SCOTLAND began their Commonwealth Championships preparations with a defeat to the Australian National League champions of the last two seasons, Melville Sharks.

Coach Theo Bampouras said: "It was a learning experience for the team against a very high standard of opposition."

The Melville team contained a Gold medallist from the Sydney Olympics, two members of the Athens 2004 Australian Olympic Team, a World Championships Team member from 1998 and an Australian Under 20 International who spent the past season playing professional Water Polo in Italy.

Melville won 30-3 after a slow start from the Scotland Team. The Olympians demonstrated their superior swimming speed from the start, accelerating away from the Scotland defence to score on the fast break.

Scotland asserted themselves in attack, but lacked the energy to convert their hard work into shots on goal. Melville's number seven, Olympian Belinda Brooks, scored an unstoppable shot from five meters. Dunfermline's Julia MacKay then scored a six-metre shot low into the left-hand corner of the Melville net beating Sydney Olympic Gold medallist Danni Woodhouse.

Melville switched to a zone defence which the Scots found difficult to break down, forcing shots from long range and allowing Melville to break.

Scotland continued to suffer by virtue of the fast break in the second quarter, with only a number of first-class saves by former Great Britain Junior International Goalkeeper Lynne Baird keeping Melville at bay. Gael Logan and MacKay each made a superb steal to deny Melville when they were through on goal.

The second-half performance was a vast improvement for Bampouras and his team. In the third quarter Jillian Connor scored a fabulous goal and Captain Fiona Greer scored a thunderous shot from the right-hand wing during an extra-man situation.

Baird continued to thwart Melville, saving from Athens Olympic Team member Kelly Heuchan and Katie Finegan, who has been playing in the Italian league.

Scotland were not outclassed in their first match in Perth as Melville are renowned as the strongest team in Australia. Their experienced individuals were supported by the next generation of Australian Water Polo talent.

Bampouras added: "Melville took us by surprise at first. But the girls should be very pleased because they improved throughout the game and coped well with the standard.

"It's not an easy task to score three goals against an Olympic Gold Medallist!"

SCOTLAND: 1. Lynne Baird, 3. Fiona Greer (1 goal), 4. Julia MacKay (1), 5. Cathy Burns, 6. Jillian Connor (1), 7. Caroline Connor, 8. Gael Logan, 9. Katie Matthews, 10. Lucy MacGregor, 11. Susan Johnstone, 12. Lynn Ruddock, 13. Sam Souter

FINAL Scotland 3, Melville 30 (1-8, 0-10, 2-8, 0-4)