Beadsworth and Cleland Selected for National Team
WAIS-AIS water polo athletes Jamie Beadsworth and Tim Cleland have been selected in the Australian Sharks squad of 14 for the World League Preliminaries to be held in China (May 3) and Japan (May 8).
Joining the WA duo in the squad is WAIS men’s program head coach Paul Oberman – who will travel with the team as national assistant coach to the Sharks head coach John Fox.
The tournament, which acts as qualifying for the FINA World League Finals in Kazakhstan on June 12, is one of the last opportunities players have to press for selection ahead of the London Olympic team announcement on June 22.
Headlining the list of players will be captain Sam McGregor, triple Olympians Gavin Woods and Thomas Whalan and Beijing representatives Riche Campbell, Anthony Martin, Rhys Howden and Jamie Beadsworth.
Fox, who is adamant his group of players is one of the finest assembled for an Olympic Games, said the 14 players selected were very much a part of the core group for London.
“These players selected are very much in contention for the final 13 at the Olympics and we are expecting great things from them in China and Japan,” Fox said.
“In saying that though, by no means are they guaranteed of their places.
“We’re in a position where we’ve still got a squad of 18 and we need to narrow that down by five for the Olympics.
“So every game and tournament we play is a selection trial, including the national league finals that are being held in Sydney this week.”
Fox is set to cull the squad by three after the preliminaries, a task that is proving to be quite difficult for the Canberra based mentor.
“Given the depth of our playing group the task of making these selections is very difficult and of course very hard, so every decision is vital,” Fox said.
“Already we’ve made the decision to travelling with just two keepers and you can consider them as being our number one and two at this stage.
“Then you’ve got the three overseas guys who are yet to come back, Aaron Younger, Aidan Roach and Rob Maitland, who have not been considered for this tour due to European club commitments.
“If you add it all together it makes for some really interesting and stressful times.”
The Aussie Sharks, who will face China, Japan and Kazakhstan, will leave for Shanghai on Monday April 30 and will return to Australia on May 13 before going into camp on the Gold Coast.
The National Water Polo League finals start tomorrow on Thursday April 26 with the medal matches to be played on Sunday April 29.
– Water Polo Australia