Geelong/Northcote : 12 - 8   Goals : TBC

GAME 2 : After a 2 hour break (in which our Essendon boys both had a full second breakfast!), we faced off against Richmond Yellow. Our boys continued their good form into this match against a superior opponent on paper, pressuring Richmond with our good defence and hurting Richmond with some fast ball movement. Our Essendon boys were great! Angus was immense in goal, with numerous important saves. Ashton was defending fiercely, and hit Richmond on the counter-attack with a perfectly placed shot from 6 metres! Another shot so close, bouncing off the crossbar. Our boys tired in the last quarter, conceding a number of goals to give Richmond the win. A great day overall, with positive signs for this blended team.

DVE-Essendon-Footscray were defeated by Richmond Yellow : 6 - 13   Goals : TBC

16&U Girls  (Editor)

With the majority of U16 girls across all clubs away this weekend competing in Canberra, WPV suspended games in this grade, to resume next week.

18&U Boys  (Editor)

With the majority of U18 boys across all clubs away this weekend competing in Canberra, WPV suspended games in this grade, to resume next week.

14&U Boys : Northcote (Essendon)  

Report by Sheridan Mom

What a massive weekend in the pool at the 2026 Junior Canberra Cup!

A huge shoutout to Essendon's Xavier and Dean, who teamed up with the Northcote U14 boys alongside a few other guest players for an unforgettable tournament run.

 A massive thank you goes out to the Northcote club, coaches, and families for so warmly welcoming our boys into their squad and making them feel right at home.The combined team gelled quickly and was in dominant form all weekend. After winning all three of their round games on Saturday and backing it up with two more victories on Sunday morning, the boys marched into Sunday’s grand final completely undefeated to take on Ovens and Murray.

Playing their third match of the day, tired legs began to show in the decider against a tough opposition that regularly double-teamed our key players. While the boys created plenty of scoring opportunities, fatigue and heavy defensive pressure saw plenty of shots miss the target. Despite the frustration in front of goal, they dug deep in a gritty, low-scoring battle that left the scores locked at 2–2 at full time. The match went down to the wire in a tense penalty shootout, where they unfortunately fell just short in a heartbreaking 5–6 finish.

Congratulations to Xavier, Dean, the fellow guest players, and the entire Northcote squad on a gutsy grand final effort, an incredible five-game winning streak, and a well-earned 2nd place.

Below : Northcote 14&U Boys team in Canberra, with Essendon's Xavier and Dean in action (photos courtesy of Northcote)

16&U Girls : Essendon-DVE-Marlins  

Report by Kate Simnett

The U17 girls’ entry for CC was a delightful mishmash of 5 clubs – Essendon, DVE, Geelong, Northcote and Monash – known as the Party Mix.

Despite doing some CC specific training to get together before the comp - and a lovely team dinner! -  the first few games were about the girls getting to know each other’s strengths – sadly, this work was undertaken against two of the stronger teams; Wagga and Hunter who showed what a team that know each other looks like!  Still, there was a lot to be hopeful about – good swimming, good passing and shots on goal.

Day two saw the girls fired up for an 8am game with another team that had had three losses. Passes were linking, defenders were fierce and we came away with a close win.  The final game of the tournament was against our old foe Richmond. We’d come close in the WPV Sunday competition so we knew we could do it. It was 8 all with 12 seconds to go and the ref felt Richmond were wasting time lining up – our ball!  A penalty! The lengthy wait and pressure were too much in the end but it was still a good way to finish the tournament.

Every single girl should be very proud of their development over the weekend. The good thing about tournaments is that you can fix things that went wrong in the last game without the week-long wait in between.    

