Phoenix youngster returns home
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Grace Wisnewski will play no part in the club’s remaining A-League Women games after opting to return home to New Zealand due to mental health reasons.
The 19-year-old had previously made herself unavailable for their fixture against reigning champions Melbourne Victory to prioritise her mental wellbeing after struggling with anxiety, but she returned to play in Phoenix’s historic win over Canberra United.
Wisnewski will miss the Phoenix’s final two games, against Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta tomorrow and Perth Glory in Wollongong next Friday.
Phoenix coach Gemma Lewis said Wisnewski had shown great courage by putting her mental health first, adding it was not an easy decision for the New Zealand age-group international to make.
Wisnewski is due to fly home from Australia on Monday, when she will be able to bypass MIQ and self-isolate at home.
‘‘She gave it a shot by having a game off and taking some time out to see if that helped, and it did for a bit, but she’s just in a space where football is not the priority at the moment. She needs to go home and be with family and just prioritise feeling better and getting in a better headspace,’’ Lewis said.
‘‘She’s ready to go home and get better, and putting that off for a couple of weeks just makes that harder.
‘‘It’s a huge decision for a 19-yearold to make but it’s the right one for her as a person and even her footballing career as well.
‘‘She’s been so critical for this team but at the same time we’ve probably only scratched the surface with what she can do because she’s obviously got this going on in the background that she’s been struggling with.’’
Phoenix general manager David Dome said Wisnewski had the support of the club.
‘‘We are immensely proud of Grace and her courage to do what is right for her and her mental health,’’ Dome said.
‘‘Despite being just 19, she is a role model for young athletes because of both her performances on the pitch and how she has conducted herself during what has been a trying season for the whole team.’’
The Phoenix have spent the entire season based in Wollongong, and Lewis said it has been particularly tough on the young New Zealand players in the squad being away from home for the past four months.
‘‘Your life has been turned upside down and routine and progress and things like that when you’re struggling is really important, whereas she’s been massively pushed out of her comfort zone,’’ Lewis said.
‘‘We knew coming into this that she might not be 100 per cent, but we made the decision together that it was something that she still wanted to do, and we don’t regret it.
‘‘She’s done so well and I don’t think she will regret it either because she’s talked about that it’s something she needed to go through to get to the point that she’s at now, and to get help and to get better.’’
Hannah Jones is expected to come back into the starting XI for tomorrow’s game at CommBank Stadium.
The Phoenix drew 0-0 with the Wanderers in their opening game, and they can overtake them if they win with a goalscoring margin of three or more.