You have to lose one before you can win one. That’s how the saying goes. Obviously you don’t have to do anything... but there is definitely wisdom in that age-old message. It often takes the experience of having played in games like that extra time semi-final defeat against Melbourne Victory to understand what is required to win such fixtures. There is no simulating that atmosphere, that pressure, that occasion. You’ve either been there before or you haven’t.

The Wellington Phoenix have now been there. They now know what it takes. They know that you can defend brilliantly for 119 minutes but that one time you don’t close out an opponent in a shooting position on the edge of the area, he scores. Same deal with that one corner kick where the fatigue showed through and you were beaten to a couple of headers. The necessity of this lesson was probably the biggest downside of having so many young players in important positions this season... but the upside is that nothing needs to change. The Wellington Phoenix are set up to compete at the top end of the A-League for years to come. The standard has been set. The formula has been devised. All it requires is a little consolidation.

Fortunately, as we shift focus from one season to another, much of the immediate mahi has already taken care of. That’s because, unlike in previous seasons, there was a strong effort to lock down as much of their squad as possible at the very start of the campaign. It helps when so many of them are youth team graduates who don’t demand hefty salaries, given that they’re only on their first or second professional contracts, but the intent was still obvious. Last offseason saw a four-year deal for Lukas Kelly-Heald, three-year deals for Fin Conchie and Luke Supyk, and a two-year deal for Isaac Hughes. Early on in the season they gave three-year extensions to Alex Paulsen and Ben Old. With most of their older players also sorted into the near future, the Welly Nix were in a strange position with only six of their first team players out of contract.

When that’s the case, you’ve got room to be deliberate and specific with everything else. For example, financial constraints meant that they had to make a decision over whether to re-sign Kosta Barbarouses or Oskar Zawada. They couldn’t afford to bring back both without blowing the budget... so they made the wise decision by settling on Kosta, who swiftly signed a 1+1 deal – i.e. a one-year contract with an option for a second year. A common contract structure for athletes once they reach their mid-30s (Barbarouses is 34). Call it the LeBron James Special.

Zawada is a superb striker who has continually proven to be a reliable goal-scorer in this league. Only drama there is that he spent most of last season injured. Still managed to score arguably the most famous goal in the club’s history but he also played less than 25% of the team’s overall minutes. Konstantinos Barbarouses, on the other hand, was the team’s top scorer and played the fourth most minutes. But actually this decision is simpler than that. Ultimately there are lots of great imports who can do what OZ does but only a handful of local players who can do what KB does. Let alone that he’s a proud Wellingtonian. The smart move is to re-sign the bloke with the scarce profile and trust your recruitment team to find a newer (and cheaper) version of Oskar Zawada. That’s exactly what they’ve done.

Hence Zawada has left the club. Possibly for an A-League rival, although when he flirted with leaving a year ago it was European interest that turned his head. Dutch club Heerenveen was previously mentioned (once a home to Marco Rojas). We also know that Youstin Salas isn’t going to be retained. The Costa Rican midfielder was only ever on loan and with another year to go on his deal with parent club Sarprissa that was always going to be tricky to wrangle despite him expressing an interest in remaining in Wellington long-term. Releasing Salas does also provide some added flexibility to the team’s recruitment by freeing up another import spot. If they’re anticipating a jump in Fin Conchie’s contributions then they might not have wanted to use that spot on a midfielder anyway.

Meanwhile the club are in talks with Bozhidar Kraev to return and it seems to be the same deal with Nico Pennington and Jack Duncan. Kraev is a versatile import who is comfortably settled after two years with the team. He’s also got a pregnant kiwi partner so he has all the reasons he needs to stick around. Pennington signed a one-year extension prior to last term, pretty much stating that he expected to play a lot more under the new coach. That’s what he did so fair enough that they’d want to hang onto him. And while Duncan didn’t end up playing a single second due to Alex Paulsen’s irrepressible performances, both Paulsen and coach Giancarlo Italiano were always effusive in their praise for the experienced ALM gloveman. If he’s willing to stay after going an entire year without playing then that either says he’s fully embraced that mentorship role or perhaps it says that the club expects overseas interest in Alex Paulsen and that Duncan, deservedly, will be rewarded with the first tilt at the number one duties in such a case.

