Grace Wisnewski

#8 GRACE WISNEWSKI – DOB 28/6/02

> History

Wisnewski has been an integral member of the Wellington Phoenix women’s squad since the team was established in 2021.

The central midfielder played the full 90 minutes in each of the 11 matches she featured in during the 2021-22 Liberty A-League season.

Wisnewski missed three games for mental health reasons, cutting short her season in Wollongong to return to New Zealand when the borders opened.

She joined the Phoenix from New Zealand Football’s Future Ferns Domestic Programme (FFDP), after bursting on to the scene at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.

Wisnewski was a key member of the history-making New Zealand team that returned home with a bronze medal, scoring three goals, including the fastest in the event’s history when she netted against Canada in the third place playoff after just 15 seconds.

The Hamiltonian went on to be awarded the golden ball for the player of tournament at the 2019 OFC U-19 Women’s Championship, helping the Junior Football Ferns qualify for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which was ultimately cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

> 2022-23 A-League season

After a mental health break Grace Wisnewski returned to football and started all three of the Junior Football Ferns’ group matches at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica in August.

Wisnewski scored New Zealand’s opening goal of the tournament against Mexico and signed a new one-year deal with the Nix upon her return home.

Shei missed the opening four matches of the season with a calf injury and started the remaining 14.

Wisnewski scored her maiden A-League goal in the come-from-behind 3-3 draw with Brisbane Roar, which was awarded the competition’s goal of the month award for January.

She also found the back of the net deep into time added on to earn the Phoenix a 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory in their final round match.

Wisnewski made her Football Ferns debut against the U.S.A. in January, coming off the bench in their matches in Wellington and Auckland.

She took part in New Zealand’s gruelling nine-week training camp in the lead-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but narrowly missed out on the Football Ferns’ final 23-strong squad for the tournament. However, Wisnewski was named as one of the Ferns’ three training partners.