Marisa van der Meer: Wellington Phoenix Women defender on their clash against Newcastle, her return after injury

After an opening 1-all A-League draw to start the A-League women's season, the Phoenix Women next host Newcastle at Porirua Park on Sunday.

Adam Cooper spoke with defender Marisa van der Meer - who scored the Phoenix's goal last weekend, having returned following nearly two seasons out with back to back ACL injuries.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The weekends.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Finally here let's kick it off Wellington's All Sport Breakfast
with Adam Cooper and Rutherford and Bond Toyota and King
Toyota on news Talks. It'd be ten to nine here
on the All Sport Breakfast well Game two of the
new A League Women's season for the Wellington Phoenix tomorrow
at Pottydoor Park four pm kickoff against the Newcastle Jets.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
The new look Phoenix opened with a one all drawn
against Camberra United at sky Stadium last Saturday, and scoring
the equalizing goal for the Phoenix was defender Marisa VanderMeer,
who was playing her first A League match since late
twenty twenty three after recovering from back to back ACL
and Dreese. Marisa's with me now, morning to you, Marissa,

(00:41):
thanks to your time. First of all, just describe how
that feeling was being back in the A League after
such a long wait.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's been definitely a long run,
but no, well worse it when I got back on
the field. Yeah, just really really excited. Great to be
back in the team environment and back in the A League.
So yeah, all around around the game last week and
just a lot of excitement and just feeling ready to
be back out there.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
And I saw you around a lot of nd cis
during your recoveries. You stayed very close to the team environment.
What was the toughest stage of your latest injury. Was
it coming to terms with it earlier on or was
it in the latter stages when you're oh so close
and putting in that hard work to get back.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, I mean, I think obviously having done the first
rehab of six months and then getting the shock of
rerupturing the graft was obviously one of probably the lowest
points of it. However, I feel like I picked myself
up pretty soon after and was obviously ready to get
the second surgery. Yeah. I think obviously with every rehab, right,
there's going to be high moments and low moments. I

(01:43):
think just when you're doing it all by yourself on
them in the gym, it can obviously be tough to
keep yourself motivated. But yeah, I think I just had
a really good support network around me to help me
through those times. But yeah, I think definitely need to end.
I was just super excited and ready to get back.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
And it's very much a different looking phoenix team compared
with past ones you've been a part of. There's a
bit of stout power this year, some experienced players and
of course Bev Priestsman as the coach. How exciting is
just all the personnel around you in this team this season?

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, I think it's awesome. I think we've made some
really really good signings in the players that we've got,
and then obviously Bev as a coach, I think, yeah,
just a high caliber and level of professionalism and experience
that we've got. I think it's just an awesome space
to be in and I think really exciting moving forward
into as we go to the season.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
How much can a coach like Bev change a club,
do you think?

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, I think she brings this another level. Right, She's
had experience in the international level at the highest level,
so I think she can bring a level of obviously
bringing her knowledge, her wisdom, but also just also coming
in bringing a group of players together and bringing a
good culture and team to then produce out on the

(02:56):
field what we want to produce.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
All right, Well, let's look back last Saturday. It was
first hit out of the season or one old draw
against Canberra to get things underway. You scoring that goal too.
How did you enjoy being out there? And I guess
also how did you assess the way things played out
for Game one?

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Yeah, I mean it was definitely an occasion, and I
think obviously as we got out there, we maybe Yeah,
obviously it was a big, big game at sky Stadium.
There was a lot of things that we did well,
but a lot of things also work on. Obviously, really
cool thing that I could score for the team, and
great that I can help the team in that sense,
but I think a lot of things to still build

(03:32):
on and work on, and I think as a team,
we know we can do a lot better moving forward.
So yeah, we're looking forward to this game this weekend.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
What are the big focuses and priorities for the team
this season? Do you think is especially look to secure
that first club playoff appearance.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, I think it's just also understanding how how good
we are and how good we can be in this league,
and just going into games having that confidence knowing that
we do have such a great team. I think in
the past of all always come into games and maybe
been the underdog, seen as the underdogs, but I think
just taking a hold of what we do have in
front of us and what we can do. So just

(04:09):
going in with that with confidence and how we want
to play together.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
CJ Bot captaining the team for the first round last weekend.
Just having her coming back from a decade overseas. I'm
sure a lot of you idolized her as a sort
of you know, Wellington and New Zealand top footballer when
you were younger. How special is her presence in the
team returning to Wellington.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, so special, so social for CJ. I think she's
yet been a big role model for all of us
as we obviously seen her in the Ferns. But yeah,
she never had a chance to play professionally when she
was out some of our ages. So I think the
fact that she's gone overseas and gotten that experience and
then bringing it back here and actually getting to play
in front of her home crowd, I think it's cool
for her, but also really cool for US players and

(04:52):
the younger ones coming through to really learn from her.
And yeah, she brings such a presence to the team,
So we're really lucky to have her.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
I'm sure we as a tough coach given her success
and the caliber of her experience. What did she have
to say after the draw last week and now what
she wants you all to do ahead of the second
match tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, definitely, I think. Yeah, I think we just acknowledged
the game has happened, and obviously it's the first game
we've gotten that sort of out of the way, drawn
a line in the sand, and just I guess improve
on from what we've done, because we want to lift
our standard higher, right, So yeah, she's really trying to, yep,
making sure that we are playing the way we want
to play and seeing the success we want to also

(05:33):
see on the field.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
And Marisa, I know it was technically a home game
at Sky Stadium last week, but you're back at Potty
to a Park tomorrow. It's nicknamed the Fortress. How excited
is everyone to be back in front of the well
let's call them true fans this weekend?

Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, No, really excited. I think Pottydoor Park is different
to the Sky Stadium. It just brings a different atmosphere. Obviously,
the stands are really close to the field, so it
does feel like the fans are right there beside us.
So I think it's exciting and I think I'm really
looking forward to playing there and Yeah, it just brings
a different fan experience as well to the fans that

(06:09):
are watching.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
For more from News Talk st B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.