World Championships Final Day and wrap up

Big Sunday is the day that all teams in the World Championships prepare for and hope to participate in. The Men were very excited about playing in their two final games for the World Champs with the semi final against Germany. The Men started the game strongly by winning the charge start and moved in to attack. Within the first minute the Aussies had a shot and the Germans gained the ball and fast broke but missed at the other end. This was the pattern for the first half with the Germans scoring 4 goals. The Australians fought hard throughout the half and did score a well worked goal. The half time score was 4-1. The Australians knew the second half would be difficult as they had to regain the ball as much as possible and score. They won the charge start again and moved to attack. The Germans recovered the ball and attacked again scoring. The Australians kept attacking and converted making the score 5-2. The Australians now started to press for several minutes but the Germans broke their press and scored. The score was now 6-2. The Australians attacked again and managed to break through for another goal 6-3. The tired Australians were running out of time but they kept pressing and fighting for the ball. The Australians almost regained the ball several times but the Germans kept control of the game and managed to score one last goal with 2 seconds to go making the final result 7-3. It was a passionate and hard fought game as seen in the 7 green cards that the German team were awarded. The Men were disappointed but determined to keep fighting to get a medal at these World Championships.

The last game for the Men would be against France in the 3rd/4th playoff. The Men were desperate to get themselves the medal that they had earnt throughout the competition. The game started well for the Men as they won the charge start and attacked quickly. Within the first minute they had scored the first goal 1-0. The Aussies defended and attacked when they regained the ball over the next several minutes. The French managed to regain the ball and fast broke in the 8th minute and converted the shot making the score 1-1. The Australians moved to attack for the last couple of minutes but again the French regained the ball and scored in the last minute of the half. The half-time score was 2-1. The men started the second half with the ball again but turned it over in offence and defended strongly for the next few minutes with the French unable to break through. They regained the ball but turned it over on the fast break and the French fast broke back and converted. The score was now 3-1. The Australians again attacked and once again the French regained the ball and scored, 4-1. The Australians now started to press but one of the French players deliberately hit Matt Moore in the face with his paddle and was awarded a red card. The French were now down to 4 players for the remainder of the game and the Australians saw their opportunity. They double teamed the ball carrier and got the ball back and scored, 4-2. They pressed the French again and once again got the ball back within the 19th minute and scored again, 4-3. The men were on a massive come back and were very close to drawing the game and forcing it into golden goal overtime, but there was only 30 seconds left. The French moved quickly and moved the ball into the back of their half but were able to keep the ball for the remainder of the game. Cruelly the Men had run out of time and the French won the game 4-3. The dream was over for this World Championships and the Men were placed in 4th position.

For the determined and valiant Mens team the final day was to be bittersweet. They were very proud of the fantastic efforts of the ladies in getting a bronze medal. They regained a position in the top 4 teams moving up from 8th place at the previous World Championships. They gained a place in the World Games (only the top 5 teams get an invitation). They played an amazing round 1 and 2 and only lost to the 3 teams that finished above them. Unfortunately they were unable to get the medal that they had worked so hard for.

The Men would like to say a massive thank-you to all of our sponsors and especially to all of the supporters who traveled to Poznan and those who watched and followed them from Australia. The support and good wishes made a huge difference.

The players would like to say thank-you to Ken Sullivan for all of his hard work in organising and managing the tour. There is a massive amount of work in organising these tours and they would not happen without the manager’s hard work.

The last thank-you is to our Coach Duncan Cochrane and assistant coach Ian Macintosh. There are not enough words to describe the passion and commitment they have brought. The hard work and tireless effort of these two men made a massive difference to the performance of the team. The players would not have been able to achieve what they did without the support of our two coaches.

The men are also saying farewell to Nathan Moore who has announced his final retirement from international representation. After a decade of senior canoe polo (and two previous retirements) he is finally hanging up his paddle (although the Men refused to accept his retirement).

To everyone who has read this blog and followed our journey we would like to say thank you for your support and involvement. The Australian Men are now looking forward to a rest before starting to prepare for the World Games in Columbia in 2013.