HUGE thanks to Darren and Alex for coaching – it’s a massive undertaking and is most appreciated,  props to Alice – who discovered the frustration of watching rather than playing! – for all her record keeping, gratitude to Sandra for all her excellent sponsorship work to make sure the girls looked amazing, credit to the parents for schlepping up to Canberra (and back with tired girls!) and a special thanks to Dermott, Lucy & Mel for doing the table.  Like a water polo team, you can’t do it by yourself

Results:

Game 1 – Vs Wagga, 11/2 loss. Goals: Josie M (1) & Josie S-S (1)

Game 2 – Vs Hunter Hurricanes, 14/2 loss. Goals: Kate P (2)

Game 3 – Vs MC, 7/3 loss. Goals: Arly B (1), Josie S-S (1) & Kate P (1)  

Game 4 – Vs Drummoyne, 7/6 win(!). Goals:  Josie M (3), Josie S-S (1), Kate P (2) & Lola (1)

Game 5 – Vs Richmond, 8/8 draw. Goals: Arly B (1), Josie M (3), Josie S-S (2), Kate P (2)

Below : Alex and Darren with the girls 17&U team in Canberra (photos courtesy of Lucy Leahy)

18&U Boys : DVE (Essendon)   

Report by Ilona Elmore

The highs and lows of sport were on full display at this year's Canberra Cup. This DVE team, with a couple of ring-ins from other clubs (including Jack from Essendon), have been playing together for around 12 months now. Over that time, they've shared plenty of tournaments, games and experiences in the pool, building connections, developing their game and growing together as a team.

As the boys begin to age out of junior tournaments, there was plenty riding on Canberra Cup this year. There was a lot to play for, plenty of excitement and, as it turned out, a few emotional twists and turns along the way.

Saturday – Finding Our Feet

Saturday's first game against Sydney Uni Lions started a little shakily, with the boys clearly needing to blow out a few cobwebs. But once the nerves settled and they found their rhythm, the team began to hit their stride, coming away with a convincing 9–5 win. A solid start to the tournament and a good confidence boost heading into the next games.

Another win in the middle of the day kept the momentum building. Then came the final game of Saturday, a late 6pm timeslot, where the boys once again got the job done.

Three games, three wins and an undefeated finish to the day. The team was clearly finding its form, with confidence growing and everything looking promising heading into Sunday.

Team dinner was a little later than planned, but that didn't stop the post-game chatter. Plenty of discussion around ladders, pools and who we might be facing the following day once the final pool games were done. The excitement was building, the calculations were underway,.  Eventually, it was time to call it a night and get some sleep before Sunday's action.

Sunday – The Business End

Day 2 kicked off with a 10am start against local side Nordek. On paper, we knew we were probably the stronger team, but we still needed to back up Saturday's form and show the same confidence and composure. As it turned out, there was little to worry about. The boys delivered a dominant 12–0 win to get Sunday underway. Jack even got his opportunity from the 5-metre line, converting the penalty beautifully. A great little moment and a nice reward. That wrapped up the round-robin games, with DVE finishing clearly on top of the ladder and looking in great form.

Next up was UNSW Wests, finishing second in Pool A. NSW teams are never easy to beat, but once again, DVE looked like the team to beat. The boys had found their rhythm and were playing with plenty of confidence. But water polo is an exhausting game, and tournaments take their toll. While DVE had cruised through the earlier games, they hadn't really been tested yet. The bodies were starting to tire, the legs weren't quite as fresh, and it wasn't just the players feeling it – the parents were beginning to feel the weekend too! UNSW Wests found another gear and really brought the pressure, giving the boys their toughest challenge of the tournament so far. Suddenly, it was a very different game. DVE had to dig deep, fight for every possession and hang on to secure a narrow one-goal win.

A timely reminder that you can never take an opponent for granted, no matter what the ladder says or how well you've been playing. The boys had been tested, and they'd found a way to get the job done.

Next stop – the Grand Final!

The Grand Final – MC

And so, the final game of the day would be the Grand Final. After travelling all the way to Canberra, we were to face another Melbourne side, Melbourne Collegians for the title.

DVE went into the game as the in form team. They had been playing some great polo all weekend and had already beaten MC during the Victorian summer season, so there was plenty of confidence in the group. But this wasn't quite the same MC side. They had a few extra players in their line-up and, importantly, had been pushed through some tough games in the lead-up. We knew it wouldn't be an easy one. As the boys took to the pool, you could see the weekend starting to catch up with them. Bodies were weary, legs were heavy and the long gap between games hadn't necessarily helped. After a big weekend of polo, the physical toll was becoming harder to hide, just when they needed one more big effort.

