Wellington Phoenix Women General Discussion and Squad Speculation

Awesome!

The Wellington Phoenix have signed four up and coming New Zealand footballers as scholarship players for the upcoming Liberty A-League season.

Two of the players, Te Reremoana Walker and Charlotte Lancaster, were part of the inaugural Phoenix women’s squad, while Georgia Candy and Michaela Foster are newcomers to the team.
https://wellingtonphoenix.com/news/four-young-kiwis-join-phoenix-on-scholarship-contracts

Expires 2022/23
Lily Alfeld
Mackenzie Barry
Georgia Candy (S)
Claudia Cicco (A)
Brianna Edwards (A)
Michaela Foster (S)
Isabel Gomez (A)
Betsy Hassett
Charlotte Lancaster (S)
Zoe McMeeken
Ava Pritchard
Michaela Robertson (A)
Paige Satchell
Kate Taylor
Marisa van der Meer
Saskia Vosper
Te Reremoana Walker (S)
Grace Wisnewski

Expires 2023/24
Chloe Knott
Alyssa Whinham

These look like very good signings. How old is Te Reremoana?

Glad to see Te Reremoana back. She impressed with her versatility last season.

Michaela Foster is fantastic and been doing great things with Northern Rovers. 

Hopefully Lancaster can get more of a chance this season - looked promising when she played and also for the U20s, but didn't get much Nix gametime last year. 

Dunno much about Candy but just seems like the third GK so we have someone on the bench if/when Lily goes away for the Ferns? Will be able to challenge Bri for that starting spot when Lily is away as well I guess. 

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

These look like very good signings. How old is Te Reremoana?

19 in November 

I like these scholarship signings. 
For that last NZ spot wonder if Kelli Brown is in the mix. Or what about off shore options. Katie Bowen is back in NZ. or someone like Emma Rolston might be interested after mixed fortunes overseas.  Coming back to the A league worked for Hannah Wilkinson last season.
Last two spots probably need to go on attacking players I feel. A genuine number 9 would be good.

Ranix

I like these scholarship signings. 
For that last NZ spot wonder if Kelli Brown is in the mix. Or what about off shore options. Katie Bowen is back in NZ. or someone like Emma Rolston might be interested after mixed fortunes overseas.  Coming back to the A league worked for Hannah Wilkinson last season.
Last two spots probably need to go on attacking players I feel. A genuine number 9 would be good.

I think Robertson and Foster are both attackers?

Do we need to sign any more Aussies?

One more Aussie apparently as only signed 4 of the 5 required 

Natalie Lawrence is hinting that both final signings are Kiwis, and potentially exciting ones based on a Phil Rollo tweet - one or both of them may have dual citizenship though? I have no idea - hopefully a centre forward.

lthomas20

Glad to see Te Reremoana back. She impressed with her versatility last season.

Michaela Foster is fantastic and been doing great things with Northern Rovers. 

Hopefully Lancaster can get more of a chance this season - looked promising when she played and also for the U20s, but didn't get much Nix gametime last year. 

Dunno much about Candy but just seems like the third GK so we have someone on the bench if/when Lily goes away for the Ferns? Will be able to challenge Bri for that starting spot when Lily is away as well I guess. 

Foster daughter of ABs coach Ian.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/130186080/wellington-phoenix-sign-michaela-foster-daughter-of-all-blacks-coach-ian-foster

Natalie Lawrence interview here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y3A5MJVu2g

RR

📝 Welcome Cushla!

We have tonight confirmed the signing of Cushla Rue for the next two @aleaguewomen seasons: https://t.co/KqN5vvCHy2 #WSW pic.twitter.com/mUMiPTWSgs

— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) October 26, 2022

She was useful in her limited gametime for us last year

So according to the article. Emma Rolston looks likely to get one of the two last spots available.

She has scored a lot of goals here and in Oz domestically. Before moving overseas, where she has struggled only scoring a handful over 2 or 3 years. So would come here with a point to prove and a desire to cement a spot in the fern world cup squad.
https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/RoleModels/emma_rolston.htm

How did they go today against the u15 boys academy team?

Reportsare

How did they go today against the u15 boys academy team?

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I wonder if the Phoenix have considered Tayla O'Brien of Eastern Suburbs who has been scoring bucket-loads of goals in the National League this season.
She has certainly impressed me and a lot of other followers of our National Women's League that I know.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/6603187/Tayla-OBrien
Former NZ u-20 international
Aged 28, so maybe work commitments etc. rule her out as often happens with players from their mid-twenties on.
But then, senior Football Fern Anna Green has been working fulltime as an accountant in Wellington but has still been able to sign for Sydney FC in recent weeks:
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2022/10/14/ferns-full-back-anna-green-signs-for-womens-a-league-club-sydney-fc/
Green is a big loss to the Phoenix. 

