There have been a number of new signings announced across the A-League Women over the past couple of days (17/8/23).
Above: Alana Jancevski’s arrival at Adelaide United is exciting news for the South Australian club’s fans. Photo: Tom McCarthy.
Adelaide United
Skilful attacker, Alana Jancevski, has made the switch to Adelaide United for the upcoming 2023/24 season.
The 20-year-old has spent the last two years with Perth Glory, where she scored five goals from nine starts.
Jancevski’s curling 25-yard free-kick against Western United in a 3-1 win was shortlisted for Goal of the Season at the 2023 Dolan Warren Awards after it was declared Goal of the Month for February.
Born in Victoria, Jancevski’s first Club was Bundoora United in Melbourne’s north-east, and she worked her way up to the Junior Matildas in 2018/2019 – a period that saw her score a memorable goal for her country against Thailand.
Head Coach, Adrian Stenta, said: “We are really thrilled to be adding Alana to our squad as she’s someone who has impressed us for a while now. She fits the mould as a player and person, with a sound technical ability and ‘team-first’ mentality, and we can’t wait for pre-season to get started and for Alana to begin gelling with the team. We’re looking forward to her continued progress and believe she can be a real asset and source of goals for us this season.”
Revered as a strong, technical player with a deft left foot and touch, Jancevski hopes to add to United’s firepower in front of goal.
“Adelaide was a promising club for me and what I feel is the right move at this time to progress my career,” Jancevski said. “In chatting with Adrian (Stenta) I really got a sense of the culture he’s helped create and you hear this around the league as well – it’s a family here and that’s very important to me.
“I’m really looking forward to joining my new teammates and linking up with players like Nano (Nanako Sasaki) and I think we can form a great partnership. I love to win and help the team as best as I can through scoring or assisting, so it’s a real goal of mine to help this team make Finals again and deliver team success.”
Jancevski is currently playing with Bulleen Lions in NPLW Victoria, with her six goals from 12 games helping her side to second place on the table.
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane have announced three players in the last two days starting with the return of Mariel Hecher to the squad as its A-League Vice-Captain ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Hecher returns to the Roar for her fourth Liberty A-League season, after overcoming an ACL injury that she acquired in December 2022 in Brisbane’s clash against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Since joining the Roar for the 2020/2021 campaign, the Brazilian has made 29 appearances and scored six goals in that time, looking for more in her return to the field this season.
Hecher is excited to be returning for another season, taking on the Vice-Captain role for the first time alongside Captain Ayesha Norrie. Though being Norrie’s third time as captain, Hecher looks forward to showcasing her leadership by fulfilling the role that Matilda’s star Katrina Gorry previously filled for two seasons prior.
“I’m pretty excited, I’m always happy to play at home and represent the state again and play for the Roar,” Hecher said.
“I feel like there’s big shoes to fill, replacing Katrina (Gorry). Not big in size, but definitely big in experience. It’s going to be a great challenge, I’m excited to share the role with Ayesha, I’m going to learn a lot and hopefully, we can help each other be better for the team,” she added.
Coming back from injury, the 30-year-old will be determined to bounce back to the fine form she was in prior to her ACL rupture.
“I want to return to sport as soon as possible, coming back from my ACL, my main goal is to be back on the field helping the team,” she said. “I think most of us have been playing together for one or two seasons now, I think we can go for a more successful season this year.”
Hecher has high hopes for the season ahead and wants to bring the only A-League club in Queensland back to where it belongs, particularly there are such a number of Queenslanders present in the Matilda’s squad.
“As a team, we want to do better. We want to make finals; we want to bring Queensland back on the national stage and represent this state that has such good talent,” she said. “You see in the Matilda’s, there’s so many Queenslanders, we just want to make Queensland the powerhouse of football again.”
Head Coach Garrath McPherson is looking forward to Hecher bringing her energy and enthusiasm to the squad again this season.
“Mariel has been a tremendous player for the club for the past three seasons now and we were devastated to lose her in the early stages of the last campaign,” McPherson said.
“She brings so much energy and enthusiasm to everything she does, and she should be proud of the role she played in the background last season after her injury. The whole team is looking forward to having her back on the pitch, creating and scoring goals!”
McPherson believes together, Norrie and Hecher will be role models for the younger players as they look to lead their squad through a successful season.
“They both have had incredibly different journeys to this point of their careers and their experiences so far are invaluable for the group. For the younger players on our roster, they are role models and a support network to help them navigate life as a professional footballer.”
Next to be announced by the Queenslanders was goalkeeper Keeley Richards, who was at Canberra United last season.
Brisbane-born and raised; Richards made her top-flight debut with Canberra United in Round 5 of the 2020/21 season which saw her go on to play two more campaigns in the capital.
The 28-year-old has made 20 appearances in her time there, making 68 saves, and will look to build on that in Brisbane. With her athletic ability and shot-stopping talent, Richards is set to be a valuable asset to the squad as she makes the trip north to join the Roar.
“I’m very excited, being from Brisbane, I grew up here, the chance to play at home in front of friends and family will be great,” Richards said.
“We want to go as far as possible. The Roar has always been that strong and competitive side and it will be nice to get them back up there where they belong,” she added.
Head Coach Garrath McPherson looks forward to welcoming Richards to the Roar with her selfless nature and her skillset in goals.
“Keeley brings multiple seasons of ALW experience to our goalkeeping unit. Anyone that has had the opportunity to stand side by side with her will tell you how selfless she is, always putting the team first. This is a unique trait and one that will make for a seamless transition into orange,” McPherson said.
“One of our key areas for growth is consistency across a long campaign. This requires turning up every day to be the best we can be,” he added.
