Printable View
The article says they've gone from an annual deficit to breaking even this year. I'd say that is down to good decisions.Quote:
Originally Posted by My2BobsWorth
ACL would still be outside the cap i assume, so extra players or better players could still be signed for those comps with payments weighted more heavily to those fixtures.
Zads has finished up at the Roar.
IMO the jury is still out on Rubes at this level. Two gigs both at bottom feeding clubs with no funds and resources. Has brought on some youngsters at the roar in Brazette, Herrington and Klein.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeterpool
Roar over the last month have been playing some good football so hopefully Rubes can at the very least get a Asst role somewhere, He's proven like Stanton he can bring along and get some decent football out of young players just making there way in the League.
A long way off as a head coach, assistant bestQuote:
Originally Posted by 380
For those playing transfer games at home - here is the Transfermarkt list of players with expiring contracts.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/a-leag...se/alle/plus/1
Why is Clayton Taylor on thereQuote:
Originally Posted by Jeterpool
https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/05/0...m-replacement/
Johnson leaves FA
Rumours are he's going for a job at FIFAQuote:
Originally Posted by belchardo
Aquilina and Hoban were very deserving of the player of the year awards last night
How do they pick the winner JP, Dunny certainly wasn't on the panel
No idea mate. Members get their own vote for an award. Davis and Adams won those.Quote:
Originally Posted by My2BobsWorth
So Stanton is already in Jordan, he lied to the jet supporters saying he had nothing in the pipeline but was looking forward to a restQuote:
Originally Posted by Jeterpool
Girl Gypos won the GF.....shoot me!
Good, rage against the machine
You need to adjust the antenna on your TV mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jetmaster
I flicked it over and it was 3-0 Victory in the 97th minute so switched off as the result seemed inevitable.
Another failure for the rectum of the country.
**** the gypo scum.
The Dolan Warren awards are being televised this year, for those that like that sort of thing. The Jets have several nominees in it this year.
Tues 26th at 7PM
10play
https://aleagues.com.au/news/how-to-...inations-list/
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/s...lease-request/
The Jets board have rejected a second request for a release from Clayton Taylor
Simon Hill calling it a day...
https://www.news.com.au/sport/footba...675f4509c708bd
Sad but not unexpected, he has never really been happy with the current broadcaster's direction.
Will be missed.
Exclusive Q&A: New Jets boss reveals plans to turn club into championship force
HIGHLY-credentialled administrator Tain Drinkwater has returned home to take charge of the Newcastle Jets.
Drinkwater has previously been the CEO of Netball NSW, overseeing Super Netball clubs Sydney Swifts and Giants, headed up the Brisbane Broncos NRLW program and held an executive position in pathways with the NRL.
From Lake Macquarie, Drinkwater has been in the job for a month. Here she answers questions from Herald football writer James Gardiner and reveals her plans for the A-League club.
JG: You held a stable executive position at the NRL, what was the attraction of the role with the Jets?
TD: It would have been easy to stay at the NRL, which has a lot of revenue to be innovative and try things. The excitement for me at the Jets was a chance to re-establish the club. The ownership group is really committed to the community. They approached me. Being a Novocastrian, I didn't imagine there would be an opportunity to return home in a sporting role at a chief executive level. I was really excited about the vision and the direction of the ownership group. They have committed to investing resources. I see it as a blank canvas and I think I can have a lot of impact and influence.
JG:You have had feet under the chair for four weeks, have you identified any areas as a priority?
TD: I have spent the last month listening to people. I have met with our staff, a lot of the female players, a few of the male players. I have caught up with the football staff and met with our commercial partners. That was to get an understanding of the business before I start making determinations on what we need to do. We have a loyal and growing fan and membership base. We have great people working in our business. We have made inroads in building trust within the community and in particular, our commercial portfolio. We are attracting people back to the club.
We need to focus on continuing to rebuild trust. The sense I get is that the Jets has been a brand that has taken things from the community. We should be giving back to the community. There is an opportunity for us to connect more broadly. We extend from Speers Point up to the Tweed and out west.
From a team perspective, I'm not going to shy away from the fact our teams have not performed. The women had some success more recently than the men. The culture we need to create has to be one of winning championships. We have 13 academy teams so that talent pipeline is strong. It is about how do we enhance the conversion rate from academy player to, in particular, the men's space?
From a business perspective, we need to develop a sustainable pathway to deliver financial stability. That will come from doing things we say we are going to do, turning up for the community, rebuilding trust and looking at broader horizons.
JG: Previous administrations have encountered money issues. How do you make the club sustainable when a lot of money has gone from A-League?
