Westfield W-league semi-finalists in 2017/18, the Newcastle Jets will be gunning for more this year: be it a Premiership or a Grand Final berth.
Ahead of the new campaign, we’re profiling every club in the Westfield W-League.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the team from the Hunter.
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HISTORY
The Newcastle Jets are one of the clubs which has been in the competition since it’s inception but hasn’t always enjoyed the easiest of times in the league.
They’ve played semi-finals football just twice: last year, and way back in 2008/09.
Their highest ever finish in the competition came in 2008/09 when they were runners-up to Premiers and Champions, Queensland Roar.
There are a number of leading players who have spent time in Newcastle colours: Emily van Egmond, Gema Simon, Lisa De Vanna, Alanna Kennedy, and Cheryl Salisbury.
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COLOURS AND BADGE
The Newcastle Jets wear the iconic blue and red of Newcastle. The home strip is predominantly blue.
The badge features three jets, in reference to the club’s name and the RAAF base at nearby Williamtown.
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HOME GROUND
There have been three main locations which the Jets have split their home games between throughout the season: McDonald Jones Stadium, No. 2 Sportsground, and Wanderers Oval.
This year will see Newcastle play more often out of No. 2 Sportsground, rather than playing at McDonald Jones Stadium prior to the Hyundai A-League as happened on a number of occasions last season.
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COACH
Craig Deans is the current head coach of the Newcastle Jets, and has been since the beginning of the 2015/16 season. In that season, he picked up the Coach of the Year award.
Deans has coached at the Jets for the entirety of his managerial career but started with the men's youth team back in 2008. He’s also acted as assistant for the men's first team, and as interim coach.
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PLAYERS
Westfield Matildas international Larissa Crummer has been the biggest in for the Newcastle Jets at this point in the Westfield W-League pre-season. The Jets are yet to announce the bulk of their squad for the upcoming season.
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BEST MOMENT
Newcastle went so close to making last year’s Westfield W-League Grand Final, and pushed the eventual runners-up Sydney FC right to the end.
After losing a player early on in the piece, a ten-woman Jets side equalised to tie things up at 2-2 deep into injury time. In the end, Sydney’s advantage proved too much but, nonetheless, it’s a performance to be proud of.
Their highest ever Westfield W-League finish came in the 2008/09 season, when the Jets finished in second place on the ladder. Katie Gill was their leading scoring that season, with six goals in a ten-game season.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Craig Deans is the Westfield W-League's longest serving coach, appointed back in July 2015. The next closest is Perth boss Bobby Despotovski, who was appointed Glory coach in September 2015.
