Rebuild ahead for ‘vindicated’ Football Ferns
For the 12 Football Ferns who complained about the conduct of former coach Andreas Heraf, the release of reviewer Phillipa Muir’s findings brought a sense of relief and vindication.
Now comes the process of moving forward, starting with the Oceania Women’s Nations Cup in New Caledonia next month, where a win will qualify the team for next year’s World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
Muir found Heraf breached NZ Football’s code of conduct and Worksafe NZ’s bullying guidelines while in charge of the team on two tours earlier this year. He resigned at the end of the July, before the review was completed.
Former Fern Kristy Hill has worked closely with the current players in her role with the Professional Footballers Association and has been in contact with them to discuss the findings of the review.
‘‘Certainly for the players who put in the complaints, there’s a bit of relief, that their concerns were vindicated by an objective party,’’ she said.
‘‘That’s always hard when you’re coming forward. I’ve had a lot of people comment to me – ‘What’s the line between a stern talking to and bullying and harassment?’ – and that’s the difficult thing for a lot of people to come forward, that it’s not sexual and it’s not physical, and you kind of have to justify that it’s still not appropriate.
‘‘Having that independent view of it vindicates them. They feel comfortable that there’s been a robust process that has taken place that has confirmed what they believed to be the case.
‘‘You’ve got factions now developing, with those who complained and those who didn’t, but they all just want to play for New Zealand, and not everybody wants to put their head above the parapet and make these complaints. That’s why I use that word, brave, and I don’t use it lightly.’’
Hill said there had ‘‘definitely been damage done at an individual level,’’ which may have left players feeling isolated.
‘‘People will protect themselves if they’re in an environment where they can’t perform to their highest ability. When I was in the team we would always have each others backs, and sometimes that’s harder in an environment where you don’t feel you have a voice.’’
The Nations Cup begins on November 18, though players have to be released from their clubs on November 4. There, the Ferns will be heavy favourites, having never previously lost to Pacific Island opposition.
Hill said the PFA hopes to have the team gather in Auckland before flying to New Caledonia. That will be the first time the players have all been in the same room since the complaints about Heraf were made on June 18.
‘‘We’ve been keeping all the players up to date on the process,’’ Hill said.
Before then, NZ Football has to appoint a new coach, a process it began last month.
November 2:
November 19:
November 22:
November 28:
December 8:
June 7, 2019: