This week we present part 2 of our annual Australian A-League Women's 2021-22 preview of prospects for Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne City, Newcastle United, Perth Glory, and expansion franchise Wellington Phoenix.
Australian A-League Women 2021/22 Regular Season Preview—(Continued)
See Part 1 for Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar, Canberra United and Adelaide United at: The Week in Women's Football: A-League Women's 2021/22 season preview - Part 1 - Tribal Football.
Note: The teams are presented below in order of their 2020/21 table position in the league.
Western Sydney Wanderers (4-1-7—13 points—Tied for Sixth)
The Wanderers aim to finish higher than seventh for a club that has only made the playoffs once (in 2019/20) as they enter their tenth league season. Defender Tiegen Allen (27) is back at Wanderland, to play under head coach Catherine Cannuli, who is in her first season as head coach, where she played during the club's first two seasons in 2012/13 and 2013/14. Allen and Cannuli were teammates for the Wanderers in their inaugural season in 2012/13. Allen played with Melbourne City last season after two campaigns with Melbourne Victory and also played three seasons with Sydney FC in the past.
Western Sydney Wanderers legend Caitlin Cooper has joined one-club player Erica Halloway in signing on at Wanderland for 2021/22. Cooper (33) returns after winning the Wanderers Player of the Year award in 2020/21 and appeared in all 12 matches. Halloway will compete in her seventh season in the Red and Black since first joining the club in 2015. Halloway made four appearances for Western Sydney in 2020/21 and is returning from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury which sidelined her for the majority of last season. Halloway has played 57 times for the Wanderers, scoring seven goals. Other returnees are Bryleeh Henry, called up to the Matildas for their recent camp and who scored twice last year; she is a phenomenal young prospect.
Australian U-20 international Rosie Galea (20) was the Wanderers leading scorer with four goals in 2020/211. Former Australian U-17 and U-20 international Olivia Price (24) scored once and is another solid player to build on after her seventh season in the league—she joined last year from Canberra United and played one season for the Wanderers in 2017/18 following three years with Sydney FC.
One new signing is Football Ferns international midfielder Malia Steinmetz, who played last season with Perth Glory and at home in the National Women's League for the Northern Lights in Auckland.
Melbourne City (4-1-7 W-D-L—13 points—Tied for Sixth)
City aims to finish higher than seventh, as last season was a historic low for a club that has won four Grand Finals and only missed the playoffs twice in their six years in the league. Rado Vidosic is back for his fourth season in charge and hopes to add to his one Premiership and one Grand Final title with the side.
A major signing for the league and the club was New Zealand international forward Hannah Wilkinson (29), who made her 100th appearance for the Football Ferns at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Finals and represented New Zealand in the last two Women's World Cups as well as at the last three Olympic Games Finals. She played collegiately in the States at the University of Tennessee. Wilkinson played professionally in Sweden, Portugal, and most recently in Germany with MSV. Wilkinson discussed her move to the A-League Women by saying, "The W-League [now the A-League Women] has always caught my eye. It's a very professional league and it's great to see that on our side of the world, especially with how much women's football is developing. Melbourne City is a big name and I've heard fantastic things about the Club. Melbourne sounds like an incredible place to live and I'm just so excited to meet all the girls. I can't wait to get to work and help create some new memories for our fans."
Wilkinson will play with two other New Zealanders, including full international Rebekah Stott, who will rejoin City this season. She took a one-season hiatus from football after her Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis in February of 2021 cut short her stint at FA Women's Super League side Brighton and Hove Albion, in order to begin treatment in Australia. She also missed the 2020 Olympic Games Finals with New Zealand as a result. Stott resumed playing football in July with a late stint off the bench for FC Bulleen Lions in Victoria's NPLW [state league]. Stott is classed as an Australian player, not as a visa player, as she is a dual national.
Rebekka Stott (second from left) celebrates City's Championship triumph in 2019/20 and returns to Melbourne City this season after a successful recovery from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. (Photo courtesy Melbourne City/A-League Women.)
Another New Zealander joining City is left back Marisa van der Meer, who has been capped at the youth level. Van der Meer has been called up to the Football Ferns twice this season, including for the Tokyo Olympics in July, but is yet to make her senior international debut. She stared at left back during the 2018 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, where the Kiwis claimed a historic bronze medal. She played for years at home with Canterbury United Pride, the standout team in New Zealand's National Women's League.
New Melbourne City signing Marisa van der Meer has starred for Canterbury United in New Zealand's National Women's League and this season has joined Melbourne City. (Photo courtesy Shane Wenzlick/PhotoSport/New Zealand Football Association.)
Teenage attacking midfielder Leticia McKenna (19) joins Melbourne City from Brisbane Roar ahead of the new campaign; McKenna has 37 league appearances from time at Perth Glory and the Roar. Kailyn Torpey (21) is another new arrival at City, with five seasons of A-League Women experience at Brisbane Roar between 2016 and 2021. Torpey featured 11 times for Brisbane last season, scoring one goal and adding one assist. The 21-year-old made 43 appearances for the Roar over five league campaigns, debuting at the age of 16.
Defender Leah Davidson (20) is back for her second season with City and signed for two more seasons, after two previous campaigns at the Roar. Davidson played in 12 games, with 30 tackles, 142 duels and winning 82 balls and won the club's Coaches Award in 20202/21. Davidson said, "I don't really see myself playing anywhere else and I can't wait to play in front of our fans again. I loved my time at Melbourne City last season, so it was quite an easy decision to return and I'm just so excited to be a part of such an amazing club for another two years."
Leah Davidson returns for two more seasons at City and takes on Melbourne Victory defender Angela Beard last season, who now plays in Denmark with Fortuna Hjorring and was capped this year by the Matildas.
Another key returnee in the back is defender Emma Checker, who has made 23 of her 101 A-League Women appearances for the club since signing on in 2019; she captained the side last season. Checker (25) played briefly in France with FC Fleury 91 in 2020 and then played 18 games with Selfoss in Iceland last summer after her initial stint abroad in 2017 to Korea with Incheon Red Angels. She also has seven Matildas caps including against Germany and the Netherlands earlier this year in European friendlies before the Olympics. She has signed with City for two years.
Two key Matilda pool departures from City on the defense last season are now playing in Scandinavia: 2020-21 league goalkeeper of the Year Teagan Micah—who went to Sandviken in Norway and finished 2021 with Sweden Damallsvenskan title winners Rosengard—and defender Jenna McCormack is now in Denmark with AGF in Aarhus.
Newcastle Jets—(2-1-9—7 points—Eighth)
The key here is that the Jets have signed an international import for the first time in three seasons due to more stability in the front office. Norwegian international forward Marie Markussen (24) looks to be a very promising signing. She comes from Valerenga in the Toppserien, who won the Norwegian Women's Cup Final on October 31 with a 2-1 win over Sandviken, with Markussen scoring a goal; she played for a season with Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017/18. She has been capped at the U-17, U-19 and full international level. Head Coach Ash Wilson was ecstatic to be able to welcome Markussen to the club, and believes she'll bring a formidable, attacking prowess to the team, saying that, "She brings experience, quality and versatility in the attack, which will be important for consistent winning performances. I expect her addition will also increase the tempo, quality and competition within the training environment. She is dynamic, likes to threaten defenses with her pace, has an eye for goal, a great assist-ability and she is a fierce competitor." Wilson believes that Markussen's top experiences will be a benefit to her entire team, "I want to give our team every opportunity to be successful and part of that is to bring in players that have played at higher levels and who have qualities that are capable of adding value to, not only the performances, but also the environment we want to create."
Another late import signing by the Jets just before the launch of the season is NWSL veteran American midfielder Elizabeth Eddy. Eddy (30) was acquired by Gotham FC via a trade with the North Carolina Courage in June 2019. During the 2021 NWSL regular season, she appeared in 17 games, logged over 500 minutes, and recorded an assist. She has played over 65 NWSL games, mostly with the Western New York Flash/Courage franchise. She scored 2 goals in 11 games on loan with Vittsjo of Sweden in 2020. She played at the University of Southern California and won two W-League titles with the Pali Blues in California in 2013 and 2014. Eddy said, "For the past four years, I've been trying to come here to play and it hasn't worked out, but this year it did and I think it will be one of the most impactful seasons of my life. This season with the Jets, I want to win—win on the field and win off the field. Ash Wilson said that she has scouted Eddy for a while was delighted to finally have her join in time for the start of the new season, "I expect Eddy will have a large impact on the playing group. She is a competitive player who is not only technically gifted but has a strong work rate and versatility. She loves to contribute in attack and that suits the way we want our team to play. I think the fans will love her competitive mentality."
