WATER POLO: After winning two major water polo tournaments in two continents over the past fortnight, Queenslander Ashleigh Southern will now turn her sights to the 2015 FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai, China with the Australian women’s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers.
Two weeks ago Southern, 22, won the LEN Euroleague water polo title with Greek club Olympiacos, scoring four goals in the final, before returning to Australia to win the National Water Polo League (NWPL) with the Brisbane Barracudas, her fourth NWPL title, and the fifth for the Barracudas.
Southern’s resume is fast becoming the envy of any athlete, her two recent titles additions to the Olympic bronze medal she won in 2012, as well as the FINA World Championships silver medal earned in 2013, and Aussie Stingers coach Greg McFadden said he anticipated Southern would bolster the national team’s attacking prowess in China.
“Hopefully Ash will strengthen our offense and extra man attack at the super final, that area was a little problematic for us at the world league rounds and I think her addition, as well as that of Bronwen Knox and Glencora McGhie will fix up the issues we had in New Zealand,” McFadden said.
“Although she has been away in Greece for the past few months, Ash spent time with the team ahead of the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series in Perth earlier this year, but didn’t play due to a thumb injury. She also has plenty of experience so she won’t take long to reintegrate herself into the team.”
Also joining the team for the world league finals campaign will be Jayde Appel, who has competed for the University of Southern California for the past two seasons in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) water polo competition, as well as debutant Chloe Barr who competes for the University of Hawaii.
McFadden maintains consistent communication with both Appel and Barr while they compete overseas, and said that it will be a good chance to give both players a chance with the Stingers, especially as the team prepares for the world championships and then the 2016 Olympic games.
“I stay in regular contact with Jayde, this will be an opportunity for me to see where she is at after the college season, and for her to stake her claim for a position in our world championships team for later this year,” he said.
“For Chloe, this will be her first opportunity at a senior level after a promising season with Hawaii, and her inclusion just continues our process of finding who creates the right mix of athletes and team combinations ahead of the Olympics.”
The Aussie Stingers will first have a training camp in Kunshan, China from May 29-31 before competing in the Kunshan Cup from June 1-6. They will then travel to the World League Finals to be held from June 9-14 in Shanghai, China.
Aussie Stingers FINA World League Super Final squad
GK’s: Kelsey Wakefield (QLD), Lea Yanitsas (NSW)
Field Players: Jayde Appel (NSW), Zoe Arancini (WA), Chloe Barr (SA), Isobel Bishop (NSW), Hannah Buckling (NSW), Bronte Colenso (QLD), Keesja Gofers (NSW), Bronte Halligan (NSW), Bronwen Knox (QLD), Holly Lincoln-Smith Glencora McGhie (WA), (NSW), Ashleigh Southern (QLD), Rowie Webster (VIC), Nicola Zagame (NSW).
WATER POLO AUSTRALIA
