Northern NSW representative teams will face Newcastle Jets as part of the A-League club’s pre-season preparation thanks to the partnership between Northern NSW Football and the Jets.
NNSWF will select senior men’s and women’s representative teams to play as the Northern NSW All-Stars. They will take on Newcastle Jets’ men’s and women’s teams as part of the A-League club’s pre-season schedule.
Similar matches have previously appeared on the football calendar but the formal partnership between Northern NSW Football and Newcastle Jets has cleared the way for the fixtures to return annually.
NNSWF CEO Peter Haynes was pleased to make the announcement.
“We are thrilled to grow our partnership with the Newcastle Jets and relaunch the Northern NSW All Stars v Newcastle Jets showcase matches in 2025,” Haynes said.
“This initiative supports and enhances the pillars of Talent Development for All and Showcase Our Game as outlined in our 2024-26 Strategic Plan and our 2025 Operational Plan.
“Newcastle Jets represent the region’s professional football presence in the A-League Men’s and Women’s competitions. Enhancing our strategic relationship with the Jets provides a direct avenue for our most talented players and coaches to be exposed to elite environments and pathways.”
NNSWF will select its teams from players identified through its premier competitions, including NPL Women’s NNSW, NPL Men’s NNSW, HIT106.9 Northern League One, Northern NSW Regional Super League and Premier Youth League.
Newcastle Jets CEO Tain Drinkwater said the matches would be important preparation for the club’s A-Leagues campaigns.
“The All-Stars match will be a great occasion for the Newcastle and northern NSW football family and one of our core focuses is to be a football club that is the pride of the region,” Drinkwater said.
“These two matches will further strengthen our commitment to the community and the Newcastle Jets. It is going to be a day of celebration for football in the region.”
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge was excited to give players another opportunity to shine and potentially be identified.
“These matches are a fantastic chance to showcase talented, identified players from NNSWF’s premier competitions from across the whole region,” Doidge said.
“Players like Jason Hoffman, Taylor Regan, Nigel Boogaard, Clare Wheeler, Gema Simon and Jemma House started their journey in our premier competitions before progressing to play at national and international levels.
“I am excited to help provide opportunities for northern NSW players to compete and test themselves in a representative environment against our local A-League program and potentially be identified.”
Peter McGuinness and Jim Cresnar will be the coaching team behind the men’s Northern NSW All-Stars while Heath Whyte and Craig Atkins will coach the women’s Northern NSW All-Stars team.
The coaches were selected via a merit-based system and will contribute to the identification and selection of players.
NNSWF’s Technical Department will select men’s and women’s 25-player squads made up of the best talent from across northern NSW.
NNSWF will ensure appropriate preparation for its players for the matches while acknowledging the limited window available. The preparation program will also respect club commitments particularly during finals series matches.
Final 18-player matchday squads will then be chosen to feature in the matches against the Jets.
Northern NSW All-Star 25-player squads will be announced on NNSWF’s website and social media channels in August.
Northern NSW All-Stars v Newcastle Jets Match Day Information
WHEN: Saturday 20 September
WHERE: Darling Street Oval
KICK-OFF TIMES: Women’s match 3pm, Men’s match 5pm
GATES OPEN: 2pm
ENTRY: Free for Jets members
$5 for non-Jets members
Kids under 12 go free
PARKING: Supporters are advised to arrive early and leave plenty of time to enter the venue due to limited parking and with a large crowd expected.
TICKET DETAILS: Ticketing link to be provided closer to match day.
