2025/2026 Newcastle Jets Men's Squad

[Jeterpool]

26 players signed for season
- 16 A-League squad players from possible 23
- # = 2 Visa spot from possible 5
- ^ = 9 Scholarships from possible 9
- 0 Player loaned out
- * contract length has not been disclosed and it is believed this is the deal length

Expiring 25/26
08 Lachlan Bayliss
09 Lachlan Rose
11 Ben Gibson
13 Clayton Taylor
15 Aleks Susnjar
17 Kosta Grozos
18 Kota Mizunuma
21 Noah James
22 Joel Bertolissio
24 Alex Nunes ^
25 Oscar Fryer ^
28 Will Dobson ^
33 Mark Natta
39 Thomas Aquilina
41 Lucas Scicluna ^
42 Max Cooper ^
43 Xavier Bertoncello ^
44 Ben van Dorssen ^
xx Richard Nkomo ^
xx Alex Nassiep ^

Expiring 26/27
07 Eli Adams
23 Daniel Wilmering
19 Alex Badolato
14 Max Burgess
05 Joe Shaunghnessy
01 James Delianov

Scholarships & Youth
24 Alex Nunes - 25/26 ^ youth (excluded)
44 Ben van Dorssen ^ - 25/26 youth (excluded)
28 Will Dobson - 25/26 ^
25 Oscar Fryer ^ - 25/26
60 Garang Arou - youth (excluded)
45 Christian Bracco ^ 25/26
42 Max Cooper ^ - 25/26
43 Xavier Bertoncello ^ - 25/26
46 Ethan Debono - youth (excluded)
41 Lucas Scicluna ^ - 25/26
xx Richard Nkomo ^ - 25/26
xx Alex Nassiep ^


Squad Depth (Primary position)
GK - 3 (James, Delianov, Nassiep)
RB - 2 (Aquilina, Bracco)
CB - 5 (Susnjar, Shaughnessy, Natta, Cooper, van Dorssen, Arou)
LB - 2 (Wilmering, Nkomo)
CM - 5 (Grozos, Nunes, Bayliss, Scicluna, Bertolissio)
CAM - 3 (Burgess, Adams, Badolato)
RW - 2 (Mizunuma, Dobson)
LW - 2 (Taylor, Fryer, Bertoncello)
ST - 2 (Rose, Gibson)

Rumoured Incoming Players
None

Rumoured Outgoing Players
Clayton Taylor - reported in Newcastle Herald to be seeking release

[Jeterpool]

Here is the A-League Men's Transfer Centre.

https://aleagues.com.au/news/25-26-a...st-done-deals/

Players departing and resigning are captured here.

[The Postman]

Just looking at appearances - We really have cleared out all the depth.

But good to see most of our full-time starters retained for a change - Only Timmins (28) and Scott (22) officially gone.

If Wilmerering (29) and Kota (12) come back, that's a lot of experience still in the squad.

Leaves about 9 spots open - enough for Milligan to sign some of his guys. Just hope we don't start hearing whispers of "not my team, this is Rob's team etc etc'

Returning
04 Phillip Cancar - 20
07 Eli Adams - 27
09 Lachlan Rose - 18
13 Clayton Taylor - 29
15 Aleks Susnjar - 19
17 Kosta Grozos - 27
21 Noah James - 7
22 Ben Gibson - 22
25 Oscar Fryer - Injured
33 Mark Natta - 25
37 Lachlan Bayliss - 27
39 Thomas Aquilina - 29

Left
01 Ryan Scott - 22
06 Matthew Scarcella - 16
10 Wellissol - 15
11 Jacob Dowse - Injured
14 Dane Ingham - 16
19 Callum Timmins - 28
20 Charles M'Mombwa - 13
27 Nathan Grimaldi - 4
29 Justin Vidic - 10
66 Zac Bowling - Youth

[mic22]

Definitely not a rebuild, only lost Timmins and (maybe) Scott from the starting 11.
Sorry to see M'Mombwa go, I think he was a great addition to the squad depth.

Great chance to strengthen the team.

[Jeterpool]

We're also yet to see who is retained or released from pretty much all the other clubs at this stage too. Of those announced, the 2 at Adelaide are retiring, Sydney have a few to look at (only Kucharski interests me), nobody from Perth interests me and the two Nix guys announced are going to Perth.

It will all take off shortly.

[Mark325]

Kiwi heads list of Jets departures, doubt remains over young gun's future
By James Gardiner
May 21 2025 - 9:00am

NEW Zealand international Dane Ingham is among nine players officially released by the Newcastle Jets but the future of wantaway attacker Clayton Taylor appears uncertain.

Taylor has made a second request for a release from the final year of his contract.