TD: We need to be lean and efficient. I use a phrase: minimum target, maximum firepower. Our plan for the next 18 months is to identify five things we are going to do really well.
Funding from the A-League is not at the level it used to be. That will be the reality for at least 18 months until a new broadcast deal is in place.
We need to tie down long-term partnerships and look at new revenue streams. What is out there that we have not considered? Explore things like a sister-club relationship, internationally. How do we grow our foundations?
It also involves working with our local partners, the state government and federal government to find a home for the Jets. What does that look like? If you had a home for the Jets, you have investment potentially from an allied health or commercial perspective, naming rights .... all those types of things. We have to be more diverse at how we look at our revenue.
JG: Membership reached nearly 9000 this season. Are you confident of hitting 10,000 for 2025-26?
TD: That is our target. We are relying on the competitive nature of Novocastrians and the broader region to get there. I want to create a sense of pride in reaching that target. Ideally there are 10,000 fans at our first home game.
JG: You have worked extensively in professional sport, but are light on experience in football. Will you have a hands-on role in signing players and the like?
TD: I am very familiar with high-performance environments and working with head coaches. The A-League men's coach coach Mark Milligan and A-League women's coach will report directly to me. We will have a general manager of football, who will be a key conduit to both coaches and will also have responsibility with the academy program.
Football has its own ecosystem. The GM of football will be part of my executive team and will have very tight relationships with the A-League coaches. The GM will provide insight and expertise around roster and salary cap management. Ultimately the coaches are held to account for the team's success. They need to do that within parameters. My job will be to support them as best I can.
JG:Player development is a hot topic, especially in the men's space. The Jets and NNSW were not represented in the Australian u17s and under-20s men's squads recently selected. What needs to be done to foster more elite men's players.
TD: I have not fully immersed myself in the development program yet but that will be an area of focus. I am meeting with NNSW CEO Peter Haynes next week. I think there is an opportunity for us to partner closer. NNSW has a catchment of 100,000 registered players. Young kids want to play for the Jets. How do we use our brand with their reach, and the amazing work they do across the state? We are stronger together rather than working in our own patches. We are a football ecosystem in the region and we should be leveraging that as one of our strengths.
JG: Will fans see the Jets wearing a new playing strip from a new manufacturer next season?
TD: We are exploring a new kit supplier. We recently went out to tender. Whoever we partner with will have the same ethos as the club. We want to be able to supply potential lifestyle ranges. We want our kits for sale at local businesses. Retail and merchandise is a key element of our growth strategy. On my second day here, I was at Newcastle airport and saw Knights jerseys for sale in a shop but not any Jets jerseys. That has to change.
JG: There are at least nine places available on the roster, can the fans expect announcements soon?
TD: Mark is keen to push the button on some of his player signings and staff additions. That will occur in the next couple of weeks.
JG: In terms of player budget, will the Jets use the full $3 million available in the salary cap and is there the potential for a marquee player?
TD: Mark wants to structure his roster in a strategic way, which I am very much aligned to. We want to be a development club but we acknowledge there will be times when we need to boost the roster. Ultimately, Mark will be accountable for his playing roster. We don't spend the full salary cap. We work within our means. We have had some really great players come through our system. We need an environment where players see us as an attractive destination. That comes from the head coach creating a high-performance environment, where people go, this is a professional set-up, I want to stay.
JG: Is producing players to sell overseas part of the business model?
TD: Yes. I think we should applaud ourselves for doing that. If you are a kid growing up in Cardiff and dream of playing for Real Madrid, start at the Jets. Come through the academy and we will help you get to where you want to go. We need to have high-performance facilities so when players come to the Jets, they will get those opportunities.
JG: High-performance units cost money. Have the owners made a commitment to ensure the club has best practice?
TD: I work within a budget that is approved by the board. I need to identify where to spend money and what is going to deliver a return on investment. If we want to perform on the field, we need to make sure our players are well looked after.
JG: Melbourne City take on Melbourne Victory in the A-League men's grand final on Saturday. City have played in five of the past six deciders. Victory have won more championships than any club. How do you bridge the gap on the bigger clubs?
TD:We have to be consistent in everything we do. That starts with me as the CEO having a clear vision for the club. We need a culture where players want to come to us because they feel valued, they trust in our support of them and we have commercial and financial stability. They know if they come to Newcastle they will get looked after in a high-performance environment, they will get great coaching, they will have a great lifestyle and they are a chance to win a championship.
Sauce: https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/s...rs-new-vision/
Thanks for sharing Evo.
Some very direct answers from Drinkwater there, not skirting around the issue and saying a lot while saying nothing at all.
Impressive first interview.