Western Sydney Wanderers have a new interim coach at the helm – and he’s been backed to take on the job “long term” by a Ninja A-League legend.
Geoff Abrahams is set to guide the Wanderers forward in the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season after the sudden departure of head coach Robbie Hooker, whose contract was mutually terminated on Tuesday for personal reasons.
FULL STORY: Western Sydney Wanderers announce departure of head coach
Hooker was absent from Victory’s rousing 4-4 comeback draw against Melbourne Victory in Round 10, as Abrahams – the club’s women’s academy technical director – oversaw his first game in charge of the senior side.
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Abrahams has been a part of the Wanderers staff since 2017, working in several roles in youth and women’s development before being appointed youth technical director of the Wanderers Girls Academy in September, 2024.
Following Hooker’s exit from the club and Abrahams’ appointment as interim head coach, A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri and Ninja A-League legend Teresa Polls discussed the managerial change on this week’s episode of Dub Zone, where both Pellizzeri and Polias suggested the club should be looking at Abrahams as a permanent appointment for the long-term.
“They’ve got alignment across the whole club,” Pellizzeri said.
“Geoff Abrahams is going to be coaching this team in the NPL, it’s one club, similar to the Emerging Jets and Newcastle, similar to what the Mariners have done. So as far as building blocks, this is good… This performance (in the 4-4 draw with Victory) suggests they’re going to be a lot more attacking.”
“It looks like it,” Polias replied. “In the NPL he did recently coach Sydney Olympic in a very attacking way as well.
“Not just that, he knows what’s going on in the NPL for future recruitment and things like that, so it is a positive change, I think. When it is mentioned that it’s personal reasons you do hope everything is okay with Robbie Hooker, but moving forward I think it’s a positive change.
“You’re really smart to point out Sydney Olympic,” Pellizzeri added. “Because they overhauled that team last year. This is the team that Cortnee Vine was playing for not that long ago, Charlie Rule, (Mackenzie) Hawkesby as well, and Taylor Ray. He (Abrahams) knew the NPL inside out, and put together a contending team.
“Hopefully, with the wealth of talent that Wanderers have coming through their academy, he’ll be able to complement that by finding the best kids in Western Sydney and bring them all the way through to the A-League.
“It’s what we want: one aligned club that can capitalise on the resources they have.”
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If in need of an example of where knowledge of the local talent on display in the NPL can benefit a new coach coming into the Ninja A-League, the Wanderers hierarchy need to look no further than Brisbane Roar and the work head coach Alex Smith has accomplished since his appointment in November, 2023.
Smith has led a dramatic turnaround at the Roar this season, having signed the likes of Momo Hayashi and Laini Freier to their first Ninja A-League contracts after successful stints at NPL Queensland clubs.
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Polias says Abrahams’ extensive work with youth development at the Wanderers, coupled with his time spent at Sydney Olympic in the NPLW NSW could lead to Western Sydney reaping similar rewards with a coach at the helm with an understanding of where to find hidden gems on the club’s doorstep.
“I think at this stage, that’s the best model to go with,” Polias said.
“Similar to what you’re seeing with Alex Smith up at Brisbane, I think he really got out and looked at the NPL and built this team around that.”
“It feels as though this moment has been meandering towards maybe a long-term appointment,” Pellizzeri added.
“With all the things we just spoke about, what the Wanderers have got set up off the field and in the state leagues, hopefully now this is a long-term appointment into the future. I know it’s only the interim in title, but we’ll just have to wait and see if it is interim, or if it’s going to be something for the future.”
The Wanderers first game since Abrahams’ official appointment as interim head coach takes place on Thursday, January 9 against Wellington Phoenix at Wanderers Football Park.
