Source: Radio New Zealand
Ella McMillan playing for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Masanori Udagawa / www.photosport.nz
Wellington Phoenix A-League women’s player Ella McMillan is passionate about helping the next generation step into the space she is in at the moment.
The 20-year-old is juggling two fledgling careers – as a professional footballer, and a second-year sports scientist.
McMillan moved to the capital at the start of 2022 when she was just 16 to join the Wellington Phoenix Academy.
The young centre-back was a mainstay of the women’s reserves side for the 2023 and 2024 seasons before the academy graduate signed a two-year scholarship contract with the Wellington Phoenix in August 2024.
McMillan grew up in Hamilton so leaving home so young was a huge step. When Ella’s younger sister Libby joined the academy a year later McMillan’s parents moved to Wellington in 2023 to support her and her sibling.
“It was a big decision but really grateful that I did make the move and when I moved down to join the academy, I also started my studies as well,” McMillan said.
McMillan had been interested in sports science for some time, so jumped at the chance to sign up for a Bachelor of Sport, Exercise and Health degree at Auckland University of Technology, majoring in sport and exercise science.
The Wellington Phoenix have a partnership with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) through the School of Sport and Recreation, which provides courses for many academy footballers in Wellington.
McMillan said the academy’s head of performance at the time, Steve Coleman, and technical director Paul Temple were integral in helping her get into the course.
“I ended up actually dropping out of school a year early to join the programme … I was always really interested in going down the sports pathway and being able to continue working in sport alongside playing. I’m really passionate about that kind of stuff so really grateful they let me into the course.”
As part of her course, she completed a 350-hour placement at the Phoenix academy, working alongside head of female sport science Issy Coombes.
McMillan finished the three-year degree at the end of 2024 and was appointed the academy’s youth female sport scientist at the start of 2025.
“It was a great opportunity. I’m really grateful the club was able to take me on, especially knowing they would have to be flexible with my training schedule. I’ve learnt so much over the past year and I just really enjoy working with the players on a day-to-day basis.”
McMillan said opportunities in women’s football had improved significantly over the past decade.
“There is a pathway … when I was younger there was no Phoenix women’s team, now I’m playing and working for the academy.”
McMillan said she liked to take a holistic approach as a sports scientist.
“…On helping the players be the best athletes they can but also the best people, so working with them in the gym, on the pitch, finding what areas of their game, their strengths and weaknesses and how we can look to improve that from a physical perspective. Looking at the mechanics, the technique, and especially with the younger players, that movement base and ensuring that we can reduce the risk of injuries from a young age.”
New Zealand U20 Ella McMillan during an International Friendly – New Zealand Women’s U20 v Australia at Jerry Collins Stadium, Wellington. 11 July 2024. Marty Melville / www.photosport.nz
The Wellington Phoenix women have been hit with three season-ending ACL injuries so injury prevention is top of mind.
“It’s absolutely gutting for those three girls … I just feel for them, it’s a sucky situation to be in. I want to try and do everything in my control to hopefully reduce the risk of players being out for long periods of time. There’s more and more research coming out around that kind of stuff so we’ll just continue to keep learning more.”
At just 20, McMillan is barely older than the athletes she’s working with at the academy, but she sees that as a strength.
“I’m able to relate to them and connect to them better so I don’t think my age has really come into play a huge amount, especially not in this environment. I hope I can use that as a strength, rather than people viewing it as a negative thing.”
McMillan represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India in 2022 and was a key member of the Junior Football Ferns side at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.
She made two appearances off the bench in her first season as a professional in the 2024-25 summer and admits her first year in the A-league was tough.
“I didn’t get a huge amount of minutes but I learnt so much from a training perspective but also how to handle myself off the pitch and how to continue to be a professional and do everything I can to help the team even if that doesn’t require me on the pitch.”
Opportunities have again been limited in her second season but patience is key for McMillan.
She also wants to utilise her knowledge around strength and conditioning to improve her physical capabilities.
“That was always a bit of a weakness of mine so using my knowledge in that aspect to try and better myself from a physical performance stand point.”
In the off-season the Phoenix recruited the highly credentialed Bev Priestman, who guided Canada to gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“She’s outstanding, her communication is top of the line and her knowledge is really good so I feel like I’m able to learn so much off her to be able to progress as a player and to continue to develop.”
McMillan flats with a couple of team-mates and her sister Libby, who still plays for the Reserves team, lives with her parents in Wellington.
McMillan said the Phoenix women, who sit second on the A-league ladder, were buoyant about their prospects.
“We’ve come into this season with a fresh mindset and we’ve got to see ourselves as title contenders. We’re all really confident in the team and the way we’re playing, I’m really excited for what the rest of the season has install for us, results are starting to click now so really exciting times ahead.”
The Phoenix Women head across the Tasman this weekend, to meet the Newcastle Jets on Sunday.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
