Aotearoa Domestic Football Roundup – March 24
Alrighty, here’s the plan. Last year these Monday roundups were part of our Substack newsletter, this year they’re going to get their own article each week. Obviously your man ain’t watching every game like during the National League season so this’ll mostly be checking scores, scorers, and line-ups... but there’s always plenty of gold in those mines so it should help you stay up to scratch as the winter football season unfolds. Get amongst. As always if you rate the mahi on TNC, chip in on Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, or with a paid Substack so that we can keep everything rolling. The Men’s and Women’s Northern Leagues (so to speak) kicked off this weekend, most of the rest of it begins next weekend. Away we go.
Men’s Northern League
The Northern League actually began a week ago as Auckland City crammed in a couple quick fixtures to clear up space for their imminent trip to the Oceania Champions League. With a Club World Cup jaunt in June, it’s shaping to be a very busy year for Auckland City. Even busier than usual. They won’t have Albert Riera either because the coach has taken a year’s sabbatical in order to refresh, spend time with family, and upgrade his coaching certificates... hence Paul Posa has returned as interim gaffer. They’ve also made an obscene amount of signings with a squad size that sits in the mid-30s. Some of this has already been mentioned in our Substack newsletter so let’s just do the rapid-fire version and say they’ve:
Signed both Birkenhead wing-backs that they played against in the National League final, Haris Zeb and Dylan Connolly
Brought back All Whites international Nikko Boxall from Eastern Suburbs
Picked up Matthew Ellis and Jackson Manuel from Western Springs after excellent Nat Lge campaigns (Ellis has played for ACFC before)
Scooped up Ole Academy grad Otto Ingham after a couple years doing pro things in Sweden
Won the sweepstakes for David Yoo who was an MVP candidate in the National League with Coastal Spirit, on loan from Christchurch United (but is an Aucklander originally)
Auckland City won both of these rescheduled games and they did so in typical ACFC fashion. They conceded early against Tauranga City (Liam Molloy 2’), equalised through a glancing Mario Ilich header (59’), got reduced to ten men when Adam Mitchell lashed out after a late challenge (63’), got reduced to nine men when Tong Zhou left his sprigs showing in a slide tackle (73’)... and then scored a winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time anyway. Myer Bevan with the goal, slipping through on goal, hitting the post, then scoring from his own rebound. 2-1 victory. That was the same scoreline as they managed against West Coast Rangers on Tuesday night, also a game in which they conceded first. This time it was an Ignacio Machuca goal just before the half (43’)... but there were no red cards so goals from Jeremy Foo (45’) and Dylan Manickum (79’) saw them through much more comfortably. Five changes to the starting eleven between those two games for the Navy Blues. Nice to see Allan Pearce still ripping in for WCR off the bench a few weeks shy of his 42nd birthday.
The two teams that faced Auckland City then faced each other on Saturday as the rest of the division got the ball rolling. Tauranga City hosting West Coast Rangers. TCAFC took three leads during the game. WCR equalised twice. Work that one out and you’ve got a Tauranga City victory, taking it 4-2 thanks to doubles from Colby Brennan (16’ & 85’) and Morgan Wellsbury (47’ & 78’). Ignacio Machuca got both WCR goals (25’ & 69’)... you might remember him playing for Waitakere United and Auckland United across recent campaigns. Morgan Wellsbury is a 19yo Tauranga local who’ll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Bidois Brothers before him as high-scoring TCAFC number nines. Also note that Adam Davidson’s been captaining Tauranga City, the left-back having returned from a stint in Northern Ireland. And cool to see Van Fitzharris starting both games after being involved with the NZ U16s at the Oceania Champs last year.
So, remember how Emiliano Tade supposedly retired last year? Well, just Carlito Brigante he’s been dragged back for one last job. Not at Western Springs though. It was Auckland United that have coaxed him over, giving him the coaching reins for their U17s and U23s and also giving him a start up top for their first team as they seek to make amends after missing National League qualification last time. Marco Lorenz has also popped up at AUFC and among the other new names, the most exciting is surely Kai McLean who is 20 years old and was in the Celtic FC academy as recently as nine months ago. Dunno how they wrangled that but goalkeeper was a fluctuating position for them last season so they’ve done good there. Dre Vollenhoven is back as well, plus they still have Japanese international Hideto Takahashi who was the original Japanese international defensive utility playing for a team named Auckland before Hiroki Sakai ever stepped off that plane.
