Perth Glory departures confirmed as six players leave after 2025–26 Ninja A-League season
Perth Glory departures confirmed: six players — Ischia Brooking, Naomi Chinnama, Gabby Hollar, Tanika Lala, Sarah O’Donoghue and Natalie Tathem — have left the club following the conclusion of the 2025–26 Ninja A-League season, the club announced on June 8, 2026.
Perth Glory announced on June 8, 2026, that six players will not be retained following the 2025–26 Ninja A-League campaign, marking a notable off-season turnover for the A-League Women side. The departures include a mix of experienced professionals, overseas recruits and younger squad members, reflecting a tangible reshaping of the squad ahead of the next season.
Six players confirmed to leave Perth Glory
Perth Glory formally confirmed the exits of Ischia Brooking, Naomi Chinnama, Gabby Hollar, Tanika Lala, Sarah O’Donoghue and Natalie Tathem on June 8, 2026. The announcement closed the chapter on the club’s 2025–26 playing group and begins an off-season period in which management will assess roster needs and recruitment priorities.
The departures cover a range of profiles from a teenage prospect to an established foreign forward, indicating decisions driven by both performance and strategic planning. With the A-League off-season underway, the club faces a window to replenish positions while balancing budget, development pathways and competitive aims.
Individual contributions and playing records
Ischia Brooking, the teenage midfielder, featured in four matches across two seasons with Perth Glory, bringing youthful energy and depth to the midfield during her time at the club. Brooking’s limited minutes reflected the club’s cautious integration of academy graduates into senior football and the competitive nature of midfield selection in the Ninja A-League.
Naomi Chinnama made 28 appearances for Glory after joining in 2024 and scored once, becoming a reliable defensive option across her stint at the club. Chinnama’s presence in the backline represented continuity for the squad, and her departure leaves a clear vacancy in defensive depth.
American import Gabby Hollar concluded her tenure with Perth Glory having scored six goals and provided two assists in 29 appearances, the most prolific attacking return among the departing group. Hollar’s goal contributions were a consistent outlet for the team, and her exit removes a proven source of production in the final third.
Forward Tanika Lala registered one goal in 10 appearances while with the club, contributing as a rotational attacking option during the season. Lala’s role often involved providing support minutes off the bench and helping maintain attacking balance when starters were rested or unavailable.
Sarah O’Donoghue and Natalie Tathem were confirmed as part of the exodus though their statistical records were not detailed in the club’s announcement, underscoring that squad pruning extended beyond headline-makers to encompass broader roster adjustments. Both players move on as Perth Glory assesses replacement needs and adjusts its strategic planning for the upcoming campaign.
Roster implications and positional gaps
The combined departures create immediate questions about depth across defense and the attacking line, with Chinnama’s exit particularly meaningful for the defensive unit. Losing a player who logged 28 games in the past two years requires the coaching staff to identify whether to promote internally or pursue external recruits to preserve solidity at the back.
Offensively, the departure of Gabby Hollar removes a reliable goalscorer who directly contributed to the team’s offensive output. Replacing six goals and two assists is a quantifiable task; how the club addresses that output — through a singular signing, a redistribution of scoring responsibility, or a tactical shift — will shape Perth Glory’s attacking blueprint.
The loss of younger squad members, including Brooking, raises questions about the club’s pathway management and how it balances immediate competitive needs with long-term player development. If Brooking and other homegrown players were key elements of a succession plan, their exits could signal a recalibration toward experience in the short term.
Strategic options for recruitment and squad rebuilding
Perth Glory face several strategic options as they plan recruitment for the next season, ranging from targeting overseas signings to promoting from within the club’s development ranks. The A-League’s transfer window and visa rules will shape the club’s ability to bring in international talent, particularly if the coaching staff prioritizes replacing Hollar’s attacking output.
Promoting youth prospects offers a cost-effective route to fill squad places, but it requires confidence in the club’s development program to deliver immediate first-team contributors. Alternatively, acquiring experienced domestic players could provide instant stability and leadership, helping the team remain competitive while integrating younger talents more gradually.
Budgetary considerations and wages will also influence the club’s approach, with the need to balance cap management against the urgency to plug holes left by multiple departures. The path Perth Glory chooses is likely to reflect both short-term competitive ambitions and longer-term roster sustainability.
Impact on team tactics and next-season planning
The exit of specific personnel may prompt tactical adjustments from the coaching staff as they weigh the options for formation and playing style next season. Losing an attacker with Hollar’s output could encourage a shift toward collective goal-scoring responsibility, while defensive departures could necessitate a more conservative shape until replacements are secured.
Coaching planners will evaluate whether to recruit players who fit existing tactical plans or alter the system to suit incoming personnel. This process often takes place alongside preseason training and friendlies, where new signings and promoted players are assessed in match conditions.
Player turnover at this scale also affects set-piece routines, rotation strategies and substitution patterns, since established roles and understanding must be rebuilt. The staff will need to balance integrating new faces with maintaining continuity among returning players to preserve team coherence.
Wider context within the Ninja A-League and club trajectory
Perth Glory’s roster changes come at a time when the Ninja A-League continues to evolve, with clubs increasingly focused on balancing development pathways with competitive recruitment. League-wide trends toward strategic foreign signings and accelerated youth promotion put pressure on clubs to be nimble in their roster management.
For Perth Glory, the departures mark a juncture that could define the club’s trajectory in the medium term, depending on recruitment success and the efficacy of its development pipeline. Strong signings and productive youth integration would signal a positive response; conversely, a slow or mismatched rebuild could hinder competitive prospects early in the next season.
The off-season will be a test of the club’s scouting, contract negotiation and coaching alignment to ensure that incoming players address specific needs and fit the club’s cultural and tactical identity. How the club responds in the coming weeks will attract attention from supporters and rivals alike.
The club’s official confirmation of the departures on June 8, 2026, sets a clear marker for the start of this rebuilding phase and gives Perth Glory a finite window to act before pre-season preparations intensify.
Perth Glory now must map a recruitment plan, decide on which roles to prioritise, and determine whether to lean on youth development or external acquisitions to replace the contributions of Brooking, Chinnama, Hollar, Lala, O’Donoghue and Tathem.
