VIC Teams shine at the East Coast Challenge!

Victoria has had its most successful year at the 2025 East Coast Challenge! Hosted by Water Polo Victoria, and held in Melbourne from July 11 - July 13, four Victorian teams from our 15&U State Squad took to the water to compete against teams from across Australia in this year's ECC. At the end of the weekend, Vic had secured 3 medals and will also have our name engraved on the Tournament Shield.

The three-day event saw 9 teams in each division, more than 200 athletes and hundreds of coaches, parents and supporters participate in what was a highly competitive and exciting event! Not only is the ECC an excellent opportunity for developing athletes, but also gives young referees from participating states the opportunity to continue their growth within officiating.

Victorian Teams

Those athletes selected in our Victorian state squads have been training together since early May, working towards the ECC as the halfway point before the National State Championships in late September.

Boys

Both our VIC Navy and VIC White boys grew steadily into the tournament, with some strong performances and wins from both teams. On day three, a thrilling all Victorian Semi-Final saw VIC White edge out VIC Navy (10 - 7), with both teams then competing for medals at the end of the final day.

VIC Navy took on a strong Qld Maroon team in the bronze play-off, managing to hold on and win 10-9 to secure the medal!

VIC White lined up against ACT Blue in the showcase event of the boy's division. A tight first half between two well matched teams was enthralling to watch, before our VIC boys were able to push on to secure an 8-4 victory and take home the gold medal and the tournament shield.

Girls

Our VIC Navy and VIC White girls' teams gained valuable experience during the three-day ECC tournament in 2025 and played with an incredible spirit.

The VIC Navy team had a mixed start to Day 1, with a loss, a win and a draw, however the building blocks were there for a great campaign. Over the next two matches, the girls managed to defeat Tasmania in a physical quarter final 11- 6, before overcoming a strong ACT Blue team 7 - 5 in the semi-final. The gold medal match was against favorites Qld Maroon who had gone undefeated all weekend. Ultimately, the VIC Navy Girls fell short with a 1 - 18 loss in the final, however walked away proud with a silver medal!

Our VIC White girls was made-up of many of our younger, developing players within the U15&U State Squad and we are incredibly proud of their progression during the tournament. Despite some tough fixtures and losses, the culture and camaraderie within the team was excellent to see and the progression of the players and team was noticeable throughout each match

A special shout-out to coaches Jade Vidal, Koebe Nay, Matt Lea, Jemma Potts and Mel Murphy for all the hard-work during, and in the lead-up to the tournament. Special thanks to supporting team managers all weekend, and for all the parents doing table duty. Finally, our Victorian delegates and referees David Smyth, Alby Morrisson, Daniel Flahive, Mitchell Bohan, Caroline Healy, Mark Huggins and William Ness.

We are proud of every one of our athletes and coaches within the Vic teams, and we can't wait to continue to build together. The coaching team for both our 15&U and 17&U cohort will be finalizing their National State Championship team in the coming weeks, however, we also encourage all squad members to continue on training with the group to aid in your development!

We look forward to the East Coast Challenge 2026!

Water Polo Vic