2025–26 Wellington Phoenix FC season
Wellington Phoenix 2025–26 football season
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The 2025–26 season is Wellington Phoenix Football Club's 19th season in the A-League Men. In addition to the domestic league, the club participated in this season's edition of the Australia Cup.
(to 21 February 2026)
Chris Greenacre
(from 23 February 2026)
| 2025–26 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Preseason match between Wellington Phoenix and Wrexham on 19 July 2025. | |||
| Chairman | Rob Morrison | ||
| Manager | Giancarlo Italiano (to 21 February 2026) Chris Greenacre (from 23 February 2026) | ||
| Stadium | Wellington Regional Stadium[i] | ||
| A-League Men | 8th | ||
| A-League Men finals series | DNQ | ||
| Australia Cup | Quarter-final | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Ifeanyi Eze (10 goals) All: Ifeanyi Eze (10 goals) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 12,091 vs. Auckland FC (8 November 2025) A-League Men | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 3,030 vs. Newcastle Jets (14 December 2025) A-League Men | ||
| Average home league attendance | 5,697 | ||
| Biggest win | 3–0 vs. Brisbane Roar (A) (3 January 2026) A-League Men | ||
| Biggest defeat | 0–5 vs. Auckland FC (H) (21 February 2026) A-League Men | ||
|
| |||
| All statistics correct as of 24 April 2026. | |||
In the Australia Cup, the Phoenix progressed to the quarter-finals after defeating Perth Glory in a penalty shootout and NPL Victoria 3 team Nunawading City 1–0.[2] Ultimately, the club succumbed to NPL Victoria side Heidelberg United on 19 August 2025.[3] This was the last time the club participated in the Australia Cup, as New Zealand-based teams were omitted from the 2026 edition onwards.[4]
The Phoenix commenced their A-League Men campaign on 18 October 2025 away to Perth Glory.[5] The regular season concluded on 24 April 2026.[6]
In January 2026, it was announced that the naming rights for Wellington Regional Stadium, known as Sky Stadium from 2020–2026, would be renamed Hnry Stadium effective 1 March 2026.[1]
On 21 February, the Phoenix played their third New Zealand derby of the season against Auckland FC, having lost the previous two encounters, they went on to lose 5–0, the highest home defeat of the season. Head coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned minutes after the final whistle during his post-match press, ending his seven-year association with the club.[7][8][9] On 23 February, Chris Greenacre was announced as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[10] Following a successful interim spell, Greenacre was appointed to the position of head coach for the 2026–27 season.[11]
Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other players with first-team appearances
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers
Transfers in
| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Type/fee | Contract length | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | FW | Free transfer | 1 year | 15 July 2025 | [12][13] | ||
| 11 | FW | Unattached | Free transfer | 1 year | 22 July 2025 | [14] | |
| 10 | FW | Perth Glory | Free transfer | 1 year | 13 August 2025 | [15] | |
| 4 | DF | Unattached | Free transfer | 1 year | 21 August 2025 | [16] | |
| 12 | DF | Daniel Edwards | Free transfer | 1 year | 15 September 2025 | [17] | |
| 20 | MF | Unattached | Free transfer | 1 year | 15 September 2025 | [18] | |
| 28 | DF | Bill Tuiloma | Unattached | Free transfer | 2.5 years | 14 January 2026 | [19] |
| 16 | MF | Loan | 6 months | 16 January 2026 | [20] | ||
| 9 | MF | Sarpreet Singh | Loan | 5 months | 6 February 2026 | [21] |
From youth squad
| N |
Pos. |
Nat. |
Name |
Age |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | MF | Anaru Cassidy | 19 | 2-year scholarship contract[22] |
Transfers out
| No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Type/fee | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | DF | Perth Glory | End of contract | 30 June 2025 | [23][24] | |
| 19 | DF | Sam Sutton | Perth Glory | End of contract | 30 June 2025 | [23][25] |
| 7 | FW | Kosta Barbarouses | Western Sydney Wanderers | End of contract | 30 June 2025 | [26][27] |
| 11 | FW | Unattached | End of contract | 30 June 2025 | [28] | |
| 12 | MF | End of loan | 30 June 2025 | [28] | ||
| 35 | GK | Dublin Boon | Unattached | End of contract | 30 June 2025 | [28] |
| 9 | FW | Unattached | Mutual contract termination | 16 January 2026 | [20] |
Contract extensions
| No. | Player / coach | Position | Duration | Date | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Head coach | 1 year[ii] | 28 April 2026 | Contract upgraded from interim to fulltime head coach. | [11] | |
Pre-season and friendlies
