Auckland Pride - Make Auckland Great Again

Doloras

RR

Buffon II

Doloras

Ryan

AucklandPhoenix

Who is j-Mac?

And who is Chris tanner?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Maclaren

You might have heard of him...

This would actually shock me and indicate that Foley has really stupid amounts of money to throw around (a top-class Aussie wouldn't go to Sheep Shagger Land for anything less than top dollar)

 Would be a proper statement signing for sure.

Reminds me a little of Smeltz to Gold Coast. Just J-Mac wouldn't be coming home

Smeltzy got outright brainwashed and ended up standing for Clive Palmer's hard-Right political party. I really hope Bill Foley doesn't have political ambitions in this country.

Why would he? He appears way too smart for that caper.
Thought at 79 he is 2 years younger than the guy in the Oval Office.

And yeah J-Mac would be a statement signing. Who's the most high profile Aussie to ever sign for the Nix? Or the one the most in their prime?

Durante after being MOTM in the ALM grand final win with the Jets?

Dura or Burns I would say. Can't recall if North was still in Socceroos contention when he signed. 

Jon McKain for me

RR

Dura or Burns I would say. Can't recall if North was still in Socceroos contention when he signed. 

McKain signed for the Nix after a few seasons in Romania. He was yes a Socceroo at the time, and had 16 more caps for them than Durante.

Burns's career had been pretty average (certainly goals wise) before signing for Nix in 2014 (first time at the Nix). He was on loan at the Jets from Incheon at the time.

North yeah still in Socceroos contention when at the Nix in 2010/11 (age 28). His last Aussie cap in 2013. Had a good 5 year stint at the Roar after the Nix. Still playing in the QLD NPL last year at 41.

None of them match Maclaren for profile.

Joel Porter

Can we stop calling this guy j-Mac?

When we sign wood, are you going to call him C.Woo?

AucklandPhoenix

Can we stop calling this guy j-Mac?

When we sign wood, are you going to call him C.Woo?

Woodzy/Woodze or the Woodsman have been seen across parts of the forum and various commentaries 
…

coochiee

Doloras

RR

Buffon II

Doloras

Ryan

AucklandPhoenix

Who is j-Mac?

And who is Chris tanner?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Maclaren

You might have heard of him...

This would actually shock me and indicate that Foley has really stupid amounts of money to throw around (a top-class Aussie wouldn't go to Sheep Shagger Land for anything less than top dollar)

 Would be a proper statement signing for sure.

Reminds me a little of Smeltz to Gold Coast. Just J-Mac wouldn't be coming home

Smeltzy got outright brainwashed and ended up standing for Clive Palmer's hard-Right political party. I really hope Bill Foley doesn't have political ambitions in this country.

Why would he? He appears way too smart for that caper.
Thought at 79 he is 2 years younger than the guy in the Oval Office.

And yeah J-Mac would be a statement signing. Who's the most high profile Aussie to ever sign for the Nix? Or the one the most in their prime?

Durante after being MOTM in the ALM grand final win with the Jets?

We signed Ahmad Elrich from Fulham as a marquee in 2007/08, he had played 6 Premier League games for them.

Joel Griffiths was a former Johnny Warren medalist when we signed him, although he was a bit over the hill by 2014.

I know it's a very loose connectionbut Foley is soon to have a stake in Hibernian and J-Mac did do a stint at Hibernian....

We have K bar! 

🤔🧐 pic.twitter.com/P6aR2YaqEr

— Forever City (@ForeverMelbCity) February 21, 2024

Fantastic piss take. 😆

Has a few of the City supporters with their panties in a twist too. 

Brimmer & Rojas?

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/exclusive-brimmer-rojas-headline-auckland-a-league-swoops-605385

Elijah Just is a new name linked. 

RR

Elijah Just is a new name linked. 

Apparently Sarpreet Singh, Callan Elliot, Elijah Just and Bill Tuiloma are all on their wish list which is no surprise they'd be wanting to target quality kiwis on the outer or coming to the end of their time at their respective clubs. As much as I would want Singh to stay in Europe I don't think coming back to the A-League would be as disastrous as people make it. We've seen a lot more players securing moves overseas after a good season and I reckon if he came back he'd do really well as long as he stayed injury-free.

What hasn't been discussed much in this thread is:

McFlynn didn’t want to be specific about player signings, saying “we have to be respectful of contractual situations”, but the Herald understands All Whites Cameron Howieson, Michael Woud and age group representative Jesse Randall are among the first batch.

