NORTHERN NSW Football hopes to provide a year-round program for senior W-League players after gaining entry for its Emerging Jets teams into the state’s best competition for female players.
The Emerging Jets will play in the 10-team Football NSW National Premier Leagues 1 competition against Sydney clubs, the Central Coast and Illawarra.
It comes after Emerging Jets academy director Gary van Egmond recommended the girls’ teams no longer play in the Herald Women’s Premier League after the under18s won the first-grade competition this season and the under15s finished runners-up in under18s.
The Emerging Jets will field three teams in FNSW’s NPL.
The under-17 Emerging Jets will play in first grade, the under 15s will compete in the under-17 league, while the program will also enter a team in the under 13s.
They will not enter sides in under 15s or reserve grade next year.
NNSWF chief executive David Eland said it was a good result for the Emerging Jets.
‘‘We’re absolutely thrilled,’’ Eland said.
‘‘We jumped through a heap of hoops and we weren’t sure how it was going to be received, particularly from the Sydney clubs, but we’ve been accepted.
‘‘Football NSW NPL1 is the strongest club competition in Australia and to give our Emerging Jets the opportunity to play in that week in, week out is a huge bonus for our talented girls.’’
Eland said the change could also allow senior Newcastle W-League players, who will be allowed to play as over-age players in the under-17 side, to stick with the Jets in the winter.
As it stands, players are pulled together from overseas leagues, the WPL and the Sydney competition each year for the 12-round W-League season.
Eland said senior players would be under no obligation to play with the Emerging Jets but he was excited about the opportunity to provide a year-round W-league Program.
The Emerging Jets girls will host games at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility at Speers Point, which will also be the home of the boys’ teams which compete in the NNSWF NPL Youth competition.