Keenan Marsden ready to take on the world after strong debut for Aussie Sharks

The 23-year-old Hunter Hurricanes star and Newcastle product Nathan Power were selected in the 13-man line-up for the June 18 to July 3 tournament in Budapest.

Both were in the Australian team who finished with silver at the Intercontinental Cup in Peru in March, losing 7-6 to USA in the final.

Power, now a co-captain of the national team, was one of the most experienced internationals in the squad which featured several debutants, including Marsden.

A left or right-side driver, Marsden finished with two goals and a team-leading 14 assists. The assists total was equal-second highest across the tournament and Marsden was keen to carry that form into the world championships.

"It helps boost confidence, because when you go away you obviously want to prove yourself and show that they've made the right choice," Marsden said.

"Coming off the Peru tournament, I have a lot of confidence in myself and my ability and hopefully I can just roll that into this world championship.

"I got a lot of minutes in Peru. I was coming in first guy off the bench, which was good. I was doing some big stints and I was happy with the time I was getting and hopefully I can continue getting that amount of water time when I go to world champs."

Marsden, the son of former Australian captain and two-time Olympian Daniel, said playing for the national team had been a lifelong dream and keeping his spot was another "massive achievement".

The team leave on Sunday for a two-week camp in Spain before heading to Budapest for the tournament. Marsden said it would be another learning experience for him and the squad.

"Obviously we are a young team, and I'm still fairly young and it was my first time away [in Peru], so it was about gaining experience more than anything," he said.

"And it will be the same when I go to the world championships - try to play the best I can and if I can learn something, adapt to situations, then I will be stoked.

"As a team, because we are so young and almost everyone's new in the team, it's more so learning to play with each other and play well.

"If we can put four good quarters together and lose, I think we will still be happy with that, because it's such a young group. Obviously we can use this as a build-up to the Olympics."

In reviewing the Intercontinental Cup, Marsden said coach Tim Hamill was "happy with my water polo IQ and how I play the game, it's more so just the physicality of dealing with bigger bodies".

"I'm actually a small frame in water polo, so just that physicality side, just jamming and being able to keep up with everyone, which I can do and I'm fit enough to do," he said of what he had to work on in Hungary.

"I'll just have to be mindful not to get involved with the wrestle with the big boys.

"My role in the team is obviously to score goals when I can, but to facilitate, make the plays and help everyone else to score."

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