"The Herald understands" is basically journalistic shorthand for a fact, but that they can't name their source/their source doesn't want it officially confirmed. 

I'm rather surprised at the Woud signing. Maybe he's a very cheap backup option. I'd have gone for Marinovic myself if he was similarly available. 

You'd hope Howieson can do the job at A-League level, he's basically been universally recognised as the best midfielder in the national league for years now so it would be a damning indictment on our domestic competition if he can't cut it. 

imanixsupporter

What hasn't been discussed much in this thread is:

McFlynn didn’t want to be specific about player signings, saying “we have to be respectful of contractual situations”, but the Herald understands All Whites Cameron Howieson, Michael Woud and age group representative Jesse Randall are among the first batch.

"The Herald understands" is basically journalistic shorthand for a fact, but that they can't name their source/their source doesn't want it officially confirmed. 

I'm rather surprised at the Woud signing. Maybe he's a very cheap backup option. I'd have gone for Marinovic myself if he was similarly available. 

You'd hope Howieson can do the job at A-League level, he's basically been universally recognised as the best midfielder in the national league for years now so it would be a damning indictment on our domestic competition if he can't cut it. 

The last two stand out national league midfielders to join the A-League have been Lewis and Payne, and they’ve both done pretty well.

Howieson is a smart play for local support, surely? Has been important for Auckland City for a few years now and has to be one of the best in the local league? 

Friar Tuck

imanixsupporter

What hasn't been discussed much in this thread is:

McFlynn didn’t want to be specific about player signings, saying “we have to be respectful of contractual situations”, but the Herald understands All Whites Cameron Howieson, Michael Woud and age group representative Jesse Randall are among the first batch.

"The Herald understands" is basically journalistic shorthand for a fact, but that they can't name their source/their source doesn't want it officially confirmed. 

I'm rather surprised at the Woud signing. Maybe he's a very cheap backup option. I'd have gone for Marinovic myself if he was similarly available. 

You'd hope Howieson can do the job at A-League level, he's basically been universally recognised as the best midfielder in the national league for years now so it would be a damning indictment on our domestic competition if he can't cut it. 

The last two stand out national league midfielders to join the A-League have been Lewis and Payne, and they’ve both done pretty well.

 totally forgot about that. Riera made the step up too obviously 

Eli Just may use it as a springboard for a better league/contract. I think he'd do well in the aleague. Fast and skillful! 

Elemenop

Just may use it as a springboard for a better league/contract. I think he'd do well in the aleague. Fast and skillful! 

Who? Howieson? Apparently he has a child who needs to regularly visits Auckland Starship for treatment or similar. Obviously a private matter for his family, but the reason it seems why he in the past has knocked back interest from the Nix. An ALM team in Auckland allows him to obviously remain with his family in the 09.

Woud I think could be a good ALM keeper. Could be. Yes he's made a few bad howlers with Olywhites & AWs. But it's not impossible as a keeper to eradicate that from his game as he gets older. Woud just turned 25, so young by GK standards. Playing well enough in Bazeley's eyes to get an AWs recall last year. An error for first goal verus Greece, but otherwise looked okay in that match plus Socceroos at Brentford. For example Crocombe at 30, is only just now breaking through to look a very solid consistent keeper. 

He meant Eli Just

Well yes he’s now gone back and added Just’s name to his post, when it was initially sans a name, after 3-4 posts about primarily Howieson. 

coochiee

Well yes he’s now gone back and added Just’s name to his post, when it was initially sans a name, after 3-4 posts about primarily Howieson. 

My original post had JUST as the first word. Sorry for any confusion on a Friday. 

I think both would be up to A-League level (Eli Just and Howieson). But yes, depends on what they want to do too. 

I’ve always rated Just but think he’d be more effective with a few more kg of muscle.

I get that it would be a shame for guys like he and Singh to move back from Europe, but as has been said earlier, a reset (particularly for Singh) is just what he needs. Would be useful for game time and confidence and then hopefully they’ll both move away again.

loyalgunner

I’ve always rated Just but think he’d be more effective with a few more kg of muscle.

I get that it would be a shame for guys like he and Singh to move back from Europe, but as has been said earlier, a reset (particularly for Singh) is just what he needs. Would be useful for game time and confidence and then hopefully they’ll both move away again.

Could be a good reset for Singh, at 25 he's not too old to retry to establish himself and get back into Europe. I guess it would depend on the finacials though, even as a bench player he'd be getting better money than the a-league would provide.

