Football Ferns v Thailand: How NZ midfielder Macey Fraser found her place in football

There have been several times over the past few years where Macey Fraser wondered if football was really her future.

After being a star of the New Zealand age group team that secured a famous bronze at the 2018 Fifa Under-17 World Cup, the path from there was complicated. Injuries and the Covid-19 pandemic contributed but Fraser was also caught in a strange vacuum.

She emerged at a time when Gemma Lewis, who has since returned to Wales, held the keys to the castle, in charge of the Football Ferns’ development program [FFDP] and the New Zealand Under-20s.

The coach, for whatever reason, couldn’t really see Fraser’s potential.

Fraser had two stints at the FFDP - which required players to move to Auckland - but didn’t thrive in the environment or find it challenging enough. She played for different clubs, then had a productive period at the Ole Academy in Wellington, mainly training with boys, outside the conventional system.

Fraser was part of the Wellington Phoenix academy when their women’s team was launched in 2021 but couldn’t crack the first team under either Lewis or Natalie Lawrence in the first two seasons.

“Definitely there’s been times like that, where I’ve thought [if] I wanted to play football ever again,” Fraser told the Herald. “That is just how it goes when you are an athlete, there’s highs and lows.”

Thankfully, Fraser persevered. Now she is seen as one of the most exciting prospects in the sport, a player of genuine class and rare technical ability.

Fraser could start her first Football Ferns match on home soil on Saturday against Thailand in Christchurch, capping a remarkable rise since making her Phoenix debut in October last year, then being part of the Ferns’ Olympic qualifying campaign in February.

“It’s been a season of growing, it’s been really eye-opening for me stepping into professional football but I am grateful that I got to do it and I learned a lot,” said Fraser.

Macey Fraser has been a star on the rise in recent years. Photo / Photosport

Fraser reserves special praise for Phoenix coach Paul Temple, who built his team around the 21-year-old.

“Paul really took me under his wing and told me he believes in me,” said Fraser. “That obviously gives a player confidence and I spent a long time working with him in the academy.”

Temple said Fraser deserves a lot of credit.

“She is mentally very strong and has been working at this for a long time.

“Sometimes it’s not always one size fits all with how players develop but she has always worked so hard and had such a willingness to improve.”

The fruits of that labour were shown during the women’s A-League season, with some brilliant work in the final third, clever assists and eye-catching goals. It wasn’t all plain sailing but it was a strong opening chapter.

“I learnt the lifestyle of a professional footballer,” admitted Fraser. “I learnt it is not always easy, even though this is my dream job, it’s got some tough parts to it. I learnt a lot about trying to stay consistent with my training and everything, even when there is a lot of bumps in the road.”

Fraser also had to adapt quickly after a strong initial impression as teams began to target her.

Macey Fraser in action for the Phoenix. Photo / Photosport

“[For example] I knew that people were going to start recognising that I jink a lot to my right, [I] had to adapt and start going on my left. It’s learning and growing as a footballer.”

Fraser is religious about analysis, watching replays of each game and then writing down what she needs to work on before that becomes the focus at training.

“After every game I’m quite hard on myself, always looking at what I can do better,” said Fraser.

“Reflection is really important to me.”

Fraser stood out for the Ferns in Samoa, albeit against limited Oceania opposition. World No 47 Thailand will be an incremental step up, before - hopefully - the ultimate test at the Paris Olympics.

Fraser is unproven internationally but has a skill set on the ball that few teammates can match and is likely to become a key figure in the coming years. That’s dependent on Fraser fulfilling her potential, along with the Ferns coming up with a system that accommodates her talent.

Klimkova said on Friday, Fraser would be an asset in central midfield regardless of the formation that was employed, though her best work was done closer to goal.

For her part, Fraser is ambitious but grounded.

“It’s always been one of my dreams to play for the Ferns and I am honoured that I am here now and can finally make an impact in this team,” said Fraser.

The Olympics is a major goal - “I don’t know if it will be this year or in the future” - but the main thing is constantly growing as a player.

“As long as I am doing that I will get closer to a starting position,” said Fraser. “I’m proud and I’m grateful [to be here]. There have been a lot of people on my journey who have helped me get here and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.