Speaking of which, their opponents Birkenhead United seem to have lost a whole bunch of their National League grand finalists (Monty Patterson to Canada, Haris Zeb & Dylan Connolly to Auckland City, Daniel Bunch to Manukau United, Semi Nabenu to Auckland FC, etc... plus Luke Jorgensen and Ardri MacArthur are having a break for the first few months) but they’ve recruited nicely in response and that includes former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Keegan Smith. Smithy had been playing in Tasmania but they changed the rules so that all goalies in the NPL have to be Australian, thus he’s found himself with Birko. Some other notable additions: Shuaib Khan from Manurewa, Ethan Richards from Napier City, and Alex Connor-McLean returning from North Shore United. American striker Michael Suski looks like he could be very useful too.
It’s a good thing the Northern League started before the others because there’s way too much squad catch-up to do here. Alongside all those other notes, Auckland United and Birkenhead United did play out a thriller at Keith Hay Park. Connor-McLean scored on 23’ to make it 1-0 to Birko. Auckland United hit back to take the lead before half-time courtesy of goals from Takahashi (38’) and Lucca Lim (44’). Lim is an 18yo forward who has signed from Melville and who has played internationally for Cambodia’s U20s. However, Suski grabbed a goal on debut (also 44’, according to the website) to have it at 2-2 during the break before Rohun Kawale (49’) – a 24yo Canadian midfielder who most recently played in Portugal, including a handful of substitute appearances in the division that Sarpreet Singh now plays at – put Birkenhead in front. Ah but then Liam Bailey (BU) got sent off with fifteen to go and guess who scored the last-minute equaliser...
Emilano Tade. Been there, done that. 3-3 was the final score between Auckland United and Birkenhead United... not the best day for the new keepers but plenty of goals to go around for everyone else. Also, draws were not an uncommon occurrence this week so nobody needs to feel like they’ve dropped points.
It also seems like a lot of last year’s Western Springs side, which finished third in the National League, have teleported elsewhere. Kurtis Mogg is playing in Perth (he was only a MNL loan player), Jackson Manuel and Matt Ellis have gone to Auckland City, Riley Manuel and Emiliano Tade have gone to Auckland United. They have picked up a couple British defenders to help them out though (Jordan Hackett and Rhys Davies), along with Japanese import Toshiki Makimoto. Speedster Ry McLeod, who played for Melville in the 2023 Chatham Cup final (and is still only 20yo) is another healthy addition. The Swans kicked off at home against East Coast Bays and let’s just say this was an eventful game. Aidan Carey was set off after five minutes. Ben Wallace scored after 19 minutes. Rhys Davies got a second booking so he was off after 49 minutes. 1-0 up but down to nine men, somehow Springs survived all the way until stoppage time when Guy-Frank Essome-Penda finally levelled up for Bays, the game ending in a bonkers 1-1 draw.
Manurewa AFC have pulled off a couple of belter signings. After needing a penalty shootout in a playoff to avoid relegation and stay where they are, they’ve made sure to add a little extra to the mix in 2025. Vadym Patkevych is back after a National League loan stint with Eastern Suburbs. That was only a temporary gig but often those dudes will stick around after tasting the beverages at a NL club. Not Vadym though. He’s back with Rewa and he’s brought a mate: Dylan Laing-McConnell. Also, 18yo NZ youth international Konstantino Gorgiovski is an eye-opening addition, having spending time in the academy system of Las Palmas (Spain) after bouncing around a couple of clubs in Macedonia (he has split NZ/MKD heritage). Additionally, Christian Rodriguez, Daniel Normann, and Nicolas Blassou add a little foreign class to proceedings.