The Jets were boosted just as the season started when they announced that they had signed midfielder Emily Van Egmond, a native of Newcastle. The Matildas veteran contract with the NWSL's Orlando Pride was ending on December 31 and she was transferred with immediate effect to the Jets. Van Egmond (28) made her debut with the club when she was 15 and has played in the U.S., Germany, Denmark and England with West Ham United. She won an A-League Women's title in 2019/20 with Melbourne City and the Frauen Bundesliga league crown with Wolfsburg in 2016-17. She has over 110 caps with the Matildas.
Emily Van Egmond in her last season with the Newcastle Jets in 2018/19. (Photo courtesy Newcastle Jets.)
Midfielder Lucy Johnson (22) is another new arrival to the Jets from NPLW Victoria side South Melbourne FC in the state leagues for her first A-League Women's season. Local Newcastle player Ash Brodigan is back with the club in 2021/22. Brodigan (22) first joined the club when she was 16 in 2015/16 and her last season was 2017/18, totaling 16 appearances and has since played in the local state league.
Another new addition is 23-year-old goalkeeper Georgia Boric, who is a former Young Matildas representative; Boric hopes to make her A-League debut for the Jets and will hope to gain playing time against starting goalkeeper Claire Coehlo (25), who first began playing with the Jets in 2013 and has 34 league appearances, including 11 starts last season—this will be her sixth season as a Jet. Coehlo said, "The club is moving in a positive direction, so to re-sign and be a part of this new chapter is exciting."
Bethany Gordon is a former Young Matilda who made her professional debut with Canberra United at the age of 19 in the 2017/18 and has been playing with the Macarthur Rams in the NSW NPL Women's, and most recently spent time playing in Denmark.
Returnees include co-captain Gema Simon, who has played 138 league matches; with 10 goals in her career—two last season—and was part of the Club for the inaugural W-League season. Simon, who has 11 full national team caps, said, "I love playing for my hometown and representing the people of Newcastle. This will be my 13th season with the Jets and honestly there is nowhere else I'd rather play." Also back is Tara Andrews—the Newcastle-born attacker has played 104 games in the A-League Women, scoring 40 goals including five last season. Defender Taren King (24), with 34 A-League career matches and 12 last season, is back for her second season after joining the Jets following three seasons with Canberra United.
Tara Andrews (centre) celebrates a goal against Melbourne Victory with #18 Tarren King (left) and Tessa Tamplin (right), who now plays with Servette in Switzerland. (Photo courtesy A-League Women/Newcastle Jets.)
Other returnees include Sunny Franco, who was so impressive in attack last season and finished with 2 goals in 13 games. Franco signed with the Roar (one of her former clubs along with the two Sydney sides) for the playoffs last season as an emergency signing but is returning to the Jets for 2021/22
Hanna Brewer who played for the Jets in the first league season in 2008/09, has played every league season, with 11 of them in Newcastle. At the age of 15, Cassidy Davis (26) is a co-captain of the side and debuted for the Jets in 2013. Davis has played 97 games across eight seasons, all with the Jets. The Newcastle native said it was important to her on a personal note, to remain a one-team player.
Three-year veteran right back Tess Tamplin (20) has left the club during the summer for Servette in Geneva Switzerland and played in the UEFA WCL (see our interview with Tamplin in September: The Week in Women's Football: UCL Round 2; Tess Tamplin interview; New USL franchises - Tribal Football).
Perth Glory (0-1-11—1 point—Ninth)
A big signing for Perth Glory and the league is Danish international defender Mie Leth Jans (27) for the 2021/22 season. She has won 26 caps for her country, can operate equally effectively as a central defender or as a holding midfielder, and played for Manchester City in the WSL in 2017/18. She has played the last three seasons in Sweden,
first for a season with Damllasvenskan power Rosengard in 2019—who won the league title—and the last two seasons for southwestern village side Vittsjo, scoring six times in 31 league matches. She was on the 2017 UEFA Women's Championship runners-up side that lost to host nation Netherlands in 2017. Jans said about her move, "After I spoke to Alex Epakis [Head Coach], I was convinced this was the right place for me to go to next on my journey." She should help Perth improve over a difficult 2020-21 season, when they finished bottom of the table.
