TUESDAY marked the seventh anniversary of the Jets’ lone A-League championship success.
February 24, 2008, was a day to remember for Hunter football fans.
Sydney Football Stadium was transformed into a sea of gold as the Jets trumped arch rivals Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in a tense grand final.
A long-suffering and loyal fan sent out a reminder of the Jets’ moment in history on Tuesday under the Twitter handle @newyboys.
The post, ‘‘24.02.2008’’, was succinct but poignant.
It has been five years since the Jets even made it to the finals.
They scraped into sixth in 2009-10 before upsetting Gold Coast United in a penalty shootout then losing 3-1 to Wellington Phoenix in extra time in the minor semi-final.
Every A-League season since has been a ‘‘rebuilding’’ year, accompanied by assurances the club is ‘‘moving forward’’.
Now the Jets are 18 rounds – and one win – into the 2014-15 campaign and the door is revolving again.
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‘‘For five years we have not been a team which is at