17 August 2007 By Graham Croker
Sydney University’s Thomas Whalan, Trent Franklin, Rob Maitland and Grant Richardson earned bronze medals when Australia defeated Germany 7-6 in the play-off for third at the men’s FINA Water Polo World League Super Finals in Berlin this week.
The win emulated the 1993 team, who won bronze at the World Cup in Greece, and took the Australians one place better than last year when the Sharks lost the bronze-medal play-off to Greece.
Sydney University might have had a fifth player in the squad but Sam McGregor was a late withdrawal from the team after injuring his hand.
The World League gold medal final was won by Serbia, who defeated Olympic champions Hungary 9-6.
Australian coach John Fox said he was ecstatic with the bronze medal, having been a member of the only other Australian team to win bronze at FINA level.
“It was a tremendous performance with every player giving 100 per cent,’’ he said. “”We knew we should have beaten them during the week and we had the team to win.
“We seemed to do our best to lose it when four goals up with four minutes left but held on to win by one. Heart attack material but we won the bronze.”
The win is a big boost to Olympic preparations for next year and gave Australian teams gold, silver and bronze in major events in the past month with the junior women winning the world championships and the women claiming silver in their World League.
FINA World League Super Finals:
Play-offs: 1st and 2nd, Serbia 9 d Hungary 6
3rd and 4th: Australia 7 (R Campbell 2, R Moody, T Neesham, M Ainsworth, P Figlioli, J Beadsworth) d Germany 6.
Meanwhile, three Sydney University Sport Scholarship holders recently became part of sporting history when Australia won the 2007 FINA World Junior Women’s Water Polo Championship, played at Porto in Portugal.
Melissa Hammond, Keesja Gofers and Joanne Whitehorn were members of the Australian squad that went through the tournament undefeated, culminating with an 8-6 win over China in the gold medal final. Hungary defeated the US 10-8 in the 2007 bronze medal decider.
Australia has two gold, three silver and a bronze medal from seven attempts at the Junior World Championships which have now been erased from FINA’s calendar. The biennial junior event has been staged for players aged 20 and under, but from 2009 the event will change to an 18 and under event.