NEWCASTLE JETS 2011/2012 Season Preview

The 2011/12 Hyundai A-league signals the start of a new generation for Jets fans. Gone is Con Constantine, gone is the unique gold playing strip and long gone is the enigmatic fan favourite Ljubo Milicevic. However in its place is a club that has developed in the offseason off the back of some shrewd signings and strong preseason performances. The loss of marquee signing Jason Culina to a season ending knee injury is a major blow to Newcastle and how the side goes without the talismanic Socceroo will be a major indicator of whether the Jets will be a side to look out for.

Last Season...
7th

They'll Win The League Because...
...they are a tight knit unit determined to prove the doubters wrong. Branko Culina will look to emulate last season’s champions Brisbane Roar by playing a stylish brand of football and relying on his players to deliver consistently strong performances.

They'll Be Cellar Dwellers Because...
...they will struggle to hit the back of the net. The loss of Jason Culina means the Jets are now starved of a true game breaker in the side. Without Culina’s ability to create and score goals the Novacastrians may struggle to find a way to hit the back of the net.

Talk Around The Watercooler... Look smart in front of your colleagues with this valuable piece of information.
The Jets new sponsorship deal with NIB is the first ever shared sponsorship arrangement in Australian professional sporting history. The Jets and local Rugby League side the Newcastle Knights (also owned by Tinkler’s Hunter Sports Group) will both sport NIB logos in a deal worth over one million dollars. It will also be the first time since the start of the A-League in 2004 that the Jets will not have a gold playing strip.

The Extended Off-Season Brought...
...big changes off the field and some promising preseason results. Nathan Tinkler continued his restructuring of the club by appointing local boy and former Hyundai A-League player Robbie Middleby as CEO of the club in April. The hiring of Middleby coincided with the Jets making a string of signings which included Jason Culina, Tiago Calvano and Byung Sun Hwan. Newcastle have gone undefeated over nine preseason games in what would be reassuring to manager Branko Culina. Unfortunately the successful preseason was soured in late September when it was announced that Jason Culina would have to miss an entire season with a returning knee injury requiring further surgery.

Key Player...
Kasey Wherman- He will be the rock in the centre of the Newcastle midfield and will need to regularly dominate proceedings in both attack and defence if the Jets are going to succeed. His ability to create opportunities for his teammates from a holding midfield position will be vital.

One To Watch...
Tiago Calvano- While Calvano is an unknown quantity to most Hyundai A-League fans, Newcastle locals will know the man handpicked by the outgoing Ljubo Milicevic will be the real deal. The athletic Brazilian centre back should be the perfect sidekick to centre defensive partner Nikolai Topor-Stanley and will even look to utilise his accurate passing to create opportunities out of defense.

Full Squad List
1. Ben Kennedy, 2. Taylor Reagan, 3. Mario Simic, 4. Nikolai Topor-Stanley, 5. Tiago Calvano, 6. Ben Kantarovski, 7. Kasey Wehrman, 8. Jeremy Brockie, 10. Ruben Zadkovich, 11. Tarek Elrich, 12. Jobe Wheelhouse, 13. Byun Sung Hwan, 14. Labinot Haliti, 15. Chris Payne, 16. Sam Galloway, 17. James Virgili, 18. Marko Jesic, 19. Matthew Nash, 20. Jason Culina, 22. Ali Abbas, 23. Ryan Griffiths