Auckland FC's grand final hero puts family first

Auckland FC's unlikely grand final hero Cam Howieson waited years to get his shot at professional football on home soil and when the lights shone the brightest he was in the right place at the right time.

His goal on the hour mark in Saturday night's A-League grand final against Sydney FC in front of more than 28,000 fans was the difference in Auckland winning 1-0 and claiming the Championship for the first time in just their second season.

It was Howieson's first goal in two seasons. And resulted in the first win for a New Zealand-based A-League team in a grand final in the 21 seasons of the competition.

Much like Howieson's football journey, Auckland FC had to do it the hard way this season.

The A-League trophy is not the first piece of football silverware the midfielder has helped bring to the city - but it might mean the most.

Howieson was part of three Auckland City squads that won the New Zealand domestic competition and he also won the OFC Champions League four times with the same amateur club.

It was not until Auckland FC was established in the A-League last season that Howieson could sign a professional contract that furthered his football future and his aspirations as a father.

Howieson has a daughter with medical needs that meant he declined offers to move overseas to pursue the game professionally. Instead he spent eight years with the most successful club in the domestic competition before becoming one of the first players to sign with the newest A-League club.

"I still had the chances to go overseas and play professionally, but that was my decision, I wanted to be here for my family.

"My dad was always so loving to me and I just wanted to show my kids the same I probably didn't have to think too much about it, to be honest.

"It's been tough... but I stuck to it, I never gave up and at 29, 30 [years old] I probably didn't think it was going to come around.

"But it's been amazing to be a professional footballer again, training full-time and I'm just so proud of my family and myself to get the job done."

In his 44th appearance for Auckland FC Howieson wrote his name into history by winning the Joe Marston Medal for the player of the grand final but getting on the field had sometimes been a battle.

Ahead of the grand final Howieson, who is now out of contract, said he had "always been focused and ready" should his chance to get a starting spot come.

"I love being a part of it and when you're playing, you're enjoying it so much more."

The bulk of Howieson's minutes this season came across the finals series. He played 90 minutes for the second time in his A-League career in the elimination final against Melbourne City on 2 May. He backed that up with a full game in the second semifinal against Adelaide United and again on Saturday against Sydney.

"It probably wasn't the prettiest game, it was just about digging in and fighting and everyone just putting their bodies on the line.

"Finals don't have to be pretty, but, we're champions, so how good."

While Auckland FC gave Howieson a chance to stay home it gave English striker Sam Cosgrove a reason to move to the other side of the world.

Cosgrove was the league's joint leading goal-scorer in the 2025-26 season which was a scenario that was barely imaginable just under a year ago.

The 29-year-old was not part of Auckland FC's inaugural season but the tall target man was a focal point this season with a 12 goal tally for the season.

"Going back nine months, stuck there in England on my couch, [with] a few offers but thinking where am I going to end up and never in a million years did I think I was going to be on the other side of the world winning trophies like this," Cosgrove said.

Cosgrove is "content" with his first season in the A-League and "not surprised" the team he called a "band of brothers" got the job done in a season in which several players suffered injuries and others were forced to play out of position to cover.

"At the start of the season coming here, the aim was to win the Treble, the [Australia] Cup, the Premiers [Plate] and the grand final but the way the season's gone, the resilience the boys have shown, backs against the wall at times, we've pushed through a lot, we've faced a lot of adversity and we've come through very strong at the end so I'm quietly happy with the season."

Cosgrove could also appreciate what winning the A-League meant for football in New Zealand.

"We're in a bit of a bubble over in Europe, we think that we're the centre of football, technically we probably are, but you don't realise how much football spreads across the globe and to come down here and see these guys get behind us, to see a full city get behind us and a country as well in the end, we've done every single person proud and we're incredibly proud of them for backing us all the way as well."

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica has now won three A-League Championships as a manager with two different clubs.

Winning one over Sydney FC, the club that he coached to two titles before getting sacked, was "nice".

"I didn't have to prove anything as a coach, what I wanted to bring is joy to the people here in Auckland because they've been so wonderful to me and our players in the first two years.

"Premiership in our first season and a grand final win in the second year, that's more than we could have asked for."

Corica will be back next season with Auckland but he acknowledged not all of the playing group would be.

All White Jesse Randall is one player who has already confirmed his next move - to Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.

To end his two seasons with Auckland with a champions medal was special but like all of the 2025-2026 Auckland FC squad they will also have the memories that came together and proved the critics wrong to fight back from finishing the regular season in third to being crowned champions.

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