The game got underway and DVE looked in control during the first quarter. The boys created plenty of opportunities and had shots on goal, but tired arms and weary bodies made it difficult to find the back of the net. They were doing the hard work to create the chances, but just couldn't quite convert them into goals. The first quarter ended scoreless, with neither team able to find the back of the net. The second quarter brought a little more action. DVE managed to put one on the board, but two 5-metre penalties against us gave MC the opportunity to convert, and they took full advantage.

At half-time, DVE found themselves trailing 3–2. It was a tight contest, and the boys had some work to do if they were going to bring the Canberra Cup home. The fight was well and truly on. More shots on goal, more agonisingly narrow misses and tension building with every possession. You could feel it in the stands – parents on the edge of their seats, barely able to watch. The boys kept pushing, and eventually the scores were level again. But just when we thought we might be finding our way, MC edged ahead late in the final quarter. With just a minute on the clock, Coach Riley called a timeout. Whatever was said in that huddle, it certainly fired the boys up. They came back into the pool, took control and found a way to level the scores with just 10 seconds remaining. OH. MY. HEART!

What a finish. Just when it looked like the game might slip away, the boys found one more gear.

The Penalty Shootout

And so, we were heading into a penalty shootout. A familiar and unwelcome situation for these boys, having finished AYC earlier in the year in much the same way, with the disappointment of a shootout loss still fresh in their minds. The first five penalties were evenly matched, with both goalkeepers pulling off a crucial save to keep things level. It was nail-biting stuff. But as the shootout went into round two, MC eventually found the breakthrough. And just like that, it was over.

Heartbroken. Disappointed. Devastated.

After an undefeated run through the tournament, a hard-fought semi-final win and an incredible comeback in the Grand Final, to have it decided by penalties was a tough way to finish.

There really were no words.

More Than the Result

I think we're all a bit scarred by penalty shootouts by now! It's a tough way to decide a game, and spare a thought for the goalies. Who would want that job? The pressure is enormous.

But, as this team always does, they'll regroup, dust themselves off and be back on the pool deck on Sunday for the Victorian Summer Season. And remember, these boys are still bottom-age players in Under 18s, with plenty of water polo ahead of them

Success isn't always measured by the scoreboard. And in that sense, I think this team has already found plenty of it. Sport can be cruel. It can break your heart in a moment, but it can also deliver the moments that matter most – the lessons, the friendships, the resilience and the memories that stay with you long after the final whistle.

And sometimes, those are the wins that matter most.

Onwards, boys. There's more to come! 

Below : the DVE Aquatic team and coaches in Canberra, with Essendon's Jack Elmore in action (photos courtesy of Elena from DVE)

Report by Sandra Mink-Grobbe

The Pan Pacific Masters is a competition for over 30’s; with plenty of sports available, including water polo.

Some of the more mature Monash ladies decided it would be great to have a team in water polo representing Melbourne. They started their search for other enthusiasts back in April to create a balanced team. With ladies from Monash Uni, Surge, Northcote, Old Ivanhoe and your's truly from Essendon, the ‘Melbourne All Sorts’ team was born.

On Thursday the 5th of November we travelled up to the Gold Coast to compete in this very strong competition. You start a game with a certain number of goals up or down depending on the age differences between the 2 teams playing each other - so a loose kind of handicapping system is in place. Unfortunately, there was no adjustment to that, for coming up against former olympians and one of the team we faced had 3!

It was a tough 3 days and because of our average age, we started all our games with a 4 to 6 goal deficit (I really need to recruit some older players!) making it really hard to get a win from there. On one occasion, we came very close, winning the 2nd and 4th quarters and drawing the 3rd, but allowing them to jump us in the first got them over the line.

We all had an amazing time; the team came together on day 2 with solid play from everyone and some great lessons learnt. You can not beat the experience to compete against former Olympians (Paris 2024).

The Melbourne All Sorts came home with a silver medal in their age group, a great bather tan line and an experience never to forget! Fingers crossed we can do it all again in 2 years time.

Below : the Melbourne AllSorts team with Essendon's Sandra Mink-Grobbe, finishes in 2nd place at the Pan Pac Masters (35-39 category)