Wellington Phoenix ALM Contracts

2026-27: Ben Old, Alex Paulsen, Lukas Kelly-Heald, Alby Kelly-Heald (S), Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues

2025-26: Alex Rufer, Kosta Barbarouses (O), Fin Conchie, Luke Supyk

2024-25: Sam Sutton, Funn Surman, Oskar van Hattum, Tim Payne, Scott Wootton (I), David Ball (I), Mohamed Al-Taay, Isaac Hughes, Matt Sheridan (S)

Off Contract: Oskar Zawada (I), Bozhidar Kraev (I), Nico Pennington, Jack Duncan, Youstin Salas (I)

I = Import / S = Scholarship / O = Option

In the case of Sloane-Rodrigues, he’s on a scholarship deal up until that last season when he graduates to the main roster. AKH and Sheridan are scholarship players throughout. There were several other academy players who featured for the club during this past season but most of them have already left, having departed at the turn of the year when they aged out of the U20 team (without senior contracts to fall back upon). Jackson Manuel is at Western Springs. Charlie Beale is at Auckland United. Kaelin Nguyen and Josh Rudland are at Wellington Olympic. However, Fergus Gillion does remain in the picture. He’s still with the WeeNix playing regularly in the Central League.

Another thing to track is that David Ball will have been at the club for five years as of July 2024. In that time he has played 123 A-League games for the club, scoring 16 times. He remains under contract for one more year and this is relevant because as long as the immigration office doesn’t look unkindly upon the time the club spent in Australia during the pandemic... he could have New Zealand citizenship by the time the team next plays. In which case he would no longer be an import, freeing up another spot. Ball’s production has dipped below what you’d ideally want from an import – zero goals last season – but he remains a clever workhorse, a superb leader, and professional example to all the youngsters. Can’t see him making any All Whites squads but getting him registered as a local would be great for the Welly Nix’s sake.

All of which makes for a lovely start to the offseason. Probably the most consistency this club has ever had from one season to the next... and it’s happening on the back of the Phoenix’s best ever campaign. How about that? We used to dream of days like these. All that remains is to sort out those free agents, grab another import or two, and then get cracking with by far the most important task of these next few months: a contract extension for head coach Giancarlo Italiano. The Chief only has one more year on his current deal but he says he wants to stay, the club says they want him to stay, the players say they want him to stay, and the fans say they want him to stay. Heck, even the media loves the man. His thorough and thoughtful press conference answers are always a source of insight.

The one major weakness with having nearly the entire squad returning, it’s that it doesn’t leave a coach much room to evolve his team. The 2023-24 Wellington Phoenix were immense defensively but they were middling at best when on attack. Part of that was the injuries that plagued Zawada. Part of that was having too many players who aren’t accomplished finishers. Chiefy did a remarkable job of mitigating that as much as possible but creativity remains a problem and it’s not clear where that comes from within the current squad.

Most of the year-to-year improvements will need to come from younger lads continuing their development... whilst hoping that older guys like Barbarouses and Wootton can retain these same levels. Ben Old certainly has room to add a few more arrows to his quiver. As does Oskar van Hattum. Could even see someone like Finn Surman becoming a much more potent force on the end of attacking set pieces. But unless Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues and Luke Supyk are ready for bigger roles then there won’t be any new herbs and spices for the recipe beyond what they do with those spare import spots.

