Dub Zone is back for another season! Host Amy Duggan was joined by Network 10 commentator Teo Pellizzeri and Sydney FC legend Teresa Polias to break down all the biggest talking points from Round 1 of the Ninja A-League 2025-26 season.
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‘I’m going to say it – she could be the signing of the season’
Dutch forward Bente Jansen arrived at Brisbane Roar with an impressive footballing CV and, if her Round 1 performance is anything to go by, the 26-year-old looks set to live up to her reputation in the Ninja A-League.
Jansen was the lynchpin in Brisbane’s come-from-behind 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory on Saturday night; her first-half goal won Isuzu UTE Goal of the Week honours and her assist for Tameka Yallop’s last-gasp headed winner was pinpoint.
The Roar recruit didn’t get a second assist for her role in Sharn Freier’s equaliser at 2-2, although her deflected cross off the wing at the end of a driving run into the box prior to a deflection making its way into Freier’s path was another piece of attacking brilliance from a player praised by the Dub Zone panel on this week’s episode.
“I’m going to say it. I think she could be the signing of the season,” Polias said.
“I think she’s a great pick up from Alex Smith, and you can see how technically good she is. And she was already combining with the likes of Sharn Freier and Ashlyn Miller; I think we’re going to see a lot from Bente Jansen this season.”
Jansen put two of her three shots on target against Victory and played 31 passes off 49 touches. She engaged in nine duels and, importantly, added one goal and one assist to her name in a memorable debut in orange.
Jansen and Brisbane are next in action against Perth Glory at HBF Park on Friday night.
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‘To those criticising her age – watch the game’
Sydney FC legend Teresa Polias has urged any critics of Sydney FC head coach Ante Juric’s decision to play 14-year-old defender Willa Pearson in the club’s first game of the season to go back and watch how the league’s youngest-ever player performed in her first senior game for the Sky Blues.
Pearson’s Sydney FC debut at the age of 14 years and 312 days has been the big talking point of the first week of the Ninja A-League 2025-26 season.
The teenage defender broke the record as the youngest ever debutant in the competition’s history by 35 days, eclipsing the former record-holder Ischia Brooking who debuted for Western Sydney Wanderers at 14 years and 347 days.
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Pearson was a star for the Sky Blues in her first game for the club. She played from the start in a 90-minute display and, in direct competition with Melbourne City and Matildas star Holly McNamara, kept the rapid forward off the scoresheet as Sydney claimed a point in a 2-2 draw.
Post-game, Sydney head coach Juric said he doesn’t look at age when selecting his team and, after a one-year process to get Pearson ready for the Ninja A-League, was hard-pressed to find a better player on the pitch in the 2-2 draw.
Polias added to the conversation on Dub Zone.
“This (selecting Pearson) isn’t a momentary thing,” she said. “This has been going on for over a year plus now where they’ve monitored her development, and that opportunity presented itself, she stepped up.
“I encourage all of those people that are criticising her age, to watch the game and have a look what she was able to do.
“And this is a special case. It’s not a usual thing where you can throw a 14-year-old into a game like this, but she’s a special talent, and she was able to manage maturity-wise, physicality-wise, psychologically as well. So for Willa Pearson, it worked, and it was okay. And this is not a, you know, one-size-fits-all kind of argument. It’s case by case. And in Willa Pearson’s case, she managed, and she did brilliantly.”
Can Wellington ‘replace the irreplaceable?’
Much has been made of Wellington Phoenix’s impressive transfer activity in the off-season – but how much will the ‘Nix miss their former leader and recently-retired midfielder Annalee Longo this season?
Longo was by far and away Wellington’s best performer in 2024-25; she scored three goals and notched five assists in 2024-25 – but she should’ve had more, with a league-high 52 chances created an exceptional output from the 33-year-old All Whites star.
Wellington have signed six senior internationals this off-season: Nepal football icon Sabitra Bhandari, Dominican Republic captain Lucia Leon, Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag and Football Ferns Victoria Esson, CJ Bott and Macey Fraser.
Fraser, a Phoenix academy product, has returned to the club after her release from Utah Royals FC and is an exciting addition to a star-studded Phoenix squad – but whether her return, along with an impressive line-up of international recruits, can mitigate the damage of Longo’s departure remains to be seen ahead of Wellington’s first game of the season this weekend: a clash with Canberra United at Porirua Park on Saturday afternoon.
“I think they’ll be really happy to have Macey Fraser back,” Polias said. “I think she’ll offer a lot of creativity going forward, which they lacked a bit of last season. And of course, she can finish on goal as well, which is very important.
A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri responded: “I think this team is going to struggle to recreate what Annalee Longo brought to this team. She was third in the league for shot-creating actions last season, and was the creative (outlet) for this team. She put Wellington on her back so many times last season.
“So as much as they have done some good recruiting, I’m a little sceptical as to whether they have collectively replaced a player who is bordering on irreplaceable.
“Yes, Longo is a huge out, don’t get me wrong, they will really miss her,” Polias added, “but I think there’s some exciting ‘ins’ there, and the biggest in of all is (head coach) Bev Priestman.
“I’m really anticipating what she’ll be able to bring to their team. And, you know, they had the bye Round 1, but this week, I’m excited to see what they’ll show out there.”
