The transfer is significant for several reasons, not least because it is the first player transfer from the Northern Super League to the WSL.
Foster-Inman has also come full circle after the horrific road accident she was involved in while on holiday in Finland during her time with nearby rivals Liverpool. She suffered multiple injuries, including a broken neck, and had to rebuild her career.
She began that process in Wellington with the Phoenix almost two years after the accident, before returning to England with Everton and Durham. She subsequently joined Dallas Trinity in the Gainbridge Super League before moving to Halifax in January this year.
Ruth Fahy, Vice President of Football for Halifax Tides FC, said: “This transfer is a reflection of Rylee’s quality and of the calibre of players competing in the NSL.
“As the first transfer from the NSL to the WSL, it reinforces the strength of our league and the opportunities that exist for players within the global game.
“We’re proud to have been part of Rylee’s journey and look forward to following her continued success.”
The move has reinforced the quality of a league that has become increasingly respected in only its second season and its place within the global women’s football ecosystem.
The Tides have replaced Foster-Inman on their roster with Canadian goalkeeper Kirstin Tynan, 24, on a short-term loan from Vancouver Rise FC.
Tynan has played with Vancouver Rise since the club’s inaugural 2025 season and was part of the NSL’s first championship-winning squad.
Before turning professional, she played at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, making 58 starts and recording 33 clean sheets while earning U SPORTS All-Canadian and OUA First Team All-Star honours.
She also captained TSS Rovers in League1 BC and has spent time training with Everton in England.
Tynan will join Canadian Samantha St. Croix, a rookie out of Western University in London, Ontario, and 2025 NSL Goalkeeper of the Year Anika Tóth.
Tóth, 24, was born in Toronto but represents Slovakia internationally. In 2025, she made 19 appearances, recorded four clean sheets and made 72 regular-season saves.
She was named NSL Goalkeeper of the Year and selected in the NSL Team of the Season, which was voted on by the league’s players.
Western Sydney rebuild under Slaveski
For the 2026/27 season, American forward Brooke Miller, 22, has signed with Western Sydney Wanderers following her collegiate career at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Miller said: “I’ve been so ready for this next chapter. When the opportunity with Western Sydney came up, it felt right.
“I could see the ambition and direction of the club, the style of play really suits me, and everything I heard about the culture, legacy and fans made it an easy decision.
“I’m really grateful and excited to be a Wanderer. I’ve watched the A-League grow so much over the past few years, especially on the women’s side, and I wanted to be part of that.
“Australia also really appealed to me with the lifestyle, weather and people, so it felt like the right place to take this next step in my career.”
In early August, Western Sydney Wanderers signed former German youth international midfielder Samantha Iredale, 24, from Danish side Fortuna Hjørring for the 2026/27 season.
Iredale was part of the team that captured the Danish league and cup double in 2024/25.
Before moving to Denmark, she spent three seasons with Arminia Bielefeld after developing through the VfL Wolfsburg system, where she featured at both youth and senior reserve levels.
For Germany, she played internationally at U-16, U-17 and U-19 level, making 15 appearances across the three age groups.
Iredale said: “Australia is a country I’ve felt drawn to for a long time, so having the opportunity to now call it home is really special to me.
“I want to help the Wanderers compete at the level a club with this support and ambition should be at. I hope we can play exciting football, compete with every team in the league and establish ourselves as a team that is very difficult to play against.
“Most importantly, I want us to fulfil our potential and give the fans plenty of moments to be proud of.”
The Wanderers also secured the future of one of the league’s top young players when Talia Younis signed a contract extension in May.
Younis made her senior debut during the 2023/24 season at the age of just 14 after spending four years in the WSW Academy.
In February this year, against Melbourne City, she became one of the youngest players in Ninja A-League history to make 50 appearances in the competition at just 17.
During the 2025/26 season, Younis won both the A-League Women Members’ Player of the Year Award and the Player of the Year Award.
She has also represented the Junior Matildas, including at the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup.
Younis said: “I’m really excited and I’m keen to help bring success back to the club and give it my all every game.
“I love the Wanderers culture and all the people. I feel like the last few years have helped me grow individually and as a footballer, I’m keen to continue.
“I’d like to thank the members and the fans for all their support and I hope that we can repay you next season.”