The 21-year-old has progressed from a youth team player at Sydney FC to become one of stars of the A-League in two years at the Jets.

He netted seven goals to go with six assists last season.

However, Taylor and his agent Tony Rallis believe another club would be best for his development after the exit of coach Rob Stanton.

The Jets have been approached for comment.

There was interest from overseas clubs in Taylor during the January transfer window.

The Jets rejected a request for a realease last month.

New coach Mark Milligan met with Taylor, who had minor groin surgery two weeks ago, and told the Newcastle Herald that the rising star was part of his plans for 2025-26.

"I have spoken to the players under contract and given them a crash course on what it will look like moving forward," Milligan said on May 12. "In Clayton's case, he had sugery, nothing serious just something he had been dealing with for a while. He needs to make sure he is in the best shape come preseason."

The Jets confirmed on Tuesday that Ingham, vice captain Ryan Scott, Matt Scarcella, Justin Vidic, Brazilian Wellissol, Callum Timmins, Jacob Dowse, Charles M'Mombwa and Zac Bowling will not be at the club next season.

Left back Daniel Wilmering is expected to sign a new deal, leaving potentially nine places on the roster to fill.

There is speculation that Milligan is chasing a defender from overseas to tighten the defence.

Ingham, has been linked to a move to Asia, while Timmins is expected to return home to Perth and sign with the Glory.

Jacob Dowse, who hasn't played in two years due to a chronic knee injury, is likely to retire.



not a tonne of new info here regarding other players, but the clayton taylor stuff is interesting. The change from CB as prevously reported to defender is also interesting to me, would hope this means less so a CB and potentially something like a LB, shifting Wilmering to a solid bench option

[Jeterpool]

We've had interest from overseas in Taylor and he wants to be released to improve his development. One alternative view is this relates to stopping the Jets getting a transfer fee for a player who shares the same management as the coach who has not been resigned.

I hope the Jets hold firm and either play the player or sell him for a fee. Our business model is reliant on it.

[Jetmaster]

However, Tony Rallis believes another club would be best for his own ego and wallet after the exit of his good friend and ex coach Rob Stanton.

Fixed.

[Hunter403]

Tony Rallis...a stain on football

[Bremsstrahlung]

Absolutely. Why would we release him? Transfer fee or he stays.

Not like we aren’t playing him. He has a contract.

It sounds like we are actually making decisions this post season that benefit the club. Instead of forced decisions.

[Mark325]

'Under-resourced': Why young gun wants out of Newcastle Jets
By James Gardiner

CLAYTON Taylor wants out of the Newcastle Jets due to concerns over resourcing of the club's medical and high-performance departments.

But new Jets chief executive Tain Drinkwater said neither Taylor nor his representative had raised any issues with her about the infrastructure at the club.

Taylor's management this week made a second request for a release from the final year of the gun attacker's contract.

The 21-year-old had surgery on his adductor earlier this month and his manager, Tony Rallis, said it was not in his client's best interest to stay at the club.

"You can't have a young man being restricted in his playing action due to an under-resourced club and expect him to be happy," Rallis said.

"There is not enough medical resources and quality sport science to adequately service the players.

"Clayton scored 14 goals and had 10 assists in his first two years as a professional, while injured.

"I'm not criticising the medical staff. The staff that was there was stretched. They are under-resourced to deal with recovery and prevention of injury."

New Jets coach Mark Milligan met with all contracted players, including Taylor, a fortnight ago.

Drinkwater said Taylor had not expressed any concerns at that meeting nor had she been contacted by Rallis.

"I'm disappointed to be honest that it hasn't been raised before if it was a concern," she said.

The Jets board are set to meet in the next week to discuss Taylor's latest request for an exit. Any deal would require some form of compensation.

Drinkwater said player welfare was a priority at the Jets.

"I will make sure, as will Mark, that we have the right high-performance environment for our players," she said.

"A review of the medical department has been completed and we are going to make some changes.

"It's essential that we have best practice in place for our players.

"We can't cost cut in that area. We have to make sure whatever we are spending in that space is delivering the high-performance standard that we need.

"If we need to make some tweaks and allocate more money, we will find that money."

Rallis manages six other players at the Jets, including Oscar Fryer, who is close to returning after reconstructive surgery to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

Previous coach Rob Stanton had requested an increase in medical staff and other infrastructure before he parted ways with the club.

Rallis confirmed that former Jets defender Dane Ingham had secured a one-year deal with Malaysian club Sabah.

Ingham, who spent four seasons in Newcastle, was among nine players released by the Jets on Tuesday.

Left back Daniel Wilmering is expected to sign a new deal, leaving potentially nine places on the roster to fill.