New Perth Glory signing Leth Jans during her time at Manchester City. (Photo courtesy Manchester City/A-League Women.)
Another important goal scoring threat that Perth signed was Lisa De Vanna, who signed with her hometown club just before the season started after playing last season with title winners Melbourne Victory (see more on De Vanna in: The Week in Women's Football: A-League Women's 2021/22 season preview - Part 1 - Tribal Football). De Vanna should certainly be a boost to the goal scoring for a Perth side that only scored 7 goals in 12 games last season.
Alexander Epakis—who won three consecutive league titles in New South Wales NPLW with Sydney University—found the top tier women's league going a rough patch last season with their last place finish and will look for marked improvement from his team.
Wellington Phoenix (Expansion Side for 2021/22)
The Wellington Phoenix, so close to joining the Australian national women's league last season but COVID was a huge barrier, is in for 2021/22 as a joint venture of the long time A-League men's league club and New Zealand Football Association.
New Zealand Football president Johanna Wood and Wellington Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison. The two organizations worked in partnership to get a Phoenix women's team off the ground in the iconic stadium in the nation's capital known affectionately locally as the Cake Tin. (Photo courtesy Jericho Rock-Archer/Stuff/Wellington Phoenix/A-League women).
Gemma Lewis (head coach) and Natalie Lawrence (assistant coach) are coaching the Wellington Phoenix Women's side this season and join Canberra United as the only all-female coaching staff in the A-League Women's competition, with Lewis being the fourth female Head Coach named in the 10-Club league this season, the first time in A-League Women's history that the competition has had so many women coaches.
Lewis joins the Phoenix after playing in the top-flight of the English women's game with Cardiff City as well as international appearances for her native Wales, before transitioning into coaching via the elite NZF pathways. She has served as assistant coach of the bronze medal-winning New Zealand U-17's side at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Uruguay 2018, and as Football Ferns assistant coach at the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019. Lewis also has experience coaching in the National Women's League—winning the title with Auckland Football in 2017—and in 2018 was selected by FIFA to be part of an elite coach mentorship program, which saw her mentored by Japan women's team head coach Asako Takemoto. For the past two years, Lewis has overseen the development of some of the most promising young female players in the country as manager of the Future Ferns Domestic Program (FFDP) at NZF, alongside her role as head coach of the U-20 women's national team.
Lawrence moves into the Phoenix' assistant coach position following a successful stint as FFDP and U20's Assistant Coach and Coach Educator/Mentor at New Zealand Football, where she led the implementation of both the Talent Development Program and the Girls Talent Acceleration Program. Lawrence has earned a solid reputation as a Women's football development and youth coach, thanks in part to her experience in the USA, Canada—as the Vancouver Whitecaps REX U16s Head Coach and Academy Head Coach—and New Zealand; the latter including Head Coach of the Capital Football squad in the National Women's League and Team Wellington Youth Head Coach.
Annalie Longo, recently named as New Zealand Football's women's development manager and a key member of the Melbourne Victory squad that won the Grand Final title last season, said a professional women's team should also provide a massive boost to the Football Ferns leading into the 2023 Women's World Cup on home soil, "This is something we have been striving for a long time; to have our own professional team in New Zealand. It's a little bit daunting knowing that you might have to travel to America or Europe to play professionally. It's so far from home and it's a little bit of an unknown. But to have that complete pathway from community to professional is really going to change the landscape for football for women in New Zealand." She still plays for Canterbury United Pride and hopes to play for the Football Ferns in the 2023 WWC—which would be her fifth along with four Olympic Games Finals—and add to her 124 international caps.
NZ Football women's development manager Annalie Longo celebrates the establishment of a Phoenix A-League Women's team. (Photo courtesy Jericho Rock-Archer/Stuff/Wellington Phoenix/A-League women)
Phoenix GM David Dome added, "We expect to have a very young, development-focused team with the majority of players new to the professional ranks—so it's a great opportunity for women's football in New Zealand as we prepare for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, and we hope that Kiwis unite behind Gemma, Natalie and this squad as they make history for New Zealand on the big stage."
