Two-time Olympian Rebecca Rippon has been dumped from Australia’s women’s water polo squad for this year’s London Games.

Rippon, who has played 265 games for Australia, surprisingly missed out on selection in the 17-strong team named by head coach Greg McFadden on Saturday.

The squad will now stay together through a number of camps and tournaments before the final 13 players for the London Olympics will be announced on June 12.

Rippon has enjoyed a glittering career for the Stingers that included scoring a late goal against Hungary in the bronze medal match at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that Australia eventually won in extra-time.

The 33-year-old from Sydney also played a major role in Australian teams that won the 2006 World Cup and 2012 Pan Pacific championships as well as claiming silver at the 2007 world championships.

“In the last six weeks which incorporated the training camps and Test series with Canada and the USA, plus the Pan Pacs, the squad lost just one game from the 16 we played,” said McFadden, who also cut goalkeeper Lea Barta from the original team of 19.

“During this period we mixed the team up regularly looking for the best combinations and our performances made selection of this squad extremely difficult.

“Unfortunately for Rebecca Rippon and Lea Barta they are the first two casualties of this campaign.

“Both players have been outstanding team members during this period and in Bec’s case has been an outstanding contributor to the history of Australian women’s water polo.”

The squad contains five members of Australia’s Beijing Olympic team including Rippon’s sister Melissa.