KEY POINTS:
Wellington Phoenix A-League soccer club has culled forwards Greg Draper and Adam Kwasnik after declining to renew their contracts for the 2009/10 season.
New Zealand age-group international Draper has spent two seasons with the Phoenix, having signed on one of the three mandatory under-20 players required on the club's roster.
The promising English-born striker from Christchurch has had limited opportunities with the Phoenix - a situation compounded by the Wellington club's exclusion from Australia's new National Youth League.
Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata said it was unfortunate that the club had been forced to make such a tough decision regarding the 20-year-old.
" Ultimately it became apparent that it was very unfair on Greg not to be giving him the game time he needs to develop further as a footballer," he said.
"Given that we don't have a team in the National Youth League, the opportunities for him to play good, competitive football were few and far between."
The Phoenix would seek to help Draper join a team in the Australian state leagues or the New Zealand Football Championship.
Midfielder/striker Kwasnik joined the Phoenix from the Central Coast Mariners on a one-season deal at the start of the 2008/09 season. He played 12 games for Wellington, starting seven times.
- NZPA