Of course, that’s all assuming that what we see now is what we get in round one and there’s absolutely no guarantee of that. Like, did you watch Alex Paulsen? Goalkeeper of the Year across the entire A-League at age 21... you’d better believe that foreign clubs have taken notice. In fact, in between the first draft and the publishing of this here very article news has broken of advanced talks between the Wellington Phoenix and Bournemouth, plus rumoured interest from other Premier League clubs. Let alone Finn Surman, Sam Sutton, and Ben Old who are all in a similar domain of saleability – that whole quartet will soon have the spotlight of the Olympics upon them. Sutton and Surman only have one more year each on their deals so if they’re not about to be sold then they’d better be extended in a hurry.

This is what’s supposed to happen. The Wellington Phoenix’s whole strategy is to develop players, sell those players, then use the profits to develop more players. It’s a self-replenishing formula. They’ve already had a boost with Macey Fraser drawing an A-League record transfer fee from the women’s squad. Very soon the European transfer windows will re-open and guys like Paulsen, Surman, Sutton, and Old will all have their names jotted down on the wishlists of many clubs. If/when Paulsen leaves, then Alby Kelly-Heald steps up a notch. If Surman goes then Isaac Hughes gets more opportunities. If it’s Sutton then Lukas Kelly-Heald is ready to go. If it’s Ben Old then that could be the opening for Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues or Luke Supyk. Or Fin Conchie from a midfield perspective. Or it could mean Oskar van Hattum breaking into the starting eleven in a reshuffle. And beneath them the reserve team will mould and adapt as another generation of prospects emerges to fill the gaps.

As to who those next up academy lads might be, here are a few names to get knowledgeable with...

Fergus Gillion (Born 2005) – Goes without saying since he’s now the most established fella left on an academy contract. Mobile midfielder with a headstart on the rest of his WeeNix pals. Also could instigate a delicious aspect of the new Wellington Phoenix vs Auckland FC rivalry if, as rumoured (or is it merely wishful thinking?), his brother Liam Gillion gets signed by the newbies. Liam recently won Player of the Tournament at the Oceania Champions League with Auckland City. Sister Emily Gillion played National League for Eastern Suburbs last year and is also a highly regarded futsal player. Huge tekkers in that family.

Nathan Walker (Born 2006) – A speedy winger with a knack for goals who made the U17 World Cup squad last year while playing for NRFL Championship club Fencibles. Has since made the trip down to Wellington to link up with the many U17s teammates already at the WeeNix and hasn’t taken long at all to get settled.

Anaru Cassidy (Born 2007) – A technically-gifted midfielder, very good passer, who joined the Nix Academy from Waterside Karori. There are a lot of good midfielders at the club from first team downwards and he’s definitely one of them. He was another of the 2022 U17 World Cup crew.

Dylan Gardiner (Born 2006) – Tall central defender who was starting games for Hamilton Wanderers aged sixteen. Easily recognisable for the cleanly shaven head. Spent some time training in Spain at the start of the year and then returned to join the Phoenix Academy. Yes, he did go to the U17 World Cup as well.

Tze Xuan Loke (Born 2005) – Captained the WeeNix in their last few games so there are leadership credentials here. TXL is a fullback who can play on either side and the Nix always need fullbacks. Bit of a different style to possession-based guys like Kelly-Heald and Sutton, Loke is more dynamic and will absolutely bomb forward. He joined the academy from Green Island in Dunedin.

Notice how the WeeNix recruit from all over the nation. Notice also how Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues, who was born in 2007 and is the Phoenix’s youngest ever A-League player, is still younger than every single hombre on that there list.

Just finally, there is one other aspect to this offseason. For the first time, the Wellington Phoenix will have an A-League rival from Aotearoa. Auckland FC are now out there announcing players so it’s all beginning to get very real. And very exciting. This is nothing but positive for kiwi football (especially with AFC making a statement by targetting elite New Zealand domestic players). More opportunities, more depth, and a rivalry which ought to boost crowds in both cities – with the Phoenix’s fanbase reinforced by a newfound sense of urgency thanks to the presence of such a close competitor. The Nix have nothing to worry about. They’re cruising along nicely and, frankly, setting an example that Auckland FC would do well to follow. Especially in the academy space. But that’s a topic for another day.

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