Wellington Phoenix Women General Discussion and Squad Speculation

Surely for this season you look at those that are there or there abouts for the Ferns and are currently free agents? With the WWC next year we need to be focusing on players who will be actual contenders for the Football Ferns who aren't currently in a pro team. Of course you would encourage those who are able to to pick up contracts in more established A-League teams to do so and then aim to pick up as many as you can for your squad :)
I hope Yitka is involved in the selections. In fact is it an opportunity missed that she is not coaching them I wonder?

New Zealand women's national football team - Wikipedia
Here are a few names to scout from, from Wiki alone:
GKVictoria Esson | March 6, 1991 (age 31) | 6 | 0 | Free agent
MFPaige Satchell | April 13, 1998 (age 24) | 28 | 2 | Free agent
MFMalia Steinmetz | January 18, 1999 (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Free agent
MFAnnalie Longo | July 1, 1991 (age 31) | 124 | 15 |  Christchurch United
DFAnna Green | August 20, 1990 (age 31) | 80 | 8 | Free agent | 
MFRosie White | June 6, 1993 (age 29) | 111 | 24 | Free agent |
FWMichaela Robertson | August 28, 1996 (age 25) | 0 | 0 |  Lower Hutt City |

And 2021 Nix players in the frame:
GKLily Alfeld | August 4, 1995 (age 26) | 0 | 0 |  Wellington Phoenix
DFMackenzie Barry | April 11, 2001 (age 21) | 0 | 0 |  Wellington Phoenix
DFKate Taylor |  | 0 | 0 |  Wellington Phoenix 

It's a real problem being restricted to only 11(?) Kiwis, especially if the team is to be based in Welly now.
ALW seems still in many ways a league with many part time players, those with study commitments or other jobs in the off season .

So not so easy for many Aussies to uproot their lives in Oz to move to NZ maybe, for 6 months. Nix could be left signing some young Aussies that ain't that good, just to sign the 7(?) Australians required.

Then if you sign some of the more experienced free agent Kiwis above, some promising young Kiwis ain't given a chance. The next Alyssa Windham discovery is stuck playing amateur National League football, whilst some less talented Aussie prepared to move to NZ gets a gig.

That max 11(?) Kiwi players restriction, seemed an unnecessary rule now for Football Australia to still have, given plenty of new opportunities for young Australian talent to play in ALW, with new teams Western U & then CCM the following season, coming into the league.
 

Hasn't been my favourite player watching the Ferns, think she is a little bit past her best, but she'll still be quality in our squad and provide needed experience (which our midfield really lacked last season IMO, Knott underperformed a bit there). 

More Ferns please! Keep them coming!

Hasn't been my favourite player watching the Ferns, think she is a little bit past her best, but she'll still be quality in our squad and provide needed experience (which our midfield really lacked last season IMO, Knott underperformed a bit there). 

More Ferns please! Keep them coming!

lthomas20

Hasn't been my favourite player watching the Ferns, think she is a little bit past her best, but she'll still be quality in our squad and provide needed experience (which our midfield really lacked last season IMO, Knott underperformed a bit there). 

More Ferns please! Keep them coming!

Personally don’t think they need many or any more Ferns. Otherwise you will really start to block pathways for young Kiwis, which is a major reason for this team existing. FA dispense with the silly minimum 7 Aussies requirement and that changes somewhat

But with a proper pre season, full fitness/gym conditioning programs it seems last few months, a year’s further experience under their belts (many going to the U20 WC, some now with time with the Ferns), home games plus Satchell & now Hassett - this should be a much better team than last season already

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/129377766/football-fern-betsy-hassett-to-bring-wealth-of-experience-to-wellington-phoenix

Good signing, provides leadership too which is needed with our young team.

I wonder what the quality of the Iceland league is compared to the A-League Women. Considering the population of Iceland is less than the Wellington urban area, I can't imagine the quality is high.

lthomas20

Hasn't been my favourite player watching the Ferns, think she is a little bit past her best, but she'll still be quality in our squad and provide needed experience (which our midfield really lacked last season IMO, Knott underperformed a bit there). 

More Ferns please! Keep them coming!

I am getting worried that Kate Taylor and Zoe McMeeken haven't been announced yet

Another thing to consider is one of the reasons FA (FFA) gave from memory, about taking awhile to approve a Nix womens' team, is they didn't want a defacto stacked Football Ferns team in their national women's comp.

I'm sure that won't happen (if anything it's seems these days more quality players are leaving the ALW than joining it), but it is an Australian comp, and fair enough they don't want to see a stacked Kiwi side bossing it anytime soon.

But confident Lewis & co will get the balance right. Maybe 1 at most 2 more Ferns (yes Unattached hopefully).

lthomas20

Hasn't been my favourite player watching the Ferns, think she is a little bit past her best, but she'll still be quality in our squad and provide needed experience (which our midfield really lacked last season IMO, Knott underperformed a bit there). 

More Ferns please! Keep them coming!

Personally don’t think they need many or any more Ferns. Otherwise you will really start to block pathways for young Kiwis, which is a major reason for this team existing. FA dispense with the silly minimum 7 Aussies requirement and that changes somewhat

But with a proper pre season, full fitness/gym conditioning programs it seems last few months, a year’s further experience under their belts (many going to the U20 WC, some now with time with the Ferns), home games plus Satchell & now Hassett - this should be a much better team than last season already

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/129377766/football-fern-betsy-hassett-to-bring-wealth-of-experience-to-wellington-phoenix

For some reason I thought the 7 ozzy player thing was for 2 years only but obviously not?

For some reason I thought the 7 ozzy player thing was for 2 years only but obviously not?

At a guess Brown and Wisnewski + (1 more overseas Fern) + Van der Meer.
McMeeken and Lancaster or Macey Fraser as Scholarship players.
Longo and Micheala Robertson as Aus players. 
Depends a little on who they can pick up in Aus and what position they play. 
Tough on those NZ players that will miss out. Although I could be way out as some NZ players may be picked up by Aus teams also.