Keeping Younis is a strong statement to the local community that the Wanderers remain committed to developing top talent from Western Sydney.
Slaveski gets the permanent job
James Slaveski has been appointed Western Sydney's permanent head coach in the off-season after taking over as interim head coach in early February 2026.
Slaveski has signed a two-year deal despite the Wanderers finishing last in 2025/26, level on 19 points from 20 games with Sydney FC.
He will also oversee the entire women's programme and pathway after spending several years coaching within the academy.
There has, however, been considerable turnover in the playing squad.
Australian youth international goalkeeper Sham Khamis, 31, left the Wanderers in May after five seasons and 59 appearances for the club. She has also played for Sydney FC and Canberra United.
Midfielder Amy Barker, 18, is also leaving after coming through the Wanderers' development pathway. She is moving to Cerezo Osaka after making four appearances last season and also playing in the NPLW NSW with Sydney University.
Midfielder Amy Harrison, 30, and defender Danika Matos, 26, are also departing after making a combined 207 appearances for Western Sydney.
Matos is the club's all-time appearance leader in the Ninja A-League Women, with 111 appearances over seven seasons.
Harrison made 96 appearances across multiple spells with the Wanderers, the third-highest total in club history.
She first joined Western Sydney in 2019/20, when the club reached the playoffs for the first time, and her nine goals are also third-best in the club's history.
Harrison represented the Matildas 13 times as well as playing for several Australian youth teams. She also had overseas spells with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Washington Spirit in the NWSL.
Defender Alana Cerne, 23, has left after one season in which she made 16 appearances.
The Australian U-23 international previously played 53 matches and scored once during three seasons with Western United, making her league debut at 19.
Two internationals will also not return to Western Sydney for 2026/27.
Chinese international defender Wang Ying has returned to former club Guangdong in China after making 14 appearances last season.
New Zealand international midfielder Ava Collins, 24, has also left after playing just four games in 2025/26. She previously played at St John's University in New York State, Kolding IF in Denmark and Auckland United.
Western United's licence cancelled
Earlier this month, another A-League franchise in doubt, Western United, had its licence permanently cancelled by the Australian Professional Leagues, affecting both its men's and women's teams.
The club attempted to put a positive spin on the news, saying in a statement that it could now pursue its future relationship with the APL with clarity.
“This creates an opportunity for new custodians, new investment and a fresh start,” the club said.
“The objective must now be to preserve Western United’s identity in Melbourne’s West and work towards a return to the A-League for the 2027/28 season.
“This should not be the end of Western United. It should be the reset that allows the club to rebuild and return stronger.”
I hate to see any football club fold, but Western United had a year to stabilise its franchise finances and I think this is drama that is not needed by either Western United or the APL.
The APL had been more than patient with the club as it searched for new ownership, including an American investment group, to help deal with around AU$15 million in debt during its 2025/26 “hibernation year”.
APL chairperson Stephen Conroy said: “It’s been a difficult period for everyone connected to Western United, and we want to acknowledge the management, staff, players and especially the fans, who have given so much to the club and will no doubt be hurt by this news.”
South Melbourne wants an A-League return
As Western United's fate was confirmed, another well-known Australian football club expressed interest in stepping in as Melbourne's third A-League franchise.
I have doubts about whether three teams in Victoria can be viable, but South Melbourne comes with strong credentials.
South Melbourne Hellenic won four National Soccer League titles before the launch of the A-League.
The club bid to join the A-League as one of the original clubs in 2005 and again when Western United was selected for an expansion franchise in 2018.
South Melbourne currently plays in the second-tier NPL, the Australian Championship, which it won last season, and this year in the new Oceania Professional League alongside two teams from New Zealand and five from Oceania island nations.
The South Melbourne FC Women’s side plays in the NPLW Victoria state league.
South Melbourne co-president Bill Papastergiadis said: “We are running three competitions at the moment, and we are playing more football than any other team.
“We have played 48 games this year. We want to compete at all levels, in particular the A-League. That is the reason. We love competition.
“We want to continue competing in the NPL, Australian Championship and Oceania Professional League while exploring whether South Melbourne can also have a place in the A-Leagues.”
Papastergiadis added: “We also have well over 50 top corporate [sponsors] behind this club that are ready to make this a reality.”
