The 2024 National League season kicks off this weekend, with both men’s and women’s Phoenix reserves ready to begin their campaigns.
The men’s reserves open the season at home to Eastern Suburbs, who qualified for the National League by finishing third in the Northern League.
The game will be played at 12.30pm at Fraser Park on Saturday, 28 September.
Men’s reserves head coach Chris Greenacre is optimistic about the upcoming fixtures, while acknowledging that development is the ultimate aim for the team.
“Preparation has been really positive,” Greenacre said. “For a number of weeks, this team was training with the first team as they got ready for pre-season.
“They’ve been at NZCIS, treated like professionals. It shows them where they need to be if they aspire to be professional footballers in the future.
“It will be tough for our boys, but that’s the beauty of it. It will help them develop their long-term careers.”
Success takes many different forms for the reserves team.
“People say it’s not about winning, but it really is. Learning how to win is a big part of the professional game.
“When the players step up to the first team, they need to know how to win matches. If you’re protecting a lead, you need to know how to manage the lead.
“But the be-all and end-all is not about picking up three points, success is looking down the pipeline.
“Seeing Isaac Hughes and Matt Sheridan sign long-term contracts this week, that’s success for the academy.
“There’s nothing that gives you more satisfaction than seeing an academy graduate play in the first team.”
Meanwhile, the women’s reserves are on the road for their first game.
They travel to Christchurch to take on Canterbury Pride at English Park at 12pm on Saturday, 28 September.
Women’s reserves head coach Callum Holmes is confident about his team’s ability, despite disrupted preparation.
“It’s a busy time of year at the football club with A-League women pre-season,” he said.
“Realistically, we’ll only have the team together for a couple of days before we start the National League campaign.”
The Phoenix will also lose a chunk of players to the upcoming U-17 World Cup, but his enthusiasm is undiminished.
“It’s incredibly important for us to be playing in this competition, similar to the Kate Sheppard Cup.
“It’s part of the challenge that we have in terms of keeping young players progressing and playing at the right level, and that’s a challenge sometimes.
“There’s a bit of a buzz around National League games. It gives players an opportunity to show what they can do.”
A run to the Kate Sheppard Cup semi-finals saw the Nix beat several senior teams, which Holmes has taken confidence from.
“The girls are more than capable, it’s just about consistency now.
“The cup is every three or four weeks, which means you don’t have to be consistent every week, but now in the National League you have to be consistent to compete.
“That’s going to be the biggest challenge, but they’re excited, they’re ready, and they’re definitely more than good enough to compete at this level.”
Key players from the cup run have now graduated to the first team, but the academy pathway should ensure consistency.
“What we do at the academy here throughout all of the age groups is really similar.
“It doesn’t matter whether a player is coming in from the U-18 age group, or even younger.
“They’ll already have an idea of what we’re trying to do. That’s an important part of the academy structure, having players ready to step up at any opportunity.”
The U-17 teams are also in action after wins last weekend for both sides in the Youth National League.
The girls’ youth side also have a trip to English Park to face Canterbury Pride Youth at 3pm on Saturday, 28 September.
The U-17 boys travel to Memorial Park to play Palmerston North United in a 1pm game on Saturday, 28 September.
All senior National League games will be streamed live and free on FIFA+.
WPX men’s reserves 2024 National League squad:
Dublin Boon (gk), Lachlan Candy, Anaru Cassidy, Raphael Conway, Joe Cornille, Augustin Coronel, Jesper Edwards, Luke Flowerdew, Matt Foord (gk), Dylan Gardiner, Fergus Gillion, Ryan Hamilton, Harry Huxford, Seth Karunaratne, Ryan Lee, Xuan Loke (c), Eamonn McCarron (gk), Daniel Makowem, Nicholas Murphy, Lewis Patridge, Fletcher Pratt, Jayden Smith, Hayden Thomas, Harrison Tisch, Nathan Walker, Ryan Watson, Louis Wickremesekera, Rio Winkworth.
WPX women’s reserves 2024 National League squad:
Grace Bartlett, Lily Brazendale, Sienna Candy, Isla Cleall-Harding, Charlotte Eagle (gk), Alyssha Eglinton, Kyra Elder, Georgie Furnell, Aoife Gallagher-Forbes (gk), Marie Green, Mackenzie Greene, Phoebe Hawes, Nova Hill, Emily Humphrey, Ellie Johnson, Libby McMillan, Brooke Neary (gk), Katie Pugh, Lara Smith, Rebekah Trewhitt.