World Champs Day 4

Day 4 of the Worlds meant 3 very important games for the Mens team. They would be playing Sweden, Netherlands, and Switzerland in the second half of round 2 for a top two position (only the top two get to play in the semis). The first game was against Sweden who were having a great competition. The men knew their game plan and executed it perfectly. The Men scored first and set about playing a strong defence making sure they pay attention to the Swedish money shot players. After a few minutes the Aussies recovered the ball and moved to attack and scored again. The score was now 2-0 with only a few minutes to go. Again the men kept the Swedes out until a Swedish player was fouled in the zone. The Swedes converted the free shot and the score at half time was 2-1. The Aussies started the second half well and kept the offensive pressure on the Swedes. The Aussies scored again and once again defended strongly, but perhaps too strongly as the Swedes were fouled again and converted the shot. The score was now 3-2 with a few minutes to go. Once again the Aussies moved to attack and after several attacks they scored. The Men kept the Swedes away from the goal for the remainder of the match and the final score was now 4-2. The Australians were in a good position with 3 wins from 3 games. They now only needed one more win to finish top of their group and progress to the Semi-Finals on Sunday. 

The next game was against Netherlands who were an old foe of the Australians (They beat Australia in the Semis at Worlds in Canada 2008). If the men won this game they would be through to the Semis and finish on top of their group. The Men started strongly winning the charge start and moving into offence. The Dutch recovered the ball after an Australian shot and tried to fast break taking a long shot which missed. The Aussies got the ball back and again attacked this time they converted the shot and scored a goal. The score was 1-0 in favour of Australia. The Dutch moved in to offence and turned the ball over to the Australians. The Men attacked and again the Dutch recovered the ball and fast broke but this time they converted the goal making the score 1-1. Both teams continued to attack and defend for the remainder of the half with the Dutch again scoring shortly before half time with the score 2-1. The Men again won the charge start in the second half and attacked but the strong Dutch zone got the ball back and attacked. After working the ball for a while the Dutch were able to get the ball to a man inside the zone and scored a great double handed shot. The score was now 3-1 with about 5 minutes to go in the game. The Aussies knew they had to win so they moved to play press to get the ball back. The Dutch kept the ball and managed to get a shot off which now meant they were 4-1 over Australia. The Aussie men were not ready to give up yet and kept attacking looking for an opportunity. An Australian player managed to get inside their zone and received the ball from a great pass. He was fouled while shooting meaning a penalty shot was awarded to Australia which was converted. The score was now 4-2. Again the Australians pressed and the Dutch turned the ball over. The Australians made a fast break and some great passing saw the ball end up in the goal. The score was now 4-3 with 30 seconds to go. The Aussies tried their best but ran out of time. The final result was 4-3 in favour of Netherlands. This meant the Australians now had to win their last game to progress.

The last game for the day was to be a big one against Switzerland. Both teams needed to win to progress but for the Swiss there was added pressure as they needed to score at least 5 goals to progress. The Aussies won the charge again but the Swiss surprised them by immediately playing press. The Swiss would play press for the remainder of the game when they were defending. The men moved the ball well but the shot clock expired and the Swiss got the ball back. The Swiss attacked and shot but hit the bar of the goal allowing the Aussies to recover the ball. This time they were ready for the press and moved the ball well until they were able to score. The score was now 1-0 in favour of Australia. For the remainder of the half the Aussies worked the ball on the press while the Swiss tried desperately to get the ball back. The Aussies survived another Swiss shot which hit the bar and at half time the score was still 1-0. In the second half the win was at the Aussie’s back and the men made the most of it. They won the charge and attacked and soon had scored another goal. The score was now 2-0 but the Swiss weren’t finished yet and were fouled in the Australian zone. They converted the goal and the score was now 2-1. The Aussies started to get a rhythm in their press and the goals started to come. They score two goals quickly taking the score to 4-2. Then another long shot was converted and the Swiss were looking at a 5-2 scoreline making their task impossible. They never gave up and kept attacking with the Australians playing a tight defence on the goalie for the remainder of the game. At the end of the game the score was 5-2 and the Australians had finished top of their group.

The Men will now play in the semi-final against the second ranked team of the other group – Germany. For the first time since 1998 both Men’s and Women’s teams were playing in Semis together. Best of luck to both teams.

World Champs Day 3

Day 3 Round 2

Today was big Friday and for the Australian Men it was a huge day. The day started off poorly with rain, cold and wind but the Men didn’t let it bother them and set about working through the day’s games. First up the men were playing Belgium. The Belgians are big and strong and love to play a physical game manning up on their opponent. The Aussies were prepared for this and knew they had to play a rock solid defence. The Belgians started the scoring by nailing a back door drive that snuck past the defence. The Australians didn’t let that shake them and attacked as soon as they could and by half time the score line was 2-1 in favour of the Men. The second half was to be a passionate game with both sides desperate to win. The Belgians attacked ferociously and managed to milk a foul inside the six metre area. They converted the shot and made the score 3-2. The Men kept their composure and attacked back and were able to score (4-2). Again the Belgians attacked and attacked and once again drew a foul for a free shot. After some jostling for position the Belgians converted making the score 4-3. Again the Aussies kept their cool and continued to attack using up the full minute of the shot clock. The Belgians began to push hard in their defence knowing they had to win in this round. The Australians made the most of mistakes and scored twice more making the final score 6-3.

The next game for the day was another important game against Italy – a long term nemesis for the Australian Men. This was to be a passionate and emotional game for both sides, especially for the Italians who drew their first game for the day. The Italians won the first charge start and moved in to attack but a poor shot turned the ball over to the Australians who quickly moved to attack. The Australians worked the ball around and converted a shot making it 1-0. The Italians responded shortly after making it 1-1. The Australians and Italians took it in turns to attack until the Australians scored again making the score 2-1 at half time. In The second half the Australians won the charge start and attacked but the Italians recovered the ball and attacked back. After being fouled the Italians received a free shot and converted making the score 2-2. The Australians again attacked and worked for a good shot but the Italians again recovered the ball and tried a fast break which was shut down by the Australians. The Italians still had the ball and attacked for most of their minute until another foul was paid against the Aussie zone. The Italian moved in to take the shot but dumped the ball to a team mate who slipped past the defence and he converted making the score 2-3. The Australians kept their cool and kept attacking looking for an opportunity when the Italians made a professional foul on an Australian who was shooting giving away a penalty shot. The shot was taken and the score was now 3-3. There were only about 3 minutes to go and the Australians again recovered the ball from the Italians. The Aussies wanted the win but kept their cool and carefully attacked slowly winding down the clock each minute. The last minute of the game began to wind down as the Australians set up their last attack. In the last 10 seconds the outside players drove and after 2 quick passes Josh Holmes shot and scored! The Italians had 3 seconds on the clock and couldn’t make a great shot meaning the Aussies had now won both their games and had 6 points placing them on equal first in their group. Saturday’s games see the Men facing Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland. The Men need to continue to win to ensure they finish in the top two of their group guaranteeing a place in the Semi Finals. Thanks to everyone for their support and messages.

World Championships Day Two

Round One Day Two

The second day of competition and the weather has turned. The day started cloudy and cool however the wind has picked up and on a regatta course that means it will blow up and down – meaning there will be heavy wind blowing one way on the pitch. Despite the weather the Men had 3 games to play in their first group round to determine which group they will go into for the second round. The first game for the day was against the French – the current World Champions. The men started strongly with the wind on their backs and won the charge start. After attacking briefly the French regained the ball and the Men played a strong defence. This was the theme of the first half with both sides strongly defending then attacking. The Australians drew first blood with a good goal to Anton Holmes from a low drive. The French then attacked but the Aussies were able to hold them off and regain the ball. However after a few minutes the French were able to break through the Australian defence and scored their first. The Australians again attacked but with about a minute before half time the ball turned over and the French regained the ball and attacked. With about 20 seconds to go the French saw an opportunity and despite some scrambling defence the French scored. The half time score was 2-1 as the Australians again won the ball in the second charge start. This half the men were defending into the wind and it’s effect on defence was soon seen with the French scoring 3 longer shots from outside of the top of the zone. The scoreline was now 5-1 but the men rallied again attacking the French and gained a breakthrough for a goal by Matt Moore. With only a few minutes to go in the game the Men kept attacking and trying to score but the French managed to convert once more making the scoreline 6-2 for the end of the game.

The next game was against Great Britain and would be the most important game of the round for the Australians. The winner of this game would most likely finish second in the group and thus go into the slightly lesser group of death in round two. Even though the men didn’t win the start they worked hard and soon had a goal for their efforts. GB responded soon after and again the men attacked. At half time the score was 3-1 in favour of the Australians. The second half started favourably for the British again as they won the charge start. They attacked and after a minute had their second goal. The Aussies attacked back but turned the ball over and fouled GB in the zone giving them a free shot which they converted. The score was now 3-3. The Aussies again attacked a scored another goal but during the GB counter-attack a GB player was fouled inside the zone and the referee awarded a 6m penalty shot which GB scored. The score was now 4-4 with minutes to go in the game. GB needed the win more than Australia so they pressed (man-on-man) and the Australians controlled the ball. Stephen Hubbard received the ball in front of the goals, was pushed over and then rolled up and scored taking the game to 5-4. The Australians defended the last 30 seconds and won the game. In the final game for the day the Australians were playing Russia. The Men played a tough strong zone and picked off the Russian passes as they attacked. The half time score was 6-0. During the second half the men again played a solid defence although the Russians scored a good goal from the top of the zone. The final result was 10-1 to the Australians who now progress second in their first group. The round two group for Australia includes Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Photos of the venue

World Championships Day One

Round 1

Finally the World Championships have begun and the Men were looking forward to their first game. Due to the late withdrawal of Ireland due to injuries Japan had been moved from Group A, meaning that the Men now have 5 teams in their group not 6. This meant that on the first day of competition the Men would be facing only one game. The men were due to play South Africa in their first game at 9:30 in the morning. They knew it would be a physical game but were confident in their preparations and in the team’s ability. The whistle blew and the Men won the charge start and shifted into offence. After a short time the Men scored and began their campaign properly. The Men played a strong defence and regained the ball from each South African attack scoring 6 times in the first half to none against. In the second half the Men again won the start and attacked well, again scoring quickly and playing a strong driving defence. Despite South Africa’s attempts at goal they were unable to score and the final result was 11-0 in favour of Australia. The Men were happy with their first game and look forward to playing France, Great Britain and Russia on Thursday.

Today was also the night of the opening ceremony and it was amazing. After all of the official welcomes, flag ceremonies and declarations of the championships being open the crowd was treated to an amazing display of acrobatics. A Polish acrobatic circus group performed in the opening ceremony and they were fantastic with everyone being impressed by their skill and strength. To finish the opening ceremony there was an awesome fireworks display. The Men are pumped and looking forward to Thursday’s games. 

It all begins tomorrow

On Saturday the Men said goodbye to Gottingen and drove for6.5 hours to Poznan. The venue is located at a regatta centre and has 4 game pitches in front of the grand stand along with 4 warm up pitches in the middle of the regatta centre. After arriving and having a look around the Men played a couple of practice matches against Sweden to shake out the journey. The men were happy with both games and enjoyed getting physical with the strong Swedish team. Since Saturday the team has been busy with official training, checking gear, accreditation, scrutineering of gear, and all the other preparations that take place before a World Championships. The Men have tried to make the most of their official practice times on the game pitches and are happy with their week.

It is a little hard to believe that after 2 years of preparation the Men are finally about to play their first game in the World Championships tomorrow. The Men are excited about the competition and look forward to their four round 1 games – South Africa, then France, then Great Britain, and lastly Russia. The four first round games will take place over Wednesday and Thursday and some games will be streamed live on

http://www.kayakpl.com/2012/POLO/

so make sure you check the website to hopefully see some of your team in action. Keep checking this blog for game reports and updates throughout this week. We would also like to say a massive THANK YOU to all the supporters who have made the long trip over to Poznan to cheer on the Aussies!

 

Goodbye to Gottingen

The Australian Men’s Canoe Polo Team would like to say a massive thank-you to our gracious hosts the Gottingen Paddling Club. We have really appreciated the use of club facilities and the help and support provided to us by Toni, Nils, and Chenk. The team really enjoyed the friendly competition and BBQ last night with the Kiwis and local Gottingen Canoe Polo Team. The men are now preparing to leave Germany and head to their final stop – Poznan, Poland for the World Championships!

The men hit the High Ropes

Our tour across Europe