The 20th season of the Isuzu Ute A-League will kick off this weekend, with multiple northern NSW products putting their mark on the competition.
The Newcastle Jets will enter their 20th year in the men’s competition, with a buzz felt around the club due to new owners and an energised squad ready to shake up the league.
Rob Stanton will take the reins as head coach for a second season and will have one of the youngest squads in the competition with 24-year-old Kosta Grozos appointed as captain.
The Jets will hope to build on their 2023/24 season where they finished 10th on the table, to get back into finals football. Their season will take flight this Saturday when they host Melbourne City at McDonald Jones Stadium at 5pm.
Eight northern NSW juniors will line up in the Jets 2024/25 men’s squad, including attackers Jacob Dowse and Lachlan Bayliss and goalkeepers Noah James and Zac Bowling.
Newcastle Jets Academy Youth team stars Alex Nunes, Ben Van Dorssen and Will Dobson will hope to make their Isuzu Ute A-League debut after each signing scholarship deals with the club.
Coffs Harbour junior Ryan Scott will remain as the Jets’ number one goalkeeper for a second year in a row and has been named as the vice-captain for the 2024/25 season.
Around the grounds at other Isuzu Ute A-League clubs, Newcastle junior Archie Goodwin is set to feature for Adelaide United, after moving from the Jets to South Australia in the off-season. But the striker will have to wait to make his Isuzu Ute A-League debut for the club, as they have a bye in round one.
Another Newcastle product, Antonee Burke-Gilroy, will don the orange and black for a second season with Brisbane Roar under former Broadmeadow Magic coach Ruben Zadkovich. The defender will make the trip over the ditch with his team to face the new Isuzu Ute A-League club Auckland FC on Saturday.
Port Macquarie midfielder Angus Thurgate will remain a key part of Western United in his second season with the club as they look to turn things around after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign. Western United will face Wellington Phoenix away from home in round one on Sunday.
16-year-old Mid Coast midfielder Haine Eames signed a scholarship deal with the Central Coast Mariners and will hope that he is given the opportunity to chalk up some minutes throughout the season. The Mariners will look to make it three championships in a row, opening the 2024/25 season in a grand final rematch against Melbourne Victory on Friday night.
Perth Glory will be desperate not to repeat their wooden spoon efforts from the 2023/24 season when they start the new season going head-to-head with Macauthur FC away from home on Sunday.
It will be the battle of the star marquee signings as Western Sydney Wanderers hosts Sydney FC on Saturday night. Sydney have signed former Bayern Munich and Juventus winger Douglas Costa, while the Wanders signed former Manchester United and Chelsea FC midfielder Juan Mata.
The Isuzu Ute A-League's 20th season will be action-packed from start to finish. Don’t miss the Newcastle Jets Men’s opening match of the season at McDonald Jones Stadium kicking off at 5pm.
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