Unfortunately for Rewa, they were drawn against Auckland City in their first game and lost 1-0 due to a second-half penalty that was both earned and converted by Myer Bevan. Make that three wins out of three for Auckland City, all by single-goal margins and all with winning goals scored within the final twenty minutes. Only Nathan Garrow and Nikko Boxall started all three games for ACFC - who used 19 different starters and 22 players overall across these fixtures. That includes five minutes off the bench on debut for Paris Domfeh against Manurewa, a 17yo midfielder who used to be with the Nix Academy and who was part of the 2023 U17 World Cup squad.
The one genuine upset in week one was Bay Olympic winning 2-1 against Eastern Suburbs. Astor Perez Baldoni capitalised on a terrible Suburbs giveaway to score in the second minute before new addition Derek Tieku banging in a second on 21’. Canadian defender Alexander Irwin (65’) did pull one back for the Lilywhites in the second half but it wasn’t enough. Eastern Suburbs lost quite a few players to Auckland FC over the course of 2024 and subsequently had a very young squad for the National League. Looks like they’re trying to replenish things because Hector Echague and Eber Ramirez, a couple Argentines, have switched over from Manurewa, Noah Billingsley has joined the cause, Isaac Bates has moved up from Melville, Malcolm Young’s returned after a stint with Western Suburbs, Joby Reid joins from Birkenhead United too, plus Irwin is new to the country. Six of those guys started so no wonder they were a little disjointed.
That only leaves the Saturday night special between Fencibles United and Auckland FC Reserves. For Fencies, it was their return to top flight footy after 22 years away. For AFC, it was the debut of their new reserves side... which included two starters who used to play for Fencibles: Eli Jones and Ryan Mackay (who, by the way, were among their best performers in this match). Big crowd in at Riverhills Park. Lots of horns honking, plenty of chanting, even a couple red flares. Looked like an awesome atmosphere.
AFC had three players who’ve gotten A-League minutes already: Adama Coulibaly, Finn McKenlay, and Jonty Bidois. Oliver Middleton was also in the eleven with a first-team scholarship deal while youth contracted Carlos Ranui and Codey Phoenix were also there. Phoenix will be captaining the side. No older A-League players though, despite there being a week off for the international break. Joe Knowles, Liam Gillion, and Luis Toomey shape as guys who could use the minutes but for week one the oldest player involved in game one was Bidois at 20 years and five months – Phoenix, Coulibaly, and substitute Everton O’Leary are also 20, the rest of the squad were all teenagers. That squad included Shivam Nair on the bench – he wasn’t named in their original squad, previously been with Birkenhead United. Troy Putt, also a Birko lad, has been training with AFC too so we might see him at some stage as well. This was the AFC Reserves line-up in formation (same shape as the A-League side’s been using, you’ll notice)...
Fencibles have done great things with their local youngsters across the last couple seasons, most notably with Nathan Walker coming through but it doesn’t stop there because Nathan Martin was with the NZ U16s last year and Kodie Nicol was a loanee with Eastern Suburbs for the 2024 Nats. Both Martin and Nicol started this game. The two AFC signings are also in this same bag, Jones and Mackay. Jones had to deal with plenty of good-hearted chanting trying to put him off but he was solid throughout, shout out to that guy.
Auckland FC did the usual ‘U20s playing senior footy’ thing that we’re used to seeing from the Wellington Phoenix Reserves where they were really good on the ball, really well organised, but struggled with the physicality and conceded an untimely goal. That’s how English import Russell Currie put Fencies 1-0 up after 12 minutes... however, Luke Casserly swapped out his wingers at half-time with the introductions of Ralph Rutherford and Shivan Nair and that made a difference for Auckland FC (Everton O’Leary also replaced the injured Carlos Ranui just before the half), with Bidois deliciously setting up Codey Phoenix to equalise off a cut-back on 51’.