Former Sydney midfielder Max Burgess has been linked to a move to Newcastle and Milligan is believed to be chasing an overseas defender.



Above all what I take from this is that the club desperately needs to address this issue with back room medical staff. It’s extra money spent, but it’s the kind of money you need to spend and will have significant effects, think of how injury prone some players have been for us, only for them to leave and be fine

[Jeterpool]

The Herald are bring used to air dirty laundry and ramp up pressure. All the noise is coming from the player's side. I'm glad the club have said something instead of "no comment".

I don't have the information to understand whether our medical staff numbers are adequate or not. But if I think back to injuries we sustained:

• Mizunuma missed a few as he rebuilt condition,
• Ingham missed a large stretch due to a pec injury sustained in a fall in the match
• Susnjar had a soft tissue injury to either calf or ankle if I recall. That saw the move to
• Dowse has been injured for two years - at what point is it medical staff v player susceptability?
• Cancar missed the odd match.

Have I missed any?

We used 24 players, one more than the previous season. Four player (Bracco (2) , Vidic (8), Arou (1), James (7)) made less than 10 appearances.

On the surface, we haven't had a massive injury-ravaged season so is there merit in the argument? Of course everyone always wants more, and I don't know how large their workload is, but the team we have managed the squad's workload well this season to avoid major soft-tissue injuries and ongoing player niggles.

[Mark325]

The Herald are bring used to air dirty laundry and ramp up pressure. All the noise is coming from the player's side. I'm glad the club have said something instead of "no comment".

I don't have the information to understand whether our medical staff numbers are adequate or not. But if I think back to injuries we sustained:

• Mizunuma missed a few as he rebuilt condition,
• Ingham missed a large stretch due to a pec injury sustained in a fall in the match
• Susnjar had a soft tissue injury to either calf or ankle if I recall. That saw the move to
• Dowse has been injured for two years - at what point is it medical staff v player susceptability?
• Cancar missed the odd match.

Have I missed any?

We used 24 players, one more than the previous season. Four player (Bracco (2) , Vidic (8), Arou (1), James (7)) made less than 10 appearances.

On the surface, we haven't had a massive injury-ravaged season so is there merit in the argument? Of course everyone always wants more, and I don't know how large their workload is, but the team we have managed the squad's workload well this season to avoid major soft-tissue injuries and ongoing player niggles.

Adams and Rose also missed portions of the season with injury. Was Grozos injured at a point? I vaguely remember him missing a couple of games but I can't remember if that was this season or last. And even though it didn't seem to be a big deal, this minor injury to Taylor seems to be a big sticking point for them.

But, as you said JP, to a point injuries are unavoidable. Someones always gonna step wrong on a turn, or a clumsy tackle does something.

[Macca]

Probably truth on both sides.
Likely our medical team is under resourced when you consider that much of the club either is or has been under resourced for a fair while now.
I would speculate that Taylor and/or agent wants him to move elsewhere, and this is not the reason but is being used as a public justification, and since there is an element of truth it can't be outright refuted.

Is it an issue worth leaving the club over however?
Or is it just that the player agent didn't get what he wanted in other negotiations with the club and is using it to justify wanting to move on Taylor (or at least threaten to) since that's seen as a much more legitimate reason than "I can't control all the clubs decisions anymore".
From Taylor's side he may either have loyalty to Stanton, or just thinks he can do better elsewhere.

[Jeterpool]

The A-League show/podcast with Rugari and Tom Oar named Macarthur as the club Taylor was being linked to. They have Marin Jakolis on the left side...is Taylor getting in ahead of him? I'm unsure if Jakolis is off contract or not.

[Jeterpool]

Adams and Rose also missed portions of the season with injury. Was Grozos injured at a point? I vaguely remember him missing a couple of games but I can't remember if that was this season or last. And even though it didn't seem to be a big deal, this minor injury to Taylor seems to be a big sticking point for them.

But, as you said JP, to a point injuries are unavoidable. Someones always gonna step wrong on a turn, or a clumsy tackle does something.

Rose - absolutely was an oversight on my behalf. Thank you! Adams however played 24 of 26 A-League matches so not a significant period due to injury missed.

[My2BobsWorth]

Stanton comes up from Sydney and says we are under resourced. No shit Sherlock, we've been under resourced for as long as I can remember, bar the Tinkler era of course. These two grubs, Taylor and his manager using it as a reason to leave just says a lot about both of them

[anfield]

Very poor form that the agent has played it all out in the media to force a move. If he says the club is not up to scratch and under resourced in the medical department, what does this mean for all his other players at the Jets?

[Alton]

Yengi has been released from Portsmouth

[mge61]

No talk of being under resourced last season in his first when we gave him the opportunity to make a name for himself.