Bev Priestman, head coach of Wellington Phoenix, has opened up about the isolation she experienced following the spying scandal that engulfed Canada's women's football team during the Paris Olympics. Now leading the Phoenix into their first A-League Women's finals campaign, she says being back on the pitch with her team has been a gift.
A Fresh Start in Wellington
Reflecting on her 40th birthday last week, Priestman contrasted her current state with a year ago, when she was serving a one-year Fifa ban. 'It was my 40th birthday, and it's those moments, I think to a year ago, and how I felt. And then how I felt in the club, around my staff, around the team. I do this job because I love people,' she told Moving the Goalposts. 'What happened in Paris, and off the back of that, and the media runaway stories that you know necessarily aren't accurate. You just become very isolated, very, very quickly in a job where it is about being part of a team. That isolation hits you really, really hard.'
Wellington, far from the global spotlight, has provided the perfect environment for a fresh start. The Phoenix are the only professional women's football team in New Zealand, competing in the Australian A-League. Introduced ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup, they had never reached the playoffs before this season.
Building a Contender
Under Priestman's guidance, the Phoenix have transformed into a well-oiled machine, boasting the league's highest-scoring attack and stingiest defence. Players like Brooke Nunn, Grace Jale, and 17-year-old Pia Vlok have thrived. A second-place finish earned them a week off in the finals, and they now face Brisbane Roar in a semi-final second leg, needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit. Temporary seating for 5,000 fans at Porirua Park underscores the growing interest.
'For the last three months, wherever I go in the city, people seem to know who I am, who the team is, and how we did on the weekend,' Priestman said. 'That's very different to when I arrived in Wellington. It's really turned into a women's football community.'
Finding Safety and Purpose
Priestman previously said she 'didn't feel safe' after the scandal. Now, being recognized for positive reasons is a welcome change. Her wife, Emma Humphries, was born in Wellington and serves as the club's academy director. 'That's nice. Not to be talked about, maybe for the controversial side of it, and just getting back to what I love and what I know I can be good at, that's really nice,' she reflected. 'I hope the people at the club, as well, now really do see what women's football can do.'
