Geraldton water polo round 10: Top-of-table tussles and derby delight served up ahead of Christmas break

Round 10 of the Geraldton water polo season shapes as another busy and bruising weekend, with plenty at stake across the grades as teams jostle for position and pride before the festive break. In women’s A-grade, B52’s will be looking to build on their impressive round nine win over rivals Demons when they take on Serpents on Saturday afternoon. B52’s have been dropping bombs in recent weeks and have no shortage of options in front of goal. Keshi McCagh and Emma Smith will be keen to keep their strong form rolling. Serpents remain a side on the rise, with Gilly Johnson running a tight ship from the cage and a group of young players gaining confidence as the season progresses. Demons will not have much time to dwell on last week’s result, facing Rats earlier in the day. Rats enjoyed a strong outing against Serpents in round nine and Tessa O’Malley will be keen to see how her emerging side stacks up again. Demons are never easy to handle and their depth continues to shine, with Billie Marshall producing some of her best form of the season. The men’s A-grade delivers the match-up everyone circles on the calendar — B52’s versus Demons. Both sides come in off solid wins, with B52’s dismantling Rats last round. Callum Sojan and Kurt Tunbridge are proving hard to contain for the reigning champions, while Demons will lean on the ever-dependable Zacc and Joel Cross to throw down a serious challenge on Saturday morning. In women’s B-grade, Serpents and B52’s kick the round off on Friday night. Serpents have put together a good run of form, while B52’s are building momentum. Expect plenty of end-to-end action, with Grace Johnson scoring freely for Serpents and young B52’s Opal Prout and Delta Horsman bringing their trademark energy. It is derby time again with Demons Black taking on Demons Yellow. Black claimed bragging rights last time in what was the first B-grade derby in club history. Maddy Marshall was electric with six goals in that clash and remains in strong touch. Tori Bunter has been solid for Demons Yellow and will push their clubmates all the way. In men’s B-grade, it is another derby as B52’s face Relics. B52’s have held the upper hand in this fixture for some time, with young guns Leo Prout and Ben Naisbitt always worth the price of entry. Relics will be hoping their experience can finally turn the tables. The women’s C-grade continues to tighten, with Serpents Green and Demons Yellow leading the way since the early rounds. Demons Yellow take on B52’s on Friday night, and Serpents Green face Rats straight after. Rats are chasing momentum and have the cattle to test Serpents. Demons Black and Serpents Blue close the women’s C-grade action on Saturday afternoon. In men’s C-grade, Rats meet Demons, while Serpents will be keen to bounce back when they take on B52’s on Saturday afternoon. The water polo season resumes with round 11 on January 9-10.