The Phoenix began their preseason in July 2025, with Wrexham AFC, a Welsh club in the EFL Championship, touring three A-League Men clubs as part of their preseason Wrexham Down Under tour.[29] On 20 September, the club hosted an open day including a fixture against Central League champions Wellington Olympic.[30] On 24 September, the Phoenix confirmed their final three preseason matches in New South Wales against A-League Men opponents Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, and Central Coast Mariners.[31]
| 19 July 2025 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–0 | | Wellington, New Zealand |
| 17:00 NZST |
|
Report | Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 25,399 |
| 20 September 2025 | Wellington Phoenix | 6–1 | | Upper Hutt, New Zealand |
| 13:00 NZST | Report |
|
Stadium: NZCIS |
| 26 September 2025 | Sydney FC | 1–0 | | Sydney, Australia |
|
Report | Stadium: Leichhardt Oval |
| 4 October 2025 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 1–1 | | Australia |
| Report |
| 12 October 2025 | Central Coast Mariners | 0–3 | | Gosford, Australia |
| Report | Stadium: polytec Stadium |
Competitions
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| A-League Men | 18 October 2025 | 24 April 2026 | Matchday 1 | 8th | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 36 | 48 | −12 | 34.62 |
| Australia Cup | 27 July 2025 | 19 August 2025 | Round of 32 | Quarter-final | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 33.33 |
| Total | 29 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 38 | 53 | −15 | 34.48 | ||||
Last updated: 24 April 2026
Source: Competitions
A-League Men
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Melbourne City | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 38 | Qualification for Finals series[a] |
| 7 | Macarthur FC | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 34 | |
| 8 | Wellington Phoenix[b] | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 36 | 48 | −12 | 33 | |
| 9 | Central Coast Mariners | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 35 | 42 | −7 | 32 | |
| 10 | Perth Glory | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 32 | 39 | −7 | 31 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) wins; 5) head-to-head results; 5a) head-to-head points; 5b) head-to-head goal difference; 6) Fair Play points; 7) away goal difference; 8) away goals per match; 9) home goal difference; 10) home goals per match; 11) toss of a coin in an event of a tie of two clubs.
Notes:
- The top two teams enter the finals series at the semi-finals, while the teams ranked third to sixth enter the finals series at the elimination-finals.
- Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for Asian Football Confederation competitions as they are based in New Zealand, which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation.
Results summary
As of 24 April 2026[update].
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 36 | 48 | −12 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 25 | −8 |
Results by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches
The A-League Men fixtures for the season were released on 11 September 2025.[32] On 20 November 2025, the Phoenix confirmed their final home match of the season, set for 18 April 2026, will take place in Christchurch. This marks the second consecutive year the Wellington Phoenix play a match in the South Island city.[33]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 18 October 2025 1 | Perth Glory | 2–2 | Wellington Phoenix | Perth |
| 19:45 AWST | Report | Stadium: HBF Park Attendance: 7,868 Referee: Ben Abraham |
| 26 October 2025 2 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–1 | Brisbane Roar | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 6,890 Referee: Daniel Elder |
| 2 November 2025 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Gosford |
| 17:00 AEDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Polytec Stadium Attendance: 4,813 Referee: Tim Danaskos |
| 8 November 2025 4 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–2 | Auckland FC | Wellington |
| 19:00 NZDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 12,091 Referee: Ben Abraham |
| 22 November 2025 5 | Wellington Phoenix | 0–1 | Macarthur FC | Wellington |
| 17:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,677 Referee: Jonathan Barreiro |
| 29 November 2025 6 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–1 | Adelaide United | Wellington |
| 17:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,063 Referee: Daniel Elder |
| 6 December 2025 7 | Auckland FC | 3–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Auckland |
| 17:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Go Media Stadium Attendance: 21,997 Referee: Adam Kersey |
