Marisa van der Meer

Marisa van der Meer rejoined the Wellington Phoenix in September before the team started pre-season training.

The versatile defender earned a new two-year contract with the Phoenix having sat out the 2024-25 campaign after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee for the second time in six months.

Originally from Christchurch, Van der Meer is another player to have come through the all-conquering Canterbury United Pride team.

She was also a key member of the history-making Young Football Ferns team that returned with a bronze medal from the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.

The trained physiotherapist was part of the Football Ferns squad at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but is still waiting to make her senior bow.

Van der Meer started all three of the Junior Football Ferns’ matches at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

Van der Meer signed on with the Phoenix for the 2022-23 A-League after making nine appearances as a substitute for Melbourne City the previous season.

She quickly established herself as an integral member of the Nix, starting 17 of the team’s 18 matches and scoring three headers to finish first equal in the league with headed goals.

Van der Meer re-signed with the club in June 2023 and made a strong start to the season before rupturing the ACL for the first time while on international duty with the Football Ferns.

> 2024-25 season

Marisa van der Meer recommitted to the Phoenix for the 2024-25 A-League a week before she re-ruptured her ACL.

Her contract was later terminated by mutual consent to allow van der Meer to focus on her recovery and start her career as a physiotherapist in Auckland.

She returned to football with Western Springs AFC in July and made seven appearances for WSAFC in the NRFL women’s premiership to earn a new two-year contract with the Nix.

“I’ve obviously had time to focus on other areas of my life and start a career, which has been awesome. But football has definitely been the missing link and I’ve been wanting to get back to it.”