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WPW 2026/27 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

179 replies · 11,012 views

5 days ago

Excellent signing. Erceg will be good on the park but also seems fired up to help the next generation of young kiwi footballers
Two months+ out from the start of the new season i am 100% more excited about the womens team than the mens. They appear to have everything under control.
The mens team is still a work in progress to put it politely. I am still optimistic and have huge faith in Greenie but?????

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5 days ago · edited 5 days ago · History

As it stands with 17 players signed.
Going to be lot of competition for places. Even now its hard to fit our best players into a starting XI.

Esson
Walker Erceg Barry
Pickett Elliot
Jale Fraser
Vlok
Nunn Woods

Subs. Danieli, Van der Meer, Benson, Main
Injured at season Start. Bott, Samba

Expected further signings.
One more experienced international player
Whinham. Deserves to be in this team.
Brasendale. We need more CDM cover.

That would take the squad to 20 players.
Not sure what we had last season. 21 players?

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3 days ago

Ranix wrote:
As it stands with 17 players signed.
Going to be lot of competition for places. Even now its hard to fit our best players into a starting XI.

Esson
Walker Erceg Barry
Pickett Elliot
Jale Fraser
Vlok
Nunn Woods

Subs. Danieli, Van der Meer, Benson, Main
Injured at season Start. Bott, Samba

Expected further signings.
One more experienced international player
Whinham. Deserves to be in this team.
Brasendale. We need more CDM cover.

That would take the squad to 20 players.
Not sure what we had last season. 21 players?

Im not sure we needed Erceg. VDM is better at Left centre back than Barry.i think we just needed cover for Walker,Barry, VDM. Review this post in 6 months time.

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2 days ago

https://twitter.com/WgtnPhoenixFC/status/2085141784272023759

https://twitter.com/WgtnPhoenixFC/status/2085141784272023759

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1 day ago

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DR7HUWfn1/

Wall/Anthony/Braizendale gone!

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1 day ago

Phillip Rollo believes Lara Wall has picked up a gig elsewhere

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1 day ago

Looking awfully light in CDM until Bott is back, not that Brazendale was a needle mover

Valley FC til I die?

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1 day ago

Until they say they have finalised the squad its to early to say where we are short. Pretty sure they have said there are more signings to come so let hope there are some nice surprises still to come.

GET YOUR SHIRTS OFF FOR THE BOYS

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1 day ago

RR wrote:
Phillip Rollo believes Lara Wall has picked up a gig elsewhere

I'm hearing possibly Newcastle

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1 day ago · edited 1 day ago · History

I think Brasendale has a lot of potential and always performed well for us. Will probably captain our U20 team at the world cup next month. Hope she has another professional team lined up to continue her development.
Wonder if Bev has been talking to Anelia Jensen. Another player with potential at CDM but due to taking the USA College pathway has never played professionally.

Surprised it took so long for them to announce McKenzie Anthony considering we filled our visa quota weeks ago. Or is there more to this.

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1 day ago

ballane wrote:
Until they say they have finalised the squad its to early to say where we are short. Pretty sure they have said there are more signings to come so let hope there are some nice surprises still to come.

its says coming days, not weeks like usual

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PKRa

1 day ago

Chiefytheman wrote:
ballane wrote:
Until they say they have finalised the squad its to early to say where we are short. Pretty sure they have said there are more signings to come so let hope there are some nice surprises still to come.

20566.jpg 48.67 KB
its says coming days, not weeks like usual

They mentioned the academy is being looked at for A League players. I imagine they could get maybe 2 from academy and 4 from Aus.

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1 day ago

Chiefytheman wrote:
ballane wrote:
Until they say they have finalised the squad its to early to say where we are short. Pretty sure they have said there are more signings to come so let hope there are some nice surprises still to come.

20566.jpg 48.67 KB
its says coming days, not weeks like usual

Presumably Chance is the other big name that will be announced in the coming days.

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1 day ago

“Presumably Chance is the other big name that will be announced in the coming days.”

Chance looked slow and out of shape on Saturday. Granted she’s had a baby but surely there are younger fitter faster players that can offer more playing in NZ?

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1 day ago

Elbo wrote:
“Presumably Chance is the other big name that will be announced in the coming days.”

Chance looked slow and out of shape on Saturday. Granted she’s had a baby but surely there are younger fitter faster players that can offer more playing in NZ?

Chance will be competing with Fraser and Vlok for game time. Those two you really want to see on the park as much as possible.
But Chance does bring experience. Was very good only a few years back when playing at Celtic. Maybe for Bev, its a depth and experience thing.

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about 17 hours ago

Of all the places for something like this to be confirmed, a fashion segment of a Christchurch newspaper is an odd place - but Macey Fraser is gone.

Macey Fraser, 24, lives in Rangiora and is between jobs.

