Ballesty hits mark on electric day one of 2026 AWL Finals

It was a jam packed day one schedule of the 2026 Australian Waterpolo League (AWL) Finals Series at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. 

All 12 teams delivered an entertaining day of finals action with four teams booking their spot directly into the semi finals on Saturday. 

WOMEN: UNSW WESTS KILLER WHALES 12 d  FREMANTLE MARLINS 11

The first match of the 2026 AWL Finals Series set the tone for a killer weekend of intense water polo action.

The UNSW Wests Killer Whales won a tight and passionate contest against last year’s runners up the Fremantle Marlins.

Led by captain Hayley Ballesty, a New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder, the Killer Whales flew to a four goal lead by the end of the first period. 

“I scored a couple of goals early, but they adjusted and put me under a bit more pressure and I needed to find solutions to that. But it was a team effort, those five goals came from people working off the ball and working together. So it wasn’t just my five goals, it was everyone,” Ballesty said. 

The Marlins quickly bounced back to even the score to 7-7 at half-time, providing a gruelling contest for both teams. 

Down by one goal going into the final quarter, the Killer Whales dug deep with Daisy Carter scoring the winning goal with 43 seconds remaining. 

“It’s really exciting, we haven’t been in a Finals Series since 2019, so to be able to get a win straight off the bat was really crucial for us,” Ballesty said. “Our start won us that game, and we just had to grind through three quarters. It was really hard, but really rewarding.”

“We just need to ride this wave a little bit because that was a really passionate game, and a really emotional game. So we just need to roll through the emotional come down of that and then come back together and refocus for tomorrow. 
 
WOMEN: UTS BALMAIN TIGERS 12 d SYDNEY UNI LIONS 10
The all-Sydney battle looked to bring another close affair between the UTS Balmain Tigers and Sydney Uni Lions. 

After a strong start by the Lions, the Tigers clawed their way back into the game in the second half to take the match to a penalty shoot out. The Tigers went on to win 12-10 and secure a semi final spot on Saturday. 

In her 100th AWL game, Tigers star Olivia Mitchell (NSWIS) said it was a long, hard fight throughout the match but her team are stoked to progress to Saturday’s semi finals. 

“We’re really grateful that water polo is four, long quarters. So it’s all about building tension and pushing through every single quarter to get the win. It’s really good practice. I think we are really strong in penalty shoot outs and it is what it is – if that’s how we have to win, we’ll win through a penalty shoot out,” she said.

The Sydney Uni Lions will be back in the pool tomorrow in another preliminary final match against the Fremantle Marlins. 

WOMEN: CRONULLA SHARKS 14 d GRIFFITH UNI QUEENSLAND THUNDER 9
The minor premiers proved they are the ones to beat with an emphatic win over the defending champions, 14-9.
Aussie Stingers players, Emma Putt and Dani Jackovich (NSWIS), led from the front for their Cronulla Sharks side with four goals each.

Putt said the win has given them confidence as they move forward to semis.

“Last time we played them, we lost in the dying seconds and then we won in penalties. So to come away with a bigger margin is good, and shows a nice progression during the season.

“We want to keep moving, we know we haven’t played our best water polo yet so there’s lots of learnings from that game,” she said.

The first half of the match was a grind, with the Sharks finishing the half with a one goal advantage. The second half showcased the Sharks defence as they pulled away with a golden win. 

“The first few quarters were a grind – we both came out with a finals mentality and ready to fight. Each team in this competition is so close, the top six teams are so close and it’s a testament that every game is going to be close,” Jackovich said. 

“We pride ourselves on defence this year, and I think we figured out in the third and fourth (quarter) who was shooting well and how to shut them down. “Our whole thing is that we’ve just got to stick together and grind it out, and we tend to show that in the third and fourth. And I was really proud of our effort today,” she said.

The Griffith Uni Queensland Thunder will now play for a spot in the semi finals, taking on the UNSW Wests Killer Whales tomorrow at 11:30am AEDT.

MEN: CRONULLA SHARKS 11 d FREMANTLE MARINERS 8
The Cronulla Sharks held off a fighting Fremantle Mariners to win on day one of the 2026 AWL Finals.

The Sharks got out to a fast start and finished the first half 8-4, before the Mariners boosted a late charge to challenge Cronulla.

Sharks goalkeeper Hayden Molla recognised that it was a battle out there against the Mariners.

“It was a tough game, 11-8 win over Fremantle for us. We go into tomorrow off a win,” he said. “We played a tough defence and tried to control the ball a bit more in attack than we have been recently.

“We’ve not really played our best lately, coming off the back of the last couple of Super League and National League games. So it’s important for us to build that momentum.”

Both teams will be back in the pool tomorrow to keep their medal chances alive for the 2026 AWL season. 
 
MEN: DRUMMOYNE DEVILS 14 d 13 UWA TORPEDOES
The Drummoyne Devils delivered a strong defensive performance to defeat a charging UWA Torpedoes 14-12. 

The Devils were fast from the first whistle, nailing eight goals in the opening quarter. Petar Mijuskovic racked up his three goals for the match in the first period.

Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks player  Laurence Barker (NSWIS) said it was a brilliant team performance on day one. 

“We started absolutely red hot. UWA absolutely brought it back against us, I love playing against those guys because it’s always so hard, we always have great games when we play against them,” he said.

The Devils goalkeeper showed his defensive prowess, blocking many goals in the final period to get the team over the line and through to Saturday’s semi finals.

“We pride ourselves on our defence as a team, personally having confidence in their (the team’s) blocks and them having confidence that I’m going to save the shots – it’s a symbiotic relationship and we make it work to our best advantage. 

“I can only be clutch with the help of the boys, they help me out so much and all credit to them,” Barker said.

The UWA Torpedoes will look to keep their medal chances alive when they face Fremantle Mariners tomorrow at 1pm AEDT. 
 

MEN: UNSW WESTS MAGPIES 19 d UTS BALMAIN TIGERS 10
The UNSW Wests Magpies have started their campaign for a record ninth title with victory over the UTS Balmain Tigers.
UNSW Wests Magpies capitalised on an early lead from the first quarter to defeat the Tigers 19-10.

While the Tigers kept within three at half-time, the Magpies extended their lead with six goals scored in the third quarter. 
Magpies star Nic Bicari said it was a good hitout to calm the nerves of a big weekend for the team.

“Obviously this week everyone has been a bit nervous so it’s really good to get that first one done. Especially playing in a different pool with all the excitement. 

I’m quite happy about today, and now tomorrow we’ll recover and regroup and we’ll be ready to go for the semi final on Saturday,” he said. 

The UTS Balmain Tigers will look to bounce back tomorrow as they come up against the Cronulla Sharks at 2:30pm AEDT. 

Water Polo Australia