Since the Footy Ferns last played, Andreas Heraf and Gareth Turnbull have been confirmed as the new manager and assistant manager while a handful more players have stepped up into the professional ranks. They’ve also booked in a couple games against Scotland in March (a team that beat them in the Cyprus Cup a year ago) and, oh look at this, there’s a squad’s been named.

You wanna know what a new era looks like? A lot like the last one, funnily enough. True to the rumours that had been circulating, Abby Erceg has come out of international retirement to return to the side (although Ali Riley keeps the captaincy, understandably) and she’s not alone either – Sarah Gregorius is back as well! One of those was a pleasant surprise, the other a complete shock, even if Gregorius has kept up playing at a high level for Upper Hutt City at club level and for Capital in the National League (where she was one of the standouts last season).

That both players have been enticed back into things can only be a positive reflection on where the team is going (as well as a strategy for stability and continuity under new management, of course). Erceg specifically walked away because of frustrations with the conditions that NZ Football was putting upon its female players, so for her to come back now it suggests that things on the inside are progressing as well as it looks from the outside. The Development Programme must be doing the trick, the national team must be stepping it up with the new gaffers.

Obviously there’s plenty more room to improve in most regards but the main thing is that, since Erceg took a stand, NZF have made an effort. That’s all anyone really wanted, for the governing body to show that they give a damn. We’ll see how it all goes from here. The two games are still more than three weeks away. Also they’re being played in Spain, if you were wondering.

Now let’s take a peek at the squad.

GOALKEEPERS

Victoria Esson - North Shore United (1 cap, 0 goals)

Anna Leat - Glenfield Rovers (3, 0)

Erin Nayler - Girondins Bordeaux, FRA (51, 0)

Same three keepers as have gone on the last couple tours. Erin Nayler is the far-and-away number one and continues to get better as she battles away for Girondins over in France. She’s under no threat but Heraf did make a point to get both Esson and Leat some game time in Thailand as this team looks to build some depth at a tricky position. Esson and Leat are both plugging away in Aotearoa but each is still young enough to step it up if the opportunity arises, particularly Anna Leat who is still a teenager.

DEFENDERS

CJ Bott - USV Jena, GER (8, 0)

Abby Erceg - North Carolina Courage, USA (131, 6)

Anna Green - Reading, ENG (65, 7)

Meikayla Moore - FC Koln, GER (24, 0)

Ali Riley - FC Rosengard, SWE (113, 1)

Rebekah Stott - Melbourne City, Aus/Sky Blue FC, USA (61, 4)

How about this for a quality set of defenders!? Getting that Erceg name back in there goes a long way but don’t ignore that since she last played for Aotearoa we’ve seen the blossoming of Meikayla Moore as an international player. She was the one who stepped up into the spare central defensive position and did a bloody good job of it too. Now she’s made the move to join Amber Hearn at FC Koln in Germany too, a fair reward after a breakout year.

Which creates an interesting situation where Moore and Stott have established themselves as a CB combination but one will probably have to miss out with NZ’s best defender back available. Presumably Moore, as the inexperienced one, would be the obvious choice although Stotty spends her club footy as a right back so there’s always that option as well. Stott on the right and Moore with Erceg in the middle. Plus you’ve got Anna Green and CJ Bott as extra fullback cover – definitely no lack for fullbacks in this squad.

Ali Riley played a bit on the left wing against Thailand, which is another option for this side. She’s also the captain and the first choice left back so three cheers for flexibility. If there are a couple areas where this team is lacking then they’re on the wing and in central midfield. Well, Riley can play on the wing and Ria Percival, formerly the starting right back, is now considering a midfielder after bossing it there against Thailand. Suddenly the balance of the team looks a whole lot better with that move.

MIDFIELDERS

Katie Bowen – Utah Royals, USA (49, 2)

Olivia Chance - Everton, ENG (8, 0)

Betsy Hassett - KR Reykjavik, Iceland (102, 8)

Annalie Longo - Cashmere Technical (103, 10)

Ria Percival - FC Basel, SWI (128, 13)

Emma Rolston - Sydney FC, AUS (0, 0)

Malia Steinmetz - Forrest Hill Milford (1, 0)

A couple midfielders are missing with injury. Rosie White and Daisy Cleverley happen to both be dealing with knocks and weren’t considered. Neither was there to play Thailand as White was injured then as well, while Cleverley was one of a couple university players not considered (Marty Puketapu the other notable) so as not to ruin their studies and all that. Cleverley’s still on the way up so she’s got plenty of time to earn her way into regular consideration. White, however, she’s easily one of NZ’s best eleven players… but exactly where she plays if Heraf keeps up the same tactics as last game isn’t completely clear. It depends, because while Rosie’s proved at club level that she’s at her best in a central attacking midfield role, she could also do a job up front or out wide… just a shame we won’t get a glimpse of that against Scotland.

However it does allow Malia Steinmetz and Emma Rolston a chance to join the squad. Rolston’s a youth international doing her thing for Sydney FC as one of only two kiwis in the Aussie W-League. Granted, she’s only played seven minutes off the bench this season… but it’s still a huge experience for her development. Cool to see her recognised here, while Steinmetz gets the nod over a number of other fringe midfielders. Think Elise Mamanu-Gray, Jana Radosavljevic, Maggie Jenkins, Grace Jale and one or two others who all had call-ups last year.

Then there’s the usual few with Katie Bowen a guaranteed starter (arguably the Fernies’ best player of 2017) and Betsy Hassett and Annalie Longo looking to add to their 100-plus caps. Olivia Chance will hopefully get an opportunity to press for more regular minutes as well – she’s coming off an FA Cup double for Everton last week.

FORWARDS

Sarah Gregorius - Upper Hutt City (82, 25)

Amber Hearn - (FC Koln, GER (122, 54)

Katie Rood – Juventus, ITA (2, 0)

Stephanie Skilton - Glenfield Rovers (3, 0)

Hannah Wilkinson - Vittsjo GIK, SWE (85, 25)

As long as everyone’s fit and available then Hannah Wilkinson and Amber Hearn are in every squad. No doubts about that. Doesn’t even need explaining. The only issue is if Andy and Gary choose to play a single striker formation, rather than having two of them, then which of the duo misses out. Probably leaning towards Hearn holding that advantage, her link-up play is a tad more valuable than Wilko’s height and power.

Katie Rood’s now deservedly a regular squad member and has been ever since she signed for Juventus – yet even before that she was dominating the local stuff and should’ve been worth more of a look. It’d be nice to see her add to those two substitute appearances and show what she can do on the international stage.

What a shame to see Sarah Gregorius having to put a halt on that burgeoning television career. Oh well, just have to score a few more goals for the national team instead. For real though, both Sarah and also Jacob Spoonley have been impressive on the Premiership coverage and that’s not empty praise. There are a lot of ex-sportsfolk who get telly gigs and are terrible at it. Those two are not among them. In Sarah’s case apparently because she’s not even an ex-sportsfolk (she retired too early anyway).

Slightly surprising to see Steph Skilton edge out Aimee Phillips. Might’ve thought that Phillips offered something a little different to the rest of the attackers, which is not to say that Skilton doesn’t have her own strengths to add to the group instead. Paige Satchell was another mentioned as not considered due to injury in the press release, kinda doubt she’d have made the 21 but it’s always nice to know the pool is deeper than just those that get picked. Sweet as.

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