The Phoenix women can sign a maximum of 11 New Zealand players and must sign at least seven Australian players, but those Australian players can be dual nationals with eligibility to represent New Zealand in international football. Phoenix can only sign the four visa players they are allowed at the expense of Kiwi players, which means they can only grow their squad past the minimum of 18 players by signing additional Australians. Dome has indicated visa player signings are unlikely this season. The squad maximum 23 for this season is 23 in the A-League Women. However, as part of the deal around the Phoenix's entry into the league, Football Australia agreed to fund the minimum salary component for one New Zealand player at each Australian club, if those clubs wished to sign one, which will help to further develop New Zealand players ahead of the WWC in 2023.
Wellington Phoenix GM Dome says that as the Phoenix Women's squad continues to take shape, so does the need for sponsors and partners to support this team in its first year. Dome said, "It's a remarkable achievement to have built New Zealand's first professional women's football squad, all within this COVID landscape; but for this team to be successful we need help from the business sector. We invite businesses and organizations from both sides of the Tasman to help support us on this journey as we continue to develop this vital pathway for young women footballers." This is a particular challenge for the club this season as the Phoenix team is set to be based in Wollongong in New South Wales, at least to start its inaugural season, due to COVID protocols in both countries.
Goalkeeper Lily Alfeld was the first signing for the club. The former Louisiana State University goalkeeper then returned home to NZ Football's Future Ferns Domestic Programme (FFDP), which helps young Kiwi women make the jump from domestic football and into their professional careers. Alfeld played with Perth Glory last season; she had a strong season with the struggling club, making 53 saves and played every minute of the Glory's 12 games. She explained her excitement about joining Wellington's new club: "To be part of the first, inaugural season [with the Phoenix], it's a chance to create a bit of history so I would love to go out and have a positive start for what will hopefully be many seasons to come; it's a role I'm very honored to get a chance to do and I can't wait to get started." Her recent experience in the A-League Women will be quite helpful in the expansion side's first season.
Reflecting back on her first season in the A-League Women's competition, Alfred says it was a "rough season" at times with Perth, "I think [this] season [with the Phoenix] it'll be kind of a similar situation, in that a lot of the girls in the squad are quite young and are going into this as a development experience—but I'm excited to be going into this season knowing what I'm going to face and with some A-League experience under my belt."
Wellington Phoenix's first signing, goalkeeper Lily Alfeld, in action with Perth Glory last season. (Photo courtesy of A-League Women).
In midfield, English-born Chloe Knott (25) attended Rangitoto College in Auckland, and moved to the United States in 2014 at the age of 18 to play at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., scoring two goals with seven assists over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. She then joined Durham Women FC in England to compete in the FA Women's Championship, while also studying towards her Masters. Knott has spent the last two seasons with the Northern Lights in the ISPS Handa Women's Premiership, scoring seven goals as one of the league's most dominant players.
New Zealand full international Grace Jale (22)—who has four caps and two goals with the Football Ferns—played for the Eastern Suburbs premier women's team in Auckland and at Wake Forest University in the United States. She debuted for the New Zealand senior national team against Tonga at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup and has represented her country in the under-17 and under-20 national teams. In 2016 Jale competed in two FIFA Women's World Cup events, the U-17 Cup in Jordan and U-20 Cup in Papua New Guinea.
Grace Jale strikes on goal against Ghana at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2019. (Photo courtesy New Zealand Football Association.)
The 11 New Zealanders on the Phoenix's first squad are drawn heavily from the FFDP—NZ Football's women's development program which was designed to bridge the gaps between domestic football and the world stage—and the Wellington Phoenix's academy programme, both of which sit apart from senior regional and national competitions. Lewis said, "We'll work with these girls over the season to help grow their abilities and give them vital A-League experience; providing them a pathway to future success either in New Zealand or overseas—it's exciting for them and for us." Lewis added, "FFDP aims to develop more professional players in the women's football space and to strengthen the pathways within New Zealand and overseas—so having five players join the Phoenix shows that the programme is definitely working [see below], and having the Phoenix Women's side in place as another pathway means that we're able to give more opportunities to young women who are serious about football as a career."
An example of how young this team will be are the five FFDP graduates the club signed ahead of the season: Ava Pritchard, Grace Wisnewski, Kelli Brown, Mackenzie Barry and Saskia Vosper. Vosper, a 22-year-old defender, has been capped at both the U-17 and U-20 level. Last season Vosper played for Northern Lights in the 2020 ISPS Handa Women's Premiership. Barry is a member of the bronze medal-winning side at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and played alongside Vosper for Northern Lights. The 20-year-old defender has also been capped at the U-20 level. 18-year-old forward Ave Pritchard made her senior national league debut at 15, playing three seasons at national league level for Northern Lights and has been capped at the U-17 level.
