This Sunday, your Infrabuild Newcastle Jets Academy First Grade side kick off their FNSW League One Season against Inter Lions FC at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.
Last season, the boys went through the entirety of the Football NSW League Two season unbeaten, winning 23 of their 28 games as they won the league by 13 points. The boys also scored an outstanding 92 goals during that campaign, with Xavier Bertoncello and Janni Rafty top scoring for the side with 18 and 13 goals respectively. Both of those players have returned this year as part of a largely unchanged squad under Head Coach Damian Zane.
Head coach Damian Zane is feeling optimistic about this weekend’s game following a good pre-season, which included a 5-2 win over fellow A-League academy and NSW NPL side Western Sydney Wanderers.
“As far as the weekends game goes, I am expecting a good performance to start with as we have had a pretty good pre-season. There will be a step-up in quality this season and we will consistently have tough games week to week which will mean we need to find consistency in our performances. There’s plenty of competition for spots so the need to perform to our potential is key, not just for the season but also for the players individual development.”
Said Damian Zane. Academy forward Xavier Bertoncello is also in high spirits in regard to the season opener this Sunday, as the boys look to kick-start their season with a good result.
“Preparation for this weekend has been good, intense training. Some of the boys have been with the A-League squad which is good, it’s gotten them really up to speed.”
“We want to go undefeated again, win all the games, and get promoted.”
Their opponents, Inter Lions FC, finished tenth out of 16 teams in the 2024 FNSW League One season. Former Sydney FC player Nicola Kuleski looks to be their marquee signing for the season, with the Macedonian U21 international having played over 100 games in the NSW NPL. They also have former AC Milan and Socceroo keeper Zeljko Kalac amongst their ranks as Director of Men’s Football.