She was a professional athlete before giving it up last week.
During her soccer sporting career, she played for the Football Ferns, New Zealand’s national team, and for the Wellington Phoenix for two years. She also played professionally in Utah, America, but has been back for almost a year now.
She has played soccer (football) since she was 4 years old because her family is “soccer crazy”. Her Kiwi parents follow Liverpool FC, she says.
Being a professional soccer player seems like a “dream job”, she says, and while she liked it, “it’s really hard financially”. She was paid only nine months of the year, and not nearly as much as her male counterparts.
“It’s harder than people think to be a professional athlete.”

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about 17 hours ago

interesting, shes been very busy on her insta with football trick videos, couldnt tell what park she was at.
but also interesting that the Nix bring her back on a two year deal, allow her time off to get her mental health sorted and then she comes to the realisation that she cant make it work as the APL announce an increase in the women's budget

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 16 hours ago

I had been thinking/hoping a few of these girls hold on and get into the world cup team and get some of the payment from that before leaving the pro game or hopefully getting better deals elsewhere

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about 15 hours ago · edited about 15 hours ago · History

theprof wrote:
interesting, shes been very busy on her insta with football trick videos, couldnt tell what park she was at.
but also interesting that the Nix bring her back on a two year deal, allow her time off to get her mental health sorted and then she comes to the realisation that she cant make it work as the APL announce an increase in the women's budget

More to Macys story than just money,just maybe she couldnt get rid of those demons and a new direction might help.
I wish her well but dam gonna miss what we hoped she could bring this season.
Another talent not to reach their potential.

GET YOUR SHIRTS OFF FOR THE BOYS

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about 14 hours ago · edited about 14 hours ago · History

Even if the 40% increase in the ALW salary cap goes through, doesn’t that just increase what clubs are allowed to pay, not necessarily what they will pay?

I’d love to be wrong here, but I don’t think it’s going to finally get players onto a full-year salary that they can live on, not unless competition in the transfer market pushes clubs that way. So whatever other reasons Macey had for stepping away, this is a reminder that the whole “players need to eat and pay rent” thing is still a massive problem for the ALW.

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brFr

about 14 hours ago · edited about 14 hours ago · History

yeah it's an increase to the cap - so clubs can pay more, whether they will pay each individual more or not is a different story. I'd expect the Nix will increase salaries where they can.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 14 hours ago

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about 14 hours ago

Chiefytheman wrote:
20580.jpg 294.87 KB

That's a BIG statement

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about 14 hours ago

theprof wrote:
yeah it's an increase to the cap - so clubs can pay more, whether they will pay each individual more or not is a different story. I'd expect the Nix will increase salaries where they can.

I know on the men's side there is a floor, I assume its the same for the women. So if the floor rises as well, clubs HAVE to spend to more

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about 13 hours ago

Good news if Fraser is at least going to continue playing football. Who knows at what level.
Anna Leat had a winter playing domestic stuff in Auckland before joining the Jets in the ALW.

NZ's talent pool is too shallow, to not at least hope that Macey can return to the game at some point.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361017624/matildas-star-tameka-yallop-joins-wellington-phoenix-represent-new-zealand-side-family

Yallop will replace Kiwi midfielder Macey Fraser, who is set to cut ties with the Phoenix with two years remaining on her contract.

The 24-year-old was granted a mental wellbeing break and missed most of last season after returning early from the Utah Royals.

She seemingly announced her departure from the Phoenix in The Press’s weekly street fashion column while home in Rangiora, telling the reporter she was between jobs. The article said she had given up her “dream job” of being a professional footballer.

However, it’s understood Fraser has been granted a mutual termination but does intend to continue playing.

The Phoenix have also confirmed Lara Wall, Daisy Brazendale and Mackenzie Anthony will leave following the expiration of their contracts.

Wall, a Football Ferns left back who made 39 appearances across two seasons after joining following a successful trial, is understood to be in talks with the Newcastle Jets.

Brazendale, a New Zealand under-20 international, made 43 appearances after progressing through the Phoenix academy but will be looking for a club where she can carve out a bigger role after primarily being used off the bench.

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about 13 hours ago

No way?! We got Yallop?!? That's incredible!!

I have an amazing ability to find my way out of mazes. I'm pathological.

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PK+1

about 13 hours ago

Does the visa cap not include Aussies?
The Wahinix is becoming the place old ballers come to die 💀

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about 13 hours ago

theprof wrote:
yeah it's an increase to the cap - so clubs can pay more, whether they will pay each individual more or not is a different story. I'd expect the Nix will increase salaries where they can.

