Greg McFadden steps down as head coach of Aussie Stingers

Greg McFadden has decided to step away from his role as head coach of the Australian women’s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers, following a 12-year tenure.

Since McFadden assumed the role of head coach in 2004, the Stingers have gone on to become a powerhouse of women’s water polo. Among the teams many achievements under McFadden is a pair of Olympic bronze medals, won at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 respectively.

Many will count the numerous medals won during McFadden’s time as his greatest achievement. However the coach, who also played for the Australian men’s water polo team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, says that it is the consistency of the team in his time that will be most memorable.

“I think I’m most proud of the fact that we won a medal every year at a World League or a major international Tournament since 2005,” McFadden told Water Polo Australia.

“Personally, the gold medal at the 2006 FINA World Cup was a standout for me.

“We were a relatively new team after the loss of eight Olympians from 2004.  We played some great water polo in that tournament and lost just one quarter of water polo throughout the tournament.  It announced us to the world.”

A firm believer in strong work ethic, in his time McFadden worked on creating a strong culture within his playing group. It was the belief in the team coming before the individual that McFadden said was the key to their dominance on the international stage.

“Every player that came onto the Stingers squad knew what was required physically of them and they had a very strong work ethic.

“This became our point of difference and also helped us develop a “never ever say die attitude”.

“Personally I want to thank every player that I’ve coached.  It takes a huge commitment to become an international water polo player and even more to become a top international team.

“Our players are not paid here in Australia and yet they make a huge amount of sacrifices.

“They get up at 5:00am for training, go to work/study and come back at 6:30pm to train again. They get home sometimes around 11:00pm and then get up to do it all again. This happens four to five times a week. I want to thank them for the desire and willingness to keep doing this.

“That sort of dedication and commitment is very rare and all these athletes will always have a special place in my heart.

“I want to thank all the Assistant Coaches, Institute Coaches and support staff that have been involved in the program over these years. Without their loyalty and dedication we would not have achieved any of these results.

“A big thank you must also go to Peter Kerr and Chris Harrison. They have provided me with fantastic support throughout this period and I don’t think I would have been in the position as long as I have without them,” he said.

Water Polo Australia High Performance Manager Tom Hill said the sport owed Greg a huge thank you for his many years of service to both Men’s and Women’s Water Polo.

“Greg will be most remembered for the huge contribution he made to Women’s Water Polo in Australia, leaving behind a tremendous legacy, in particular driving a strong Stingers culture,” Hill said.

“His contribution as a Coach has been felt across both National Women’s and Men’s teams and we thank him for all his hard work, passion and dedication to the sport in this country.

“Greg’s shoes are big ones to fill and the search for the next Australian Women’s Head Coach will commence in the coming weeks.”

Hailing from NSW, McFadden’s career began with the Cronulla Sharks water polo club before he went on to the international stage as a player and coach.

In his time as Australian women’s head coach McFadden mentored a large number of NSWIS players, including seven selected for Australia’s efforts at the Rio Olympics this year