1-1 was the way that it ended. Both teams stumbled to the finish line amidst an epidemic of cramps. Must be week one, aye? Most exciting addition for Fencibles: Darius Palma, who top scored in the second division with Ngauruawahia United (Fencies have also signed Jordan Boon from Ngauruawahia). The top scorers for Fencies in the 2024 NRFL Championship were Dan Bunch and Kodie Nicol tied on 16 goals each. Palma got 24 of them. Bunch left for Birkenhead in the National League and has opted to stay in the NRFL Championship with Manukau United this year. Nicol is still around... as is their next top scorer, Aston Burns, who impressed on the wing against AFC.
And there we are. Eight games down and Auckland City have won three of them. Remember the top four qualify for National League plus Auckland FC Reserves also get an automatic spot. AFC probably won’t finish top four but if they do then fifth place will also get into Nats. Auckland FC Ressies aren’t taking anyone’s spot, they’re just going to add an extra team (and a bye round) to the National League to incorporate them.
NRFL Women’s Premiership
Auckland United ran rampant with an undefeated 2024, winning the NRFL Premiership, the Oceania Champions League, the Kate Sheppard Cup, and the National League. 41 games played with 37 victories, 4 draws, and 0 defeats. 118 goals scored and 18 goals allowed. They also won the previous National League title so their undefeated streak was sitting at a providential 49 games as they lined up to face newly promoted FC Tauranga Moana... the only club in the eight-team division from outside Auckland, having replaced relegated Hamilton Wanderers.
Can’t tell you much about the Tauranga side, being fresh upon the scene and all. This team was formed last year as a combination of Tauranga City AFC, Otumoetai FC, and Papamoa FC in order to provide the highest level possible for female footballers in the Bay of Plenty region... and that plan seems to be working seeing as how they’ve been promoted to the top. But away to Auckland United in week one is about as rude of an introduction as you can get. Straight in at the deepest of deep ends.
AUFC picked eight players in common between this starting line-up and that of the 2024 WNL final (plus Talisha Green was on the bench). Chelsea Elliott has relocated to England alongside partner Mickey Foster so she won’t be back but otherwise it’s a very consistent group trying to keep that unbeaten streak going. Didn’t see Pia Vlok in the team after her heroics in the final (as the youngest player on the pitch)... that’s because she was on the bench for AUFC’s U17s. The Men’s U17s, that is. Coached by Emiliano Tade. Vlok played against the boys for much of last year too (Milly Clegg used to do the same at a similar age).
On top of all that proven excellence, AUFC have added Zoe Benson, an absolute assist queen from Eastern Suburbs who went to the last U20 World Cup, and Tui Dugan, a clever attacking midfielder who was formerly with the Wellington Phoenix Academy and who played against AUFC for Waterside Karori in the National League final. Where does it end? Not there, because also on the bench was a certain Ava Pritchard who is back in kiwi football again. In fact, she scored in this game. As did a lot of people. Needless to say, AUFC were way too good and they strolled to a 9-0 victory. Tauranga held them out until slightly before half-time and then the floodgates opened. Goals for Zoe Benson (45’), Rene Wasi (47’ & 57’), Danielle Canham (49’, 81’ & 90+’), Ava Pritchard (68’), Penny Brill (79’), and Alexis Cook (82’). Raise the bat because that’s 50 undefeated for Auckland United.
Hibiscus Coast have finished seventh and sixth since being promoted back to the top division, so it’s been a steady climb. That climb ought to continue in 2025 on the basis of some cheeky signings that they’ve made. Remember how Anna Leat was with Aston Villa in the WSL, one of the best professional leagues on the planet, just a few months ago? Now she’s going to be playing for Hibiscus Coast, at least for a little while. She’s just keeping busy while she spends some time with family in Aotearoa... the HCAFC announcement referred to her as “a dynamic utility player” which is an odd thing to say about a goalkeeper. Maybe we’ll see her live out the goalie’s dream of playing striker. Keep it funky. Also joining the Coasties are Paige Satchell, who was with Auckland United last year after she moved back from England to focus on non-footy things, and Aneka Mittendorff who was one of the stars alongside Leat in the 2018 U17 World Cup squad but has been away from the sport entirely for the past few years.
