Catch up on the Ninja A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Ninja A-League 2025-26 season continued with plenty of entertainment and drama over the weekend.
There were plenty of top performers to pick from this week but it was inspired performance in the Big Blue which saw Sydney FC’s American goalkeeper Heather Hinz record the highest individual points tally this week.
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This season, Opta will power the Ninja A-League Team of the Week using Opta Points – a comprehensive player metric that evaluates a player’s overall contribution to the game. Each Monday, the Ninja A-League Team of the Week will be displayed in a 4-3-3 formation, highlighting the best-performing players.
*Editor’s Note: The Team of the Week features matches played from Monday to Sunday, meaning several teams may have played multiple matches during the allotted window.
Hinz was in fine form for Sydney FC, helping her side secure a hard-earned point at the Home of the Matildas in the Big Blue.
In defence, Adelaide United’s Matilda McNamara earns her place having featured twice for the Reds in the space of four days in the Ninja A-League whilst Canberra’s Sasha Grove, Melbourne City captain Rebekah Stott and Phoenix skipper Mackenzie Barry make up the rest of the defensive unit.
In midfield, Wellington’s Brooke Nunn takes her place after bagging a double in the Nix’ 3-1 win over Adelaide United whilst Melbourne Victory’s Alan Jancevski and Newcastle legend Cassidy Davis also feature.
Finally in attack, Wellington Phoenix’s American striker Makala Woods features for the first time after a goal and an assist at Porirua Park while Melbourne CIty’s Golden Boot leader Holly McNamara and Wanderers’ Holly Caspers round out our team of the week.
What is the Opta Points system?
Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