“Keeley is a professional who has been in the competition for a number of years and to do so takes a particular mindset. This mindset will be an asset for us in achieving our goals.”
Brisbane’s final capture is the hugely talented Western Australian teenager Ruby Cuthbert, the Junior Matildas’ captain who is currently playing for the Hyundai NTC in the NPLW WA on a three-year deal.
Born and raised in Fremantle, Cuthbert started her football journey at Fremantle City in the Boys Academy before joining Murdoch University Melville FC’s Women’s team, then spent time at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Western Australia until now.
Cuthbert is part of the Junior Matilda’s and in November 2022, captained the Australian U17 Women’s team in a match against South Korea. The 16-year-old is an ambitious youngster that looks forward to the experience of playing in the Liberty A-League and at Queensland’s only A-League club.
“It’s going to be amazing; it’s going to be such a good experience for me being young, such a good opportunity to explore Australia,” Cuthbert said.
“I’m looking forward to playing with some amazing teammates and good staff and great facilities,” she added.
“I can’t wait to meet new players and push myself to be the best I can be, I think it’s going to be a really exciting year to be part of a big club with big history and the community that they’ve created is awesome.”
Head Coach Garrath McPherson spoke about Cuthbert’s style of play and the qualities that brought her to the Roar.
“For a young centre-back, the communication and organisation of the players around her is something that I believe sets her apart from her peers. She has an excellent range of passing on both feet and this allows her to be deployed in a range of systems,” McPherson said.
Captaining the U17 Australian Women’s team, revealed traits of hers that McPherson believes will be beneficial to the squad this season.
“To be chosen as a leader is afforded to those unique individuals who are selfless and empathetic. To have these character traits and be confident in using them shows maturity beyond her years. These will be wonderful qualities for our locker room,” he said.
McPherson looks forward to being part of the start of her football career to help develop her as a professional in the coming years.
“Ruby is a player who we see having a bright future in the game. She has committed to our club for the next chapter in her journey and our role is to support her to grow into a senior footballer over the next three years.”
Newcastle Jets
The Jets yesterday announced the signing of Matildas representative Alex Huynh for the 2023/24 A-League Women’s season.
Huynh who plays as a defender is currently competing with Macarthur Rams in the NSW NPL. She started her career playing for Marconi Stallions in the NPL and has previously represented the Jets from 2010-2012. Huynh joined the Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2012/2013 campaign before heading over to the USA in 2013 to play for Colorado Buffaloes and Troy Trojans.
The former Marconi junior tested herself overseas in 2020 by playing for Napoli Femminile in Italy before moving to Denmark and signing for Fortuna Hjørring in 2021. It was during this time that Huynh was called up to the Matildas for a friendly match against Germany where she featured in the match.
Huynh is excited to return to the club where she made her A-League debut. “I’m excited to return to Newcastle and represent this great region once again. This is where my career started and I want to give back to this club.”
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix have signed Macey Fraser to the longest contract in the women’s team’s short history.
The attacking midfielder has committed to the Phoenix for the next three Liberty A-League seasons. Fraser, 21, is in her third year at the club’s academy and has been a key member of the women’s reserves for the past two seasons, initially playing under new head coach Paul Temple.
“It’s a really cool feeling to sign my first pro contract,” she said. “I’m so grateful to Paul for giving me the opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started and do as well as I can for the Phoenix.
“When I came into the academy Paul sat down with me and asked what I wanted to do, and I said be a professional footballer. He said ‘okay, let’s do it’. “He’s been such a big help to me and my skills as a player and as a person.
Fraser was part of the history-making New Zealand squad that finished third at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay, along with Phoenix regulars Mackenzie Barry, Grace Wisnewski, and Marisa van der Meer. “The under-17 World Cup was one of the best times of my life. It was such a cool trip and to come third and make some history was pretty awesome too.”
She also attended the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, alongside Wisnewski and van der Meer, and founding Nix squad members Kate Taylor, Alyssa Whinham, and Brianna Edwards.
“I’m quite close with a lot of those girls so it will be so cool to be training with them again.”
Fraser has had to wait a little longer than a number of her national age-group team-mates to get an opportunity in the professional ranks.“Everyone has a different journey and this is mine. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s made me grow as a person and I’m just so excited to finally be signing a professional contract. I’ve been working hard for a number of years now and I think it’s finally my time to show what I can do.”
Fraser’s footballing journey started in north Canterbury, where she played with her two older brothers in the backyard before joining Waimakariri United. She was on Paul Temple’s radar well before joining him at the academy.
“For a number of years Macey has been somebody that a lot of people have regarded as a super young talent coming through the system in New Zealand,” Temple said.
“I remember watching her play futsal for Canterbury a number of years ago at the ASB Centre in Wellington and thinking ‘wow, this kid is pretty special. Who’s she?’ Macey’s talent has always shone through. For her it was about finding a home where she was comfortable and that she could be consistent with what she does.
“Over the last two years she’s been fantastic in terms of her commitment to becoming better on and off the pitch in all aspects of her game. She’s really matured as a person and as a footballer.”
He believes Phoenix “fans will love her”. “Macey’s really good to watch. She’s technically one of the better players I’ve worked with, and she’s got goals in her. She scored a number of goals for the reserves team from midfield so she’s a goalscoring midfielder, which is great for us and the team.
“I think the contract length shows everybody how serious we are about her and how much we see her as part of the future.”
Fraser already has a big following on TikTok because of her footballing skills. “I know a lot of the younger academy girls idolise her in terms of this technical player that can do things with the ball that are pretty amazing,” Temple said.
“A lot of the players in the academy will be buzzing for her moving into the first team. Hopefully she can go on and continue to inspire those younger players to follow her pathway and the journey, and what it takes to get there.”
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