Nix have been very vocal about spending the entire ALW Salary Cap

@FransenFC on Insta
Mega shirt collector. Always willing to hear shirts you wanna sell

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about 13 hours ago

Elbo wrote:
Does the visa cap not include Aussies?
The Wahinix is becoming the place old ballers come to die 💀

Aussie's dont count, so that way we can still 'develop' their players since it is still the Australian League

@FransenFC on Insta
Mega shirt collector. Always willing to hear shirts you wanna sell

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about 13 hours ago

coochiee wrote:
Good news if Fraser is at least going to continue playing football. Who knows at what level.
Anna Leat had a winter playing domestic stuff in Auckland before joining the Jets in the ALW.

NZ's talent pool is too shallow, to not at least hope that Macey can return to the game at some point.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361017624/matildas-star-tameka-yallop-joins-wellington-phoenix-represent-new-zealand-side-family

Yallop will replace Kiwi midfielder Macey Fraser, who is set to cut ties with the Phoenix with two years remaining on her contract.
The 24-year-old was granted a mental wellbeing break and missed most of last season after returning early from the Utah Royals.

She seemingly announced her departure from the Phoenix in The Press’s weekly street fashion column while home in Rangiora, telling the reporter she was between jobs. The article said she had given up her “dream job” of being a professional footballer.

However, it’s understood Fraser has been granted a mutual termination but does intend to continue playing.

The Phoenix have also confirmed Lara Wall, Daisy Brazendale and Mackenzie Anthony will leave following the expiration of their contracts.
Wall, a Football Ferns left back who made 39 appearances across two seasons after joining following a successful trial, is understood to be in talks with the Newcastle Jets.

Brazendale, a New Zealand under-20 international, made 43 appearances after progressing through the Phoenix academy but will be looking for a club where she can carve out a bigger role after primarily being used off the bench.

Macey will want a payrise move.

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about 13 hours ago

PKB wrote:
coochiee wrote:
Good news if Fraser is at least going to continue playing football. Who knows at what level.
Anna Leat had a winter playing domestic stuff in Auckland before joining the Jets in the ALW.

NZ's talent pool is too shallow, to not at least hope that Macey can return to the game at some point.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361017624/matildas-star-tameka-yallop-joins-wellington-phoenix-represent-new-zealand-side-family

Yallop will replace Kiwi midfielder Macey Fraser, who is set to cut ties with the However, it’s understood Fraser has been granted a mutual termination but does intend to continue playing
Macey will want a payrise move.

Big risk for another club to take on, imho?

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about 13 hours ago · edited about 13 hours ago · History

She might just kick a football around for the Canty Pride, and become a fashion influencer or something, for a time. Might pay more than the ALW.

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about 13 hours ago

coochiee wrote:
She might just kick a football around for the Canty Pride, and become a fashion influencer or something.
Might pay more than the ALW.

This will be Canty Pride's last season, but she could join Cash Tech if she's staying in Canterbury

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about 13 hours ago

Is she still dating Lachlan Brook? Maybe a move to an Auckland team is on the cards?

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about 13 hours ago

zonknz wrote:
PKB wrote:
coochiee wrote:
Good news if Fraser is at least going to continue playing football. Who knows at what level.
Anna Leat had a winter playing domestic stuff in Auckland before joining the Jets in the ALW.

NZ's talent pool is too shallow, to not at least hope that Macey can return to the game at some point.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361017624/matildas-star-tameka-yallop-joins-wellington-phoenix-represent-new-zealand-side-family

Yallop will replace Kiwi midfielder Macey Fraser, who is set to cut ties with the However, it’s understood Fraser has been granted a mutual termination but does intend to continue playing
Macey will want a payrise move.
Big risk for another club to take on, imho?

huge risk given recent histroy with the Nix, she was stuggling off shore, came home still struggling, played very little and clearly has some issues to resolve. Any professional club considering signing her would surely want to get her on the cheap. If she does sign with antoher pro club I'd be a bit miffed if I was the Nix having released her fom her contract with 2 years remaining. missing out on transfer fees.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 13 hours ago

Yallop is an awesome signing as long as she is over her recent injuries. It hampered her participation in Brisbanes finals campaign. Is another great signing for our young girls to learn off.

GET YOUR SHIRTS OFF FOR THE BOYS

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about 13 hours ago

With Yallop,Erceg and Nunn think we are gonna see some fireworks.😁

GET YOUR SHIRTS OFF FOR THE BOYS

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about 12 hours ago

ballane wrote:
With Yallop,Erceg and Nunn think we are gonna see some fireworks.😁

the training sessions might be worth a watch!

Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet

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about 12 hours ago

Yallop is a hell of a signing! What a squad we've got this season!

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about 12 hours ago

“Yallop is an awesome signing as long as she is over her recent injuries. It hampered her participation in Brisbanes finals campaign. Is another great signing for our young girls to learn off.”

Shame they have to sack the local young talent in order to find room for aging, injury prone players at the end of their careers

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