Whatever reservations the Ferns may have about Heraf, they would carry more weight if the team had a background of success. But they don't.
I was 14 when the All Whites first qualified for the World Cup finals in 1982. The drama of that fairytale campaign was pivotal in instilling a lifelong passion for football.
I can still name virtually all the 22 players who went to Spain. The likes of Sumner, Rufer, Wooddin, Herbert, McKay, Almond and Turner (both of them) became and remain household names among Kiwi sports fans of a certain age.
The 2010 All Whites sparked similar inspiration. The playoff win over Bahrain will be vividly remembered by all who were there in Wellington and an unbeaten finals in South Africa means names such as Nelsen, Reid, Elliott, Smith, Paston, Fallon and Smeltz will be recalled fondly.
Women's and girls' football has made significant strides in New Zealand in the past 11 years but is crying out for the Football Ferns to produce the kind of breakthrough that captured the imagination of the Kiwi sporting public in the manner of the 1982 and 2010 All Whites.
I coach my 14-year-old daughter's club and school football teams. I've taken her to watch the Ferns several times and took our entire club team to see them draw 1-1 with Brazil at Mt Smart on a rainy Monday night four years ago.
I asked her and a handful of teammates this week if they could name any Football Ferns. One identified Ali Riley. None of the others knew any of the players. One suggested Suzie Bates — the White Ferns cricketer.
Abby Erceg is a world-class centre back who has enjoyed a great career as a professional around the globe but she's currently better known for bagging her national association and retiring from the national team (twice) than for any on-field exploits. When was the last time you read a story about the Football Ferns achieving a great result on the pitch?
There's no question the women's game used to be treated disgracefully in this country.
The nadir was New Zealand Football's refusal to enter the Ferns in the 2004 Olympic qualifiers because it was felt they had no chance of beating Australia. When the Ferns hosted Canada in 2007, it was their first home international in almost nine years.
Australia's move to the Asian confederation in 2006 changed everything. Suddenly NZF had to resurrect a virtually non-existent women's programme and produce a national team that wouldn't be humiliated at rapidly-approaching major tournaments.
The 2007 World Cup and 2008 Olympics were about damage control, and under John Herdman, the Ferns achieved respectability in defeat. The team made huge gains in that first World Cup cycle but have plateaued frustratingly in recent years.
When it comes to excelling on the world stage, the Football Ferns have three major advantages over the All Whites. Firstly, they get double the opportunities, contesting the Olympics as well as the World Cup. Secondly, Oceania has direct entry to both events.
Thirdly, the format of the women's tournaments means two-thirds of the teams qualify for the knockout rounds.
Despite those advantages, the Ferns have only once got out of their group — at the 2012 Olympics, when a win over Cameroon was enough to see them advance as one of the best third-placed sides.
That's it — there's not a lot to get enthused about amongst that lot.
The 2015-16 tournaments were the ones where the Ferns were at an ideal age and level of experience to really kick on. They fell disappointingly short in both.
By New Zealand standards, a lot of resources have been poured into the Ferns. And that's set to increase due to the much-vaunted new Collective Bargaining Agreement which gives the Ferns parity on several fronts with the All Whites.
But as chief executive Andy Martin pointed out, NZF expect a return on this outlay. The agreement means there are less excuses for failure.
The Football Ferns have played 142 internationals in the past 11 years — the All Whites have played 90 in the same time frame. By comparison, the Ferns played just 32 internationals in the 11 years from 1996 to 2007.
Eight Ferns have won more than 100 caps, with five — Ria Percival, Amber Hearn, Ali Riley, Annalie Longo and Betsy Hassett — still playing for the side. Another three — Rosie White (91 caps), Hannah Wilkinson (87) and Sarah Gregorius (85) — are closing in on triple figures.
That's a vastly experienced core of a team right there. Those eight players range in age from 25 to 33. For most of them, the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympics represent their last chances to literally make a name for themselves.
One day, the Football Ferns will achieve something amazing on the world stage and inspire a generation of Kiwi girls. The current senior players are almost out of opportunities to be part of that history-making team.
