Geraldton water polo season begins with ties across the board in men’s A-grade

Geraldton’s water polo season was off to an electrifying start as the first round matches saw intense battles with both men’s A-grade games ending in a draw. On Friday, October 13, three games were played across the Women’s A and C-grades, while the rest of the round one action was played on Saturday, October 14. In a nailbiting encounter between the Demons and Rats, the final score was locked at 9-9. The return of veteran Simon Teakle, who had taken a season off, added firepower to the Demons as he scored an impressive four goals to go along with Zacc Cross’ three goals. Oliver Green and Lachlan Crawford, combined for five goals for the Rats. Notably, both Green and Crawford are set to represent Geraldton at the Australian Youth Water Polo Championships in Brisbane this coming January. Meanwhile, the B52s game was another draw, ending with B52’s and B52’s Relics scoring 7-7. Juniors Leo Prout, Callum Sojan, and Jimmy Horsman showcased their scoring prowess, contributing to the high-intensity contest. Debutant Matt Chamberlain, who recently participated in a draft for Peel Country Week, demonstrated his potential, while Corey Smith emerged in the forward position, scoring three goals for the team. In the B-grade men’s category, there was another tie as the Rats and B52s Relics drew 4-4. Wade Kalajzich made his return for the Rats as his daughters watched on. Kalajzich is set to represent Geraldton for the second time this January at AYWPC. In the match of the round, the Women’s A-grade clash saw the reigning champions B52’s take down the Rats 14-3, Emma Smith and Aimee Hagan both had a hat-trick in the win. The match stood out not just for the score line, but for the remarkable goalkeeping performance of Selina Kiddle. Despite the relentless forward play of the B52’s, Kiddle managed to pull off nearly a dozen athletic saves, earning well-deserved recognition. In the women’s B-grade, the Demons secured an 11-2 victory over a promising Serpents team while the Rats triumphed over the B52’s 12-7. Notably, the B52’s were without goalie Gemma Dix, who had moved up to A-grade. The Men’s C-grade saw the B52’s defeat the Rats 6-4, and the Demons got up over the Rats 5-3. The women’s C-grade featured several newcomers, with Rats Orange defeating Demons Black 13-5, Demons Yellow prevailing over Serpents Green 11-4, and a 3-3 draw between the B52’s and Rats Black. The Flippa and Dolphin Ball program, which provides an introduction to water polo, resumed on Friday, and it continues to be a popular choice for newcomers to the sport. The program will soon transition to the outdoor pool, making it an exciting prospect for the seniors’ competition in the first week of December.