Aussies STUN water polo powerhouse Croatia in Tokyo - bringing them one stop closer to Olympic glory
The Australian men secured a major scalp and their first win of the Tokyo Olympics men's water polo tournament, upsetting powerhouse Croatia 11-8 in a topsy-turvy struggle.
It's Australia's first win over the water polo powerhouse in Olympic history.
Richard Campbell and Blake Edwards scored five goals between them, while goalkeeper Anthony Hrysanthos led a brilliant defensive effort.
'He had an absolutely incredible game, can't do better than that for your Olympic debut,' captain Aaron Younger told Channel Seven aftewards.
The Australian men's water polo side has caused a massive boilover against Croatia
'It was great for the boys to bounce back.
'It's really what we needed to kickstart our campaign.
'We definitely have the hardest group here. Now we're up in the mix ... we (know we) can play against these bigger teams.'
The Sharks, who lost 15-10 in their tournament opener against Montenegro, currently sit second in Group B as they prepare to face reigning Olympic champions Serbia on Thursday night.
Australia, desperately needing to bank points given their pool features three of the top four sides from Rio 2016, shot out to a 7-3 lead early in Tuesday night's third quarter.
Richard Campbell (pictured was among the goal scorers in Australia's 11-8 win against medal contenders Croatia on Tuesday night
Croatia, silver medallists at the 2016 Games after winning gold at London 2012, rallied to reduce that buffer to just 7-6 at three-quarter time.
The third term ended with a contentious call that denied Edwards, representing the Sharks at these Games alongside brother Lachlan, a buzzer-beating goal.
Officials reviewed footage of the final seconds before ruling that time elapsed before Edwards scored.
The camera captured Australia coach Elvis Fatovic, who competed for Croatia at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics then served as an assistant coach for their triumph at the London Games, seeking clarification in direct fashion at the break.
Fatovic's charges weren't rattled, lifting when it mattered most while showing impressive composure in the final quarter.
Edwards nailed consecutive late goals, fashioning a 11-7 lead with a tick under three minutes remaining in the match.
The Australians have another tough game ahead of them against defending champions Serbia