Auckland FC has been approved to play in the OFC Pro League, which means another Auckland FC team has been introduced. It’s a completely different competition from the men’s A-League, so come with a fresh new team.
The Auckland FC Reserves underpin the A-League with players occasionally going up to the A-League and down to the Reserves to increase game time and experience. However, with OFC, there are more restrictions. Any player contracted to our A-League squad who is under the age of 23 is eligible for selection in the OFC team. From the league squad, a maximum of three players aged over 23 can be selected.
Here’s the squad for the new OFC Pro League competition:
Head Coach:
Luke Casserly
Goalkeepers:
Oscar Mason
Blake Callinan
Eli Jones
Defenders:
Aidan Carey
Tass Mourdoukoutas
Michael Den Heijer
Jonathan Robinson
Nathan Lobo
Ronan Wynne
Zac Zorocich
Everton O’Leary
Midfielders:
Daniel Normann
James Bayliss
Reid Drake
Forwards:
Oscar Faulds
Isa Prins
Emi Tade
Matt Ellis
Bailey Ferguson
Kian Donkers
Ralph Rutherford
Aston Burns
The squad is built with the value of adding as many Kiwi players as possible.
What’s the difference between the A-League and the OFC Pro League?
The A-League is a completely separate competition from the OFC Pro League. The A-League operates across a season and takes place in Australia and New Zealand. The OFC Pro-League operates on a more tournament format.
Regular A-League Season:
The Auckland FC A-League team competes in the Australian league only. They play in a 26-game season from October to May. The team that finishes the 26-game season in first place wins the Premier’s Plate.
Finals Series within the A-League:
After the regular season, the top 6 teams move on to the Finals Series (playoffs). The top 2 teams get a bye to the semifinals. The teams finishing 3rd to 6th play in an elimination round to decide who joins the top 2. The Grand Final crowns the A-League Champion.
OFC Pro League Format
Whereas in the OFC Pro-League, they play from January to May. There are 5 circuit series rounds held across various venues in Auckland, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands & Fiji. It is a double round robin format, with each team playing a minimum of 14 matches.
Following that, teams will be split into Leaders and Challengers groups. The top four teams (leaders) will compete for three semi-final spots. The bottom four teams (challengers) will compete for the last semi-final spot.
The semi-final and grand final this year are single-leg matches and held in Auckland. This is a qualification pathway for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. (except South Melbourne, as they are part of the Asian Football Confederation).
What is the Difference with the Reserves:
The competition is played as a double round robin, with each team playing 22 matches across the season. The top four teams qualify for the National League, alongside the Auckland FC Reserves & Wellington Phoenix Reserves, who get automatic qualification; however, if the Auckland FC Reserves finish inside the top four, the fifth-placed team will qualify instead.
The bottom two teams at the end of the season are relegated. The National League Championship then features the top four teams from the Northern League, the top three from the Central League, and the top two from the Southern League, along with the Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Auckland FC Reserves.
These 11 teams compete in a single round robin format, playing 10 matches each, with the top two teams advancing to the final to decide the National Champion.
Auckland FC Reserves cannot win the National League due to participation rules.