Wisnewski (19) was a member of the bronze medal-winning side at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and scored the fastest goal in the tournament's history when she netted against Canada in the bronze medal match after 15 seconds. She was also awarded the Golden Ball for Player of the Tournament at the 2019 OFC U-19 Women's Championship. Kelli Brown (20) was another member of the bronze medal-winning side at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and played alongside Wisnewski for WaiBop Football in the 2020 ISPS Handa Women's Premiership. She scored 13 goals against Samoa at the 2019 OFC U-19 Women's Championship, and scored a goal of the tournament contender at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup against Finland.
Wellington Phoenix also signed two young New Zealand players—Charlotte Lancaster and Alyssa Whinham—to scholarships with the A-League Women's team. Alyssa Whinham, an 18-year-old attacking midfielder, has played with the Canterbury United Pride in the Women's National League since 2019, teaming up last season with fellow Phoenix signings Kate Taylor and Zoe McMeeken (both 17), as the Pride captured its third successive championship in 2020's ISPS Handa Women's Premiership. Lancaster is a 17-year-old defender who hails from Napier in Hawkes Bay. She debuted for Central Football in the Women's National League in 2018 as a 15-year-old, and was named as their Female Player of the Year last season. Whinham and Lancaster have experience playing alongside each other, with both players called up into the New Zealand U-20 camps earlier this year. They were also both members of the NZ U-16s side that came in second at the 2019 CFA China International Youth Football Tournament, with Lancaster named as Player of the Match in the team's 2-1 win over Thailand to claim the silver medal.
The Phoenix signed three young players from Australia to fulfill their league-mandated quota for Australian players. Te Reremoana Walker (a Kiwi who played in Australia), Isabel Gomez and Cushla Rue—with the latter two both Australian youth internationals. Walker (17) has played over 100 games in the state leagues in the NWW (New South Wales) NPLW. Gomez (18) played five games with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2020/21, in which she is joined by 17-year-old Walker, a Kiwi midfielder with more than 100 games of experience accrued in the NSW NPLW. Rue (18), was in the Young Matildas training camp in June, and the inaugural Women's National Team Talent Identification Camp in November, 2020.
Three other Australian players' signings for the Nix—all with youth national team experience— were Brianna Edwards, Jordan Jasnos and Hannah Jones. Edwards is an 18-year-old goalkeeper who played in the Football New South Wales (FNSW) Institute program last season. Edwards has been involved with both the Junior Matildas and Future Matildas programs and in 2020 was selected into the NSW's inaugural Women's State team side for a 'State of Origin' clash against Queensland. As a dual citizen, Edwards will be eligible to play for New Zealand at the U20's Women's World Cup in Costa Rica in 2022. Jasnos is an 18-year-old Australian attacker who has also progressed through the FNSW Institute setup and also appeared with Edwards for NSW in the State of Origin match versus Queensland. Jones, 19, has been involved with the Newcastle Jets development side since the age of 14 where she has trained alongside the Jets A-League Women's team, before joining Sydney University FC for the 2021 WNPL Season and also played for the U-16 Australian youth national team.
Annabel Martin (23) has joined the Phoenix as its most experienced A-League Women's player, having played in 40 matches combined for Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory over the last five seasons, including 39 starts and only two substitutions off in her career. Martin made her debut at 17-years-old in the 2015/16 season. She went to university in New South Wales and thus joined the Jets. Martin has also played with NPL NSW side Sydney University Soccer Football Club during the W-League offseason, as well as two seasons with Geelong Galaxy in NPL VIC.
The Phoenix brings a huge amount of energy and new possibilities into the A-League Women for the league's 14th season. The concern is that, with their extreme youth bent, that they could struggle for years like Adelaide United did in their first five years in the league as they won 5 games across their first five seasons, with no wins in two of them. In addition, they are a road team based out of suburban Sydney for at least the start of the season. They made a statement in their first game with a 0-0 tie in Wollongong against the Western Sydney Wanderers, with a number of attacks and showed that they should not be underestimated this season.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women's football. Get your copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey
