Our coaches

As a current QLD Thunder National League player and previous player in Italy across the Men's Series A & B Teams, Sam has built his way up through the ranks of legends as a junior player in Brisbane. He has represented his State across multiple years and been a Queensland Academy of Sport scholarship recipient during his time in the sport.

Over more recent years, Sam has coached as a development coach in Italy, and more locally at Loreto College, St Lawrence's College, Moreton Bay College, Delfina Skills Clinics, and for WPQ programs.

Sam's vision:

My mission is to empower every member of Carina Leagues Warriors Water Polo Club to reach their full potential, both in and out of the pool. Together, with a shared commitment to excellence and a relentless pursuit of improvement, I am confident that we can achieve remarkable success and establish Warriors as a powerhouse within the community of water polo, now and for years to come.

Reilly began his career in water polo at 10 years of age with Warriors and has stayed with the club ever since. He made his first Australian team at 17, and represented Australia in the U18 Youth World Championships. He is currently part of the Aussie Sharks Squad and has represented Australia at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, with strong hopes for the upcoming Olympics.

He also currently plays for Warriors in the Men's Premier League while studying at QUT. He has coached at All Hallow's School and as an assistant coach for WPQ in 2023.

Reilly's message to young Warriors:

When I was young, having fun playing water polo was the most important thing to me, winning then came as we got older. I’d like for Warriors to continue to make the sport enjoyable for the young players so that they continue to play from U12 through to an open level. 

Stewart is a current Warriors Premier League player with a long history in water polo. He played as a junior in Brisbane and continued into the National League from the age of 16. As a Queensland Academy of Sport scholarship recipient, he went on to play as part of Australian national junior teams including European tours. He also later joined the Queensland Breakers National League from 2012 onwards. 

Stewart has coached at various schools around Brisbane, and coached and managed Queensland State Teams and Metropolitan East and South Coast teams in the Schools State Championships. He has also worked as a Queensland Academy of Sport junior water polo squad coach.

Stewart's focus:

I want to help develop confident and knowledgeable coaches and a clear skills-tree so they know what they are striving for. I would like to build strong connections with local schools to assist Warriors to grow participation in this awesome sport.

Taylah is a long-term Warriors player and coach. She has played water polo since she was old enough to swim, and she continues to be a wonderful advocate for the sport at the community and state levels. Currently straddling her role at Water Polo Queensland in competition and events along with her role as skills coach at Warriors, Taylah lives and breathes water polo. 

She has played in senior women's teams both competitively and socially in Brisbane, and has coached for a number of years at Warriors and for Queensland regional teams at various state competitions. She has coached water polo as part of Water Polo Queensland junior schools' programs and is an active referee in the Brisbane Water Polo competition.

Tom Freer

Tom is an experienced coach across several sports, and coached water polo teams at schools in Brisbane before moving across to Warriors in recent seasons and built excellent rapport with his teams. He is also a proud water polo parent.

Juan Vasquez Hernandez

Juan currently plays on the Warriors Division 1 men's team in the Brisbane Water Polo competition. He has also played water polo competitively and coached at Warriors throughout the 2023-2024 season with great team success.

Kelly Legge

Kelly is an experienced junior team coach and has played at Warriors in the social women's team for several seasons. She has coached Warriors and other Brisbane club teams at local, state and national club competitions with a focus on strong skills development and team-ship. She is also a proud water polo parent.

Chris Lucht

Chris is an experienced junior team coach and has coached at Warriors for many years, in the local competition as well as at State Title tournaments. He enjoys building the team spirit with his players and providing a strong foundation of fair play with his teams. Chris is also a proud water polo parent.

Olivia Mattiske

Olivia has been a team coach at Warriors for the 2023-24 season and has built a strong connection with her young U12 players. She has previously been an assistant coach at Loreto, and has continued to build on this experience at Warriors.