Singh is a big name in football circles and also would potentially be very useful in attracting Auckland's Indian diaspora, I think he would be worth big if not marquee wages for that 

The A-League seems to be a feeder for the Scottish league now. So have a good season and boom you could be at a top 6 club there.

So that's Woud, Smith, Tuiloma, Elliott, Brimmer, Howieson, Rojas, Just  Randall, McClaren either all but confirmed or strongly linked. Almost a team already 

Shaping up to be a strong one if that is all to be believed. I hope there will be some surprises though.

Has anybody heard talk about a youth setup? Obviously the Phoenix setup is paying dividends and if a similarly successful one happened in Auckland that would be huge for the club and for New Zealand football.

loyalgunner

Shaping up to be a strong one if that is all to be believed. I hope there will be some surprises though.

Has anybody heard talk about a youth setup? Obviously the Phoenix setup is paying dividends and if a similarly successful one happened in Auckland that would be huge for the club and for New Zealand football.

If I remember correctly the youth and womens setup was coming in 2026, focus was getting the men's team up and running before expanding.

Jessie Merino

So that's Woud, Smith, Tuiloma, Elliott, Brimmer, Howieson, Rojas, Just  Randall, McClaren either all but confirmed or strongly linked. Almost a team already 

IMG_6352.jpeg 447.08 KB

Jessie Merino

So that's Woud, Smith, Tuiloma, Elliott, Brimmer, Howieson, Rojas, Just  Randall, McClaren either all but confirmed or strongly linked. Almost a team already 

Also Luis Toomey. Tuiloma may not be possible until season 2025/26.

Friar Tuck

Jessie Merino

So that's Woud, Smith, Tuiloma, Elliott, Brimmer, Howieson, Rojas, Just  Randall, McClaren either all but confirmed or strongly linked. Almost a team already 

IMG_6352.jpeg 447.08 KB

De Vries at LB?

Natta re-signs with the Jets, he had previously been linked. They dodged a bullet there.

That's a decent looking side already. throw in 4 (or is it 5 now?) imports... 

I'm going to hate this Auckland team (from a football point of view). But it's exciting and really interesting seeing how they form up. And long term it helps NZ football... 

The Auckland side will massively benefit Wellington from a commercial and profile perspective.

There is next to no coverage of the Nix or A League in Auckland so commercially this will open doors for the Nix that weren’t open before. 

The Nix season so far is building a decent groundswell of anticipation for the Auckland team. Can’t wait 

The Nix already have some commercial sponsors in Auckland. Seems those same sponsors require the Nix to take 1-2 games a season to Auckland as part of the deal. Those same sponsors may now decide it makes more sense to sponsor the local ALM club. Domey has already raised that as a potential concern.

Could be partly why the Nix seem so eager with this new Chinese opportunity. From 2026 when the new shiny ChCh CBD stadium opens (looks a very cool design) can see the Nix taking 'home' games there, and that may open new commercial opportunities, ie they look south rather than north. They do have a lot of Cantabs now in both their mens & womens teams.

But yeah you are right the new Auckland team, will for sure raise the profile of the A League significantly in NZ (especially the 09) as a whole. That can only be good for football in NZ as a whole, and hopefully the Nix. I really think the derby games, well marketed, and well scheduled to avoid fixture clashes with early season Super Rugby ie with little other sports focus - will be huge. 

RR's Waitangi Day idea sounds like a great idea to make an annual tradition!

Elemenop

The A-League seems to be a feeder for the Scottish league now. So have a good season and boom you could be at a top 6 club there.

The SP is hardly world leading though. The Nix current form would see us challenging for silverware.  Players leave there to go to England's lower leagues as a general rule.

Jessie Merino

So that's Woud, Smith, Tuiloma, Elliott, Brimmer, Howieson, Rojas, Just  Randall, McClaren either all but confirmed or strongly linked. Almost a team already 

I really hope the likes of Tuiloma, Singh and Just stay in the Northern Hemisphere.  

I want the Nix and Akl to dominate the league but I want to see kiwis playing at a higher level for the good of the Kiwi game and the AWs. 

Howieson, Smith and Rojas are the sorts of older kiwis we should be looking at, those past it at a higher level (Smith and Howieson)while others are at the wrong end of their careers (Smith and Rojas).

I don't think Woud is up to it. Marinovic if not retired would be a good shout.

Hmmm... I want to see the A-League raised to a higher level myself.

Jessie Merino

Hmmm... I want to see the A-League raised to a higher level myself.

I do too, I want it to be like the MLS, very good but still a launch pad to the EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga etc.