Here at the Jets, we love goals. As fans we love seeing them, and the players love scoring them.
Over our Isuzu UTE A-League history, there’s been plenty of players that have excelled in that area and made us cheer and jump for joy.
We went back through the list to find and highlight the ten men with the best goalscoring stats.
#10. Mark Bridge – 13 goals
The 2008 Grand Final hero spent three seasons at the Club, debuting at just 20 years old, and in that time was a strike weapon up top.
He made a particularly formidable partnership with Joel Griffiths and his efforts helped the team to the finals each year of his stint.
In the second season of the A-League, he finished as our Golden Boot with eight goals and managed a total of 13 from his 50 appearances.
#9. Jason Hoffman – 14 goals
He scored his first back in 2009, and scored his last in 2020. Hoffman has been around a fair while.
This season he enters his ninth season with the Club and has a chance to rise up the goal scoring ranks.
He currently sits on 14 goals, with five of those coming in the 2017/18 season, however considering he’s spent much of his time as a fullback, we think that’s a pretty good record.
#8. Labinot Haliti – 15 goals
Haliti first joined the Club in our inaugural season, picking up three goals before making a move to Europe.
Upon his return in 2009, he resumed his goal scoring form managing 12 more goals from his second stint and most of them coming after starting on the bench, proving himself a great super-sub.
After coming back to the Jets for a third time round, Haliti moved into the world of coaching and took over the Youth team after spending a season as the assistant coach.
#7. Adam Taggart – 18 goals
Considering Taggart only spent two seasons with the Club, he had a rather phenomenal goal scoring record whilst wearing a Jets jersey.
In 2012, the Perth-native scored two goals from the nine games he was in the starting XI, before blowing up next year with 16 goals from 25 games, achieving the A-Leagues Golden Boot, the Young Player of the Year award and a selection in the PFA Team of the Season.
His form was so good that year, that he earned a call up to the Socceroos, and caught the attention of major English club, Fulham who he signed with.
#6. Andrew Nabbout – 18 goals
Nabbout was another player who only featured for the Jets across two seasons, but played some career-best football while he was here.
In his first season at the Club, the Victorian scored eight goals and built on that the next year with 10 goals and six assists to help us proceed to the Grand Final stage.
While he now features for Melbourne City, Jets fans will remember the two seasons of Nabbout fondly.
#5. Ryan Griffiths – 19 goals
One third of the famous Griffiths brothers, Ryan played an integral role in the forward line over the three seasons he played in the A-League.
He finished his time at Jets with 19 goals to his name but also scored eight when playing in the NSL for the Club prior to the A-League’s introduction.
Griffiths was not only a scorer, but a creator of goals too managing eight assists. He also proved rather deadly from the dead ball too.
#4. Matt Thompson – 19 goals
A fan favourite throughout his five seasons as a Jet, Thompson was known for being hard as nails in the middle of the park, but he often managed to get on the scoresheet too.
He scored 19 goals, three of which came in finals matches, and only started as a substitute on one occasion over the time of his entire stint.
A key player amongst our 2008 Championship squad, Thompson left the Club in 2010 as one of the first signings for Melbourne Heart (now Melbourne City).
#3. Dimitri Petratos – 22 goals
This one may seem surprising initially considering that Petratos spent just three seasons with the Jets, and mostly out on the wing.
But in those three years, he showcased his career-best form and proved deadly in front of goal with 22 in total, and he accumulated even more assists.
Petratos was a vital contributor to our successful 2017/18 season, and even featured for the Socceroos afterwards.
#2. Roy O’Donovan – 31 goals
Our lucky Irishman made the move to the Hunter from Central Coast in 2017, and made an immediate impact scoring a first-half hat-trick against his former club in Round One.
O’Donovan spent two seasons with the Club, scoring 20 goals and proving a crucial target man, before then returning for a second stint in 2020 where he scored another 12 over 36 games.
The now 36-year-old was an assassin from the penalty spot, scoring eight of his total 31 from nine yards.
#1. Joel Griffiths – 34 goals
One of the best strikers that not just this Club has ever had, but the league has ever had.
Joel Griffiths came in and out of the Club since his debut in 2001 in the NSL, but he never failed to produce goals when he was wearing a Jets jersey.
In the A-League, Griffiths tallied 34 goals to his name which contributed to a league Golden Boot, Johnny Warren Medal and Jets Player of the Year award – not to mention an A-League Championship too.
Additionally, the iconic #9 added another 28 goals with the Club prior to the A-League even started when playing in NSL.
A true legend of the Jets.
Get your 2021/22 Newcastle Jets Membership today!