Satchell and Mittendorff were in the starting line-up for week one but Leat was not. No surprises given how she hasn’t played since the Olympics due to a headknock in Aston Villa’s preseason... it was a situation that was never properly explained to the public and then she left for personal reasons so it stands to reason that she might not be available yet. No stress. Also not involved were the two Hibiscus Coast players that got loaned to Southern United for last year’s National League. Stacey Martin has moved to Eastern Suburbs while Danica Urlich-Beech has crossed the Tasman Sea to sign with Gold Coast United.
Despite scoring first through Sian Field (7’), Hibiscus Coast ended up getting thumped away to a West Coast Rangers side that looked very similar to the one that finished second last season and battled admirably (if a little bit beneath their potential) in the National League. Most interesting addition for WCR is goalkeeper Sophie Campbell, a regular in NZ age grade sides who has been playing WNL for Central Federation since she was 14 years old. Campbell only turned 18yo in February. After conceding that early goal, WCR were swiftly level through Shannon Henson (12’) who then scored again before half-time (43’). Emily Lyon also scored on 32’ and Minji Yun made it safe on 51’. 4-1 to West Coast Rangers. Minji Yun was a South Korea U20s international, by the way (she’s 22 now).
Fencibles United hosted Eastern Suburbs with a few exciting additions. Zara Erol-Watt was one of those. She’s a defensive/midfield utility who impressed as one of Central’s next wave of emerging talents during the 2025 Nats. Of course, Fencies captain Rosie Missen spent that National League with Central Football as a loan player so there’s your link. Also joining them is defender Alisa Tuatagaloa who did good stuff with Southern United and, best of all, Daphne Ranta came off the bench in this game. She’s a teenaged defender/midfielder who was outstanding for Waterside Karori in the Nats. Three outstanding defensive talents from three different National League teams... somebody’s been doing their scouting. Fencibles also have that trend of bringing through some pretty amazing youth players of late. Men and Women. On this side, keep an eye on Millie Loxton and Mikaela Bangalan.
They lost though. Eastern Suburbs have kept a very consistent squad (although it’s notable to see Fiji youth international Ka’iulani Scott in goal... Nikki Whyte has also re-signed so they’re stacked in that position). The Lilywhites may have also lost Zoe Benson to Auckland United but it’s so far so good in 2025 after they scrapped out a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Putri Ardana (26’) and Sofia Garcia (46’). Ardana is 17 years old and made seven WNL appearances last year. Didn’t make the U17 World Cup squad a year ago but she was involved in NZ’s qualifying efforts.
Game of the round was surely Western Springs vs Ellerslie AFC. The Ponies, featuring former Springs midfielder Rebecca Burrows, were 2-0 up nearing half-time after an early own goal (5’) and an Abby Wright strike (39’). Ellerslie still have heaps of players in common from when they played National League in 2023, as well as adding ex-Hamilton Wanderers standout Maddison Ollington (following Wanderers getting relegated). They were on track for a wonderful win away from home against a National League calibre club... except you don’t shrug off Western Springs that easily. Their new Japanese import Nanami Osaka scored a penalty on 45’ and then, right at the end, substitute Bella van Noorden scored another penalty to book a 2-2 draw.
Van Noorden’s been a stalwart down in Canterbury and is now having another stint up north. Looks like former U20s international Kate Duncan’s joined the Swans too (not to be confused with NZ legend Katie Duncan who coaches Eastern Suburbs), as has Katy Gothard (daughter of Paul Gothard). But Springs being Springs, they still had an abundance of local juniors in the ranks too: Charli Dunn, Indigo Kirk, Ava Lewis, and Cleo Carmichael all started. Ella Findlay has also re-signed after linking up with Springs last year – Findlay was a starter at the U20 World Cup last year. And naturally they had the veterans Alosi Bloomfield and Liz Savage there on the bench to help orchestrate the comeback.
For the NRFL Premiership, it’s the top four who get National League qualification. Last year Auckland United ran away with the title while West Coast Rangers were a very comfortable second. There was a real scrap for third and fourth though, with Fencibles and Hibiscus Coast both mounting a genuine challenge before the pedigree of Eastern Suburbs and Western Springs won out. Here’s hoping we get a similarly competitive scrap this year.
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