The Newcastle Jets arrived in Canberra today ahead of their trial match against the Canberra Rockets on Wednesday night.
The Newcastle Jets have arrived in Canberra ahead of their pre-season trial match against the Canberra Rockets at McKellar Park on Wednesday night.
The fixture is the focal point of the Jets’ four-day pre-season camp in the nation’s capital this week with the Club having set up base at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“The football facilities here are fantastic, they-re second to none,” head coach Gary van Egmond said.
“We knew what we were going to get in terms of the standard of the pitch, being able to do the recovery session in the purpose-built facility that they have and having the gym here.
“From a footballing perspective it is a great place to come and it-s a good chance for people to get to know each other, not just in a football environment but off the park as well.”
After a five-hour bus journey, the Jets players took to the training pitch for a light field session following their arrival this evening.
“The attitude was fantastic,” van Egmond said.
“It was good to adjust to the conditions here. The ground gets wet with the dew which means the ball starts moving very quickly and it really tests your touch.
“It was good that we could get on the park and get acclimatised to the conditions we-ll probably face on Wednesday night.”
The Jets will train again tomorrow before mixing with junior footballers from across the country at the prestigious Kanga Cup tournament.
The camp will culminate with Wednesday’s match against the Rockets at 6.30pm. The Rockets are a representative side featuring the best players from the ACT Premier League competition.
Match Details:
Newcastle Jets v Canberra Rockets
McKellar Park
Wednesday, July 11
Kick-off 6.30pm