South Melbourne also has its own stadium with a capacity of 12,000.
What is interesting is that South Melbourne would reportedly bid for an A-League licence with both a men's and women's team, but everything I have seen to date has focused on the men's side.
A club with the pedigree of South Melbourne and historically strong fan support would be a real positive for the Ninja A-League, but only if they prioritise the women's team.
Western United played six Isuzu A-League men's seasons but only three for the women.
Auckland FC will have played three A-League men's seasons if they do indeed launch a team in the A-League Women in 2027/28.
If the APL accepts South Melbourne's application, it should insist that both teams launch at the same time.
Chelsea provide a stern test for A-League All-Stars
The Ninja A-League put together an All-Star team to face Chelsea of England's WSL on August 12 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The squad was:
Goalkeepers: Chloe Lincoln (Brisbane Roar), Courtney Newbon (Melbourne Victory).
Defenders: Angela Beard (Brisbane Roar), Claudia Bunge (Melbourne Victory), Brooke Nunn (Wellington Phoenix), Kayla Morrison (Melbourne Victory), Karly Roestbakken (Melbourne City), Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City).
Midfielders: Mackenzie Hawkesby (Sydney FC), Grace Jale (Wellington Phoenix), Leticia McKenna (Melbourne City), Shelby McMahon (Melbourne City), Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar), Talia Younis (Western Sydney Wanderers).
Forwards: Melina Ayres (Newcastle Jets), Aideen Keane (Melbourne City), Pia Vlok (Wellington Phoenix), Makala Woods (Wellington Phoenix).
The A-League side was coached by Jeff Hopkins of Melbourne Victory.
Five players came from Melbourne City, four from Wellington Phoenix, three from Hopkins' Melbourne Victory squad, three from Brisbane Roar, and one each from Newcastle Jets, Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.
The clubs listed were the players' 2025/26 teams.
This was the second A-League Women All-Star game after the May 2024 match in Melbourne, when the A-League Women All-Stars lost 1-0 to Arsenal in front of 42,120 fans.
Chelsea finished third in the 2025/26 WSL season after winning six consecutive league titles and eight overall since 2015.
In Sydney, Chelsea won 3-0 in front of 22,137 spectators.
They were 2-0 ahead by the 11th minute after goals from French international wing-back Sandy Baltimore, 26, and German international midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken, 25.
English youth international Lexi Potter, 19, added the third with a shot from the top of the penalty area.
American international winger Alyssa Thompson, 21, assisted all three goals.
Chelsea make history in Auckland
Before the Sydney match, Chelsea travelled to Auckland and defeated an Auckland FC Invitational XI 7-0 at Eden Park on August 10.
English international Aggie Beever-Jones, 23, who came through Chelsea's academy, scored a hat-trick.
Single goals came from new signing Giulia Dragoni, 19, Italian international winger Maika Hamano, 22, Colombian international forward Mayra Ramirez, 27, and Sandy Baltimore.
Dragoni has played for Roma and Inter Milan in Italy and Barcelona in Spain.
Ramirez is entering her third season with Chelsea after previously playing for clubs in Spain and Colombia.
Republic of Ireland international Katie McCabe, 30, also made her first Chelsea start following her summer move from long-time club Arsenal.
Switzerland international goalkeeper Livia Peng, 24, started before current England No.1 Hannah Hampton replaced her for the second half.
The attendance of 15,411 was the biggest New Zealand has seen for a standalone women's club football fixture outside of the 2023 Women's World Cup matches.
It was also a historic occasion for Chelsea Women, as it was the club's first-ever match in New Zealand and the first match involving a Women's Super League side in the country.
Auckland's A-League Women ambitions remain on track
Auckland FC have reiterated that they are targeting entry into the A-League Women for the 2027/28 season, and the Chelsea match helped reinforce that message.
We will look for more news on a coach and player signings later this A-League Women season, but despite the 7-0 scoreline, the match was an encouraging sign.
Given all the franchise turmoil within the league over the past year, there had been genuine concern that Auckland FC might not follow through with plans to join the women's competition.
For now, that plan appears to be on track.
That can only be a boost to the league, which will be hoping better days are ahead after an extremely difficult period.
- Read the full version at Tim Grainey's Substack. His latest book is Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey