The likes of Joe Bell, Liberato Cacace, Matt Garbett and Alex Greive have never donned the silver fern at home, while veteran defender Bill Tuiloma has only played three matches in New Zealand since the 2013 Mexico playoffs.
"Everybody is super excited by the opportunity to come back," All Whites coach Danny Hay told the Herald. "Maybe they are not going to be that excited when they board the plane, as most of our players don't fly at the front end of the plane. But they can't wait."
Hay said the long awaited chance to play here was part of the mission statement that the players and staff had come up with at the start of his tenure in November 2019.
"They have started to transform the game, with the way the All Whites are being viewed now by the public and this is a massive opportunity to inspire another generation of players by playing here," said Hay.
"It's great the New Zealand public will finally get a chance to see this group of players play live. It's one thing watching them on TV – and it has blown me away, all the positive feedback we have had and the amount of people who were impressed by the Costa Rica performance – but it is special to come home."
Hay said he "laid low" for a couple of weeks after the crushing Doha disappointment, before venturing out for first time to go to the Warriors homecoming match on July 3.
"So many people came up to say how much they had enjoyed what the team had done and the way they played," said Hay. "It was credit to the boys and the staff."
The upcoming series will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first transtasman clashes back in 1922 and the chance to take on traditional foes adds extra spice.
There was a regular rivalry with the Socceroos until the mid-2000s, when Australia joined the Asia Confederation.
There has been only two clashes in the last 16 years (2010 in Melbourne and 2011 in Adelaide) and the upcoming games represent the first two-match series since 2001.
European-based fullbacks Niko Kirwan and Francis de Vries won't be making the trip, as they have both suffered serious knee injuries.
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Clayton Lewis is also out with injury while veteran defender Tommy Smith has a foot problem.
Hay confirmed that Marco Rojas won't be part of the squad, as player and coach agreed he needs this time to establish himself in South America, after making the move to Chilean powerhouse Colo-Colo in July.
"I wanted to call him up but was also happy to do what is right for Marco," said Hay. "It sends a good message to the club that he is very committed to force his way into the team.
"What he is doing over there is massive. He could have stayed in the A-League, where he is a bit of a star and earned good money. But he has taken himself right out of his comfort zone and gone to a place where he is creating potential future pathways for Kiwi players."
The squad will be named on Monday.
All Whites vs Australia
September 22 - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (10pm)
September 25 - Eden Park, Auckland (4pm)