| 14 December 2025 8 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–3 | Newcastle Jets | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,030 Referee: Alex King |
| 21 December 2025 9 | Wellington Phoenix | 3–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,587 Referee: Tim Danaskos |
| 29 December 2025 10 | Melbourne Victory | 5–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Melbourne |
| 19:00 AEDT | Report |
|
Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 10,769 Referee: Shaun Evans |
| 3 January 2026 11 | Brisbane Roar | 0–3 | Wellington Phoenix | Kippa-Ring |
| 16:00 AEST | Report | Stadium: Kayo Stadium Attendance: 8,961 Referee: Ben Abraham |
| 11 January 2026 12 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–2 | Adelaide United | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,068 Referee: Lachlan Keevers |
| 18 January 2026 13 | Sydney FC | 0–2 | Wellington Phoenix | Sydney |
| 17:00 AEDT | Report | Stadium: Allianz Stadium Attendance: 13,678 Referee: Sam Kelly |
| 23 January 2026 14 | Newcastle Jets | 4–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Newcastle |
| 19:35 AEDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: McDonald Jones Stadium Attendance: 8,207 Referee: Declan Woods |
| 30 January 2026 15 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–2 | Melbourne City | Wellington |
| 19:00 NZDT |
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Report | Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 3,679 Referee: Alireza Faghani |
| 6 February 2026 16 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–3 | Melbourne Victory | Wellington |
| 19:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 5,783 Referee: Jack Morgan |
| 13 February 2026 17 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 2–2 | Wellington Phoenix | Sydney |
| 19:35 AEDT | Report | Stadium: CommBank Stadium Attendance: 4,461 Referee: Adam Kersey |
| 21 February 2026 18 | Wellington Phoenix | 0–5 | Auckland FC | Wellington |
| 17:00 NZDT | Report | Stadium: Sky Stadium Attendance: 10,040 Referee: Lachlan Keevers |
| 1 March 2026 19 | Wellington Phoenix | 0–1 | Sydney FC | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Hnry Stadium[i] Attendance: 4,322 Referee: Tim Danaskos |
| 6 March 2026 20 | Adelaide United | 1–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Adelaide |
| 19:05 ACDT |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Coopers Stadium Attendance: 9,111 Referee: Jonathan Barreiro |
| 14 March 2026 21 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–0 | Perth Glory | Wellington |
| 15:00 NZDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Hnry Stadium[i] Attendance: 3,766 Referee: Nathan Shakespear |
| 21 March 2026 22 | Brisbane Roar | 1–2 | Wellington Phoenix | Brisbane |
| 14:00 AEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Suncorp Stadium Attendance: 4,826 Referee: Alireza Faghani |
| 5 April 2026 23 | Melbourne Victory | 0–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Melbourne |
| 17:00 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 8,762 Referee: Nathan Shakespear |
| 12 April 2026 24 | Melbourne City | 2–0 | Wellington Phoenix | Melbourne |
| 15:00 AEST | Report | Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 4,896 Referee: Alex King |
| 18 April 2026 25 | Wellington Phoenix | 2–1 | Western Sydney Wanderers | Christchurch |
| 17:00 NZST | Report |
|
Stadium: Apollo Projects Stadium Attendance: 11,066 Referee: Benjamin Abraham |
| 24 April 2026 26 | Macarthur FC | 4–0 | Wellington Phoenix | Sydney |
| 19:35 AEST | Report | Stadium: Campbelltown Sports Stadium Attendance: 6,013 Referee: Lachlan Keevers |
Australia Cup
The round of 32 Australia Cup draw took place on 26 June 2025, with the Phoenix drawing A-League Men rivals Perth Glory.[34] The draw for the round of 16 and subsequent rounds took place on 30 July 2025.[35] This was the last time Wellington Phoenix participated in the Australia Cup, as New Zealand-based teams were omitted from the 2026 edition onwards.[4]
| 27 July 2025 Round of 32 | Perth Glory | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (7–8 p) | Wellington Phoenix | Perth |
| 15:00 AWST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Kingsway Reserve Attendance: 1,141 Referee: Liam Barclay |
| Penalties | ||||
| 10 August 2025 Round of 16 | Nunawading City | 0–1 | Wellington Phoenix | Melbourne |
| 15:00 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Nasiol Stadium Attendance: 1,423 Referee: Eric Saba |
| 19 August 2025 Quarter-finals | Heidelberg United | 4–0 | Wellington Phoenix | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEST | Report | Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 1,547 Referee: Lachlan Keevers |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Includes all competitions. Players with no appearances not included in the list.
- As of 24 April 2026
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | A-League Men | Australia Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 1 | GK | Josh Oluwayemi | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |||
| 3 | DF | Corban Piper | 15+11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4 | |||
| 4 | DF | Manjrekar James | 16+4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |||
| 5 | MF | Fin Roa Conchie | 7+7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |||
| 6 | DF | Tim Payne | 13+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||
| 7 | FW | Ifeanyi Eze | 25 | 10 | 0+2 | 0 | 27 | 10 | |||
| 8 | MF | Paulo Retre | 11+6 | 1 | 0+3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |||
| 9 | MF | Sarpreet Singh | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 10 | FW | Nikola Mileusnic | 0+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 11 | FW | Carlo Armiento | 19+3 | 5 | 0+2 | 0 | 24 | 5 | |||
| 12 | DF | Daniel Edwards | 6+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 14 | MF | Alex Rufer | 23 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |||
| 15 | DF | Isaac Hughes | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 2 | |||
| 16 | MF | Sander Kartum | 3+9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |||
| 17 | FW | Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues | 0+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 18 | DF | Lukas Kelly-Heald | 13+10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 1 | |||
| 20 | FW | Ramy Najjarine | 22+2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |||
| 23 | FW | Luke Supyk | 0+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 24 | DF | Xuan Loke | 3+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 25 | MF | Kazuki Nagasawa | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |||
| 27 | DF | Matthew Sheridan | 19+7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |||
| 28 | DF | Bill Tuiloma | 12+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |||
| 29 | FW | Luke Brooke-Smith | 0+19 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |||
| 30 | GK | Alby Kelly-Heald | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 31 | DF | Ryan Lee | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 37 | MF | Anaru Cassidy | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 39 | DF | Jayden Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 40 | GK | Eamonn McCarron | 5+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 46 | MF | Lachlan Candy | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Player(s) transferred out but featured this season | |||||||||||
| 9 | FW | Hideki Ishige | 2+1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 42 | FW | Fergus Gillion | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
Disciplinary record
Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total cards are equal. Players with no cards not included in the list.
- As of 24 April 2026
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | A-League Men | Australia Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | FW | Carlo Armiento | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | 4 | DF | Manjrekar James | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | 14 | MF | Alex Rufer | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 7 | FW | Ifeanyi Eze | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 15 | DF | Isaac Hughes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | 8 | MF | Paulo Retre | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | MF | Kazuki Nagasawa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | 1 | GK | Josh Oluwayemi | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF | Corban Piper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | DF | Lukas Kelly-Heald | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | DF | Xuan Loke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | 6 | DF | Tim Payne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | MF | Sander Kartum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | MF | Ramy Najjarine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | DF | Matthew Sheridan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | DF | Luke Brooke-Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 2 | ||||
Clean sheets
Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total clean sheets are equal. Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play. Goalkeepers with no clean sheets not included in the list.
- As of 24 April 2026
| Rank | No. | Nat. | Goalkeeper | A-League Men | Australia Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Eamonn McCarron | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | 1 | Josh Oluwayemi | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 5 | |||
End of season awards
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Members' under-23 player of the year | Isaac Hughes |
| Members' player of the year | Ifeanyi Eze |
| Men's goal of the year | Alex Rufer (Rd 7 vs Auckland FC) |
| Golden boot | Ifeanyi Eze (10) |
| Media player of the year | Ifeanyi Eze |
| Players' player of the year | Alex Rufer |
| Entelar & OPPO men's player of the year | Alex Rufer & Ifeanyi Eze |
| Lloyd Morrison Spirit of the Phoenix award | Mackenzie Barry (women) |