Big Pete 65

I wonder if the Phoenix have considered Tayla O'Brien of Eastern Suburbs who has been scoring bucket-loads of goals in the National League this season.
She has certainly impressed me and a lot of other followers of our National Women's League that I know.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/6603187/Tayla-OBrien
Former NZ u-20 international
Aged 28, so maybe work commitments etc. rule her out as often happens with players from their mid-twenties on.
But then, senior Football Fern Anna Green has been working fulltime as an accountant in Wellington but has still been able to sign for Sydney FC in recent weeks:
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2022/10/14/ferns-full-back-anna-green-signs-for-womens-a-league-club-sydney-fc/
Green is a big loss to the Phoenix. 

Did the Phoenix want Green?
Doesn’t appear so as a Wellington local would she would have played in NZ if she could have I’d imagine 

Kenyabold

Big Pete 65

I wonder if the Phoenix have considered Tayla O'Brien of Eastern Suburbs who has been scoring bucket-loads of goals in the National League this season.
She has certainly impressed me and a lot of other followers of our National Women's League that I know.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/6603187/Tayla-OBrien
Former NZ u-20 international
Aged 28, so maybe work commitments etc. rule her out as often happens with players from their mid-twenties on.
But then, senior Football Fern Anna Green has been working fulltime as an accountant in Wellington but has still been able to sign for Sydney FC in recent weeks:
https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2022/10/14/ferns-full-back-anna-green-signs-for-womens-a-league-club-sydney-fc/
Green is a big loss to the Phoenix. 

Did the Phoenix want Green?
Doesn’t appear so as a Wellington local would she would have played in NZ if she could have I’d imagine 

If they didn't want Green, an 80 cap Football Fern, then there's something wrong with their player selection policies, considering she was wanted by Sydney FC, a much more successful team with a much stronger roster than the Phoenix, who have won the last two Premierships.
Green is still  definitely one of NZ's best players, 
I suspect that sides like Sydney FC with bigger budgets are paying their overseas players like Green more money.
Also, established internationals like Green with an extensive career playing in top leagues overseas, tend to want to play for the more successful clubs with more likelihood of winning things instead of struggling all season as the Phoenix unfortunately are likely again to do.  
Witnessed by the fact that most Football Ferns in the W-League are playng for Aussie clubs and don't seem interested in playing for the Nix.
Green first played in the W-League as long ago as 2012 for Adelaide and 2012-2018 mostly played in the English WSL (Notts County and Reading), the Bundesliga (Leipzig) and in Denmark.
It's Green's second spell with Sydney FC , so they must rate her.

It's not unexpected that most professional players are gonna want to get the best for their services, they want the money as well as the chance to win trophies. As the new team on the scene the Wahi-nix can't be expected to win things in their first year, and are probably not paying above market rates for the players they have. Green may have been on the radar but the deal may not have beenr ight for her or the club.

“Green is still  definitely one of NZ's best players”

Well shes clearly on the outer with the ferns as hasn’t been selected for the last few teams.
I think it’s more likely that she’s not a fit for the club and they see better younger talent to invest in.
This probably applies to the likes of Bowen as well who is back in NZ but still unattached.

Kenyabold

“Green is still  definitely one of NZ's best players”

Well shes clearly on the outer with the ferns as hasn’t been selected for the last few teams.
I think it’s more likely that she’s not a fit for the club and they see better younger talent to invest in.
This probably applies to the likes of Bowen as well who is back in NZ but still unattached.

I remember Green having a howler with Ferns first game, at the Tokyo Olympics. Not sure she's played for Ferns much since.

See that AV in an article on the Ferns is tipping Emma Rolston and maybe even 16 yr old Miley Clegg to get deals with the Nix.

Kenyabold

“Green is still  definitely one of NZ's best players”

Well shes clearly on the outer with the ferns as hasn’t been selected for the last few teams.
I think it’s more likely that she’s not a fit for the club and they see better younger talent to invest in.
This probably applies to the likes of Bowen as well who is back in NZ but still unattached.

Green and Bowen are better players than some of the girls contracted at the Nix no doubt. But reality is there are only so many spots available in the Nix squad.
For me. The more NZers playing in the A-leauge the better. So I don't mind seeing the likes of Green, Bunge, Steinmetz etc playing for Aus teams.
The Nix last year and this by and large looks like a development team, giving plenty of young girls a crack. For more experienced players that may not be appealing.
Green is from Wellington so I think that's why the question has been raised. It would have seemed a good fit to have her at the Nix. 
Katie Bowen would walk into any A-league team. Be interesting to see what she does after a season sitting on the bench at NC Courage. 
Still two spots open at the Nix. But only one left for a NZer the other needs to be an Aus player. Although Lawrence did hint that the last two spots would be NZer's. Which would mean another dual citizen possibly. What a bummer Longo did her ACL.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/130334982/wellington-phoenix-lure-football-ferns-forward-emma-rolston-home
Wellington Phoenix have lured another Football Fern home ahead of next year’s Women’s World Cup after freeing up an extra spot on the roster for a bonus New Zealand signing.

Expires 2022/23
Lily Alfeld
Mackenzie Barry
Georgia Candy (S)
Claudia Cicco (A)
Brianna Edwards (A)
Michaela Foster (S)
Isabel Gomez (A)
Betsy Hassett
Charlotte Lancaster (S)
Zoe McMeeken (A)
Ava Pritchard
Michaela Robertson (A)
Emma Rolston
Paige Satchell
Kate Taylor
Marisa van der Meer
Saskia Vosper
Te Reremoana Walker (S)
Grace Wisnewski

Expires 2023/24
Chloe Knott
Alyssa Whinham

Zoe McMeeken should now be Zoe McMeeken (A). Nice bonus

Her signing (Rolston) was made possible after the Phoenix discovered New Zealand age-group fullback Zoe McMeeken was born in Australia, meaning McMeeken could be counted as the team’s fifth Australian player.

The Phoenix must have at least five Australian players on their roster.

With the signing of Milly Clegg this morning the squad is finally complete. I’m still not 100% clear on every player’s best position but I had a go at putting together what the best squad might look like:

74653DE8-24A8-4249-A601-0BBD0D551580.jpeg 431.29 KB

Van der Meer can play anywhere across the backline, fairly sure Charlotte Lancaster is a mid. Michaela Foster was a centre back turned striker this season so can probably play either position, not sure about DM. Whinham and Knott are similar players, can both play a range of wing, AM and CM. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/130369476/shes-a-proper-goalscorer-wellington-phoenix-sign-agegroup-star-milly-clegg

Clegg has chosen to sign an amateur contract with the Phoenix, ensuring she will remain eligible to play college football in the United States, should she wish to go down that pathway in the future.

The year 12 Mount Albert Grammar School student will still be allowed to play in the A-League and will train fulltime with the Phoenix in Wellington, she just won’t be paid.

“She’s only 17 and didn’t want to close off any opportunity to go to college in the States, if that’s what she wants to do.

“Being able to offer her an amateur spot gives her the taste of professional football. She’ll be available for selection for all games, she’ll be here with us fulltime, but also will be able to go to the States should she want to do that in the future.

This is how I see the lineup looking this season. 4-2-3-1 formation. A couple of positions are interchangeable but I expect the squad to be very similar to this. 

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razzag

This is how I see the lineup looking this season. 4-2-3-1 formation. A couple of positions are interchangeable but I expect the squad to be very similar to this. 

Screen Shot 2022-11-04 at 12.40.33 PM.png 183.29 KB

How good to have options and depth at last.

I’d expect to see the likes of Robertson in the mix with her speed and eye for goal. Putting pressure on Knott/ Whinham who couldn’t seem to finish much last year.

Kenyabold

I’d expect to see the likes of Robertson in the mix with her speed and eye for goal. Putting pressure on Knott/ Whinham who couldn’t seem to finish much last year.

Not starting Whinham would be an absolute robbery. Clearly one of the most talented and creative young players coming out of NZ right now, something NZ has been lacking for years.

Kenyabold

I’d expect to see the likes of Robertson in the mix with her speed and eye for goal. Putting pressure on Knott/ Whinham who couldn’t seem to finish much last year.

Would expect Knott to playing in the midfield more often this year, I may be wrong but I think she was played out of position a fair bit last season playing quite high up the pitch. 

Having had the pleasure of watching them train on Wednesday. Those ladies have some awesome speed. TV just doesn't do them justice. Seriously fast. I saw some great skills, some great bonding and I think not only do they deserve 10k+ on the 20th, but they could well be the surprise packet in the Women's League this season.