Brooke Neary

Brooke Neary joined the Wellington Phoenix in 2024 on a youth development agreement.

Neary joined Portugal’s Carolina Vilão and fellow New Zealand age-group international Aimee Danieli as the Phoenix’s goalkeeping unit.

She joined the club’s academy from Wainuiomata AFC at the start of 2023, when she was converted from an outfield player to a ‘keeper.

Neary represented New Zealand at the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship in Tahiti in September 2023 at the end of her first season with the academy.

She trained with the first team during the 2023-24 A-League and was then a key part of the women’s reserves team that went all the way to the semi-finals of the Kate Sheppard Cup in 2024.

Neary represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic in October 2024 and started in goal for their group matches against Nigeria and Ecuador.

She was thrust into a Wellington Phoenix matchday squad soon after returning from the Dominican Republic after Aimee Danieli suffered a concussion.

She was an unused substitute for a number of matches throughout the season before making her A-League debut in the final match of the 2024-25 campaign against Western United when she replaced Carolina Vilão in the 85^th minute.

> 2025-26 season

Brooke Neary did not make an A-League appearance in the 25-26 season as both Vic Esson and Aimee Danieli stayed mostly healthy ahead of her.

However, Neary continued to anchor the Phoenix women’s reserves and was crucial as they made the semi-finals of the Kate Sheppard Cup for a third consecutive year.

The cup run included two penalty saves against Wellington United in a shootout win.

Neary earned a senior Football Ferns call-up in May 2026, and was also New Zealand’s first choice goalkeeper at the U-20 World Cup in Poland.

She signed her first pro deal in October, inking a three-year contract.

“The contract is huge for me, it goes to the amount of hard work I’ve put in over the last two seasons, not just as a player but as a person too.

“I’m really grateful to have that opportunity given to me. I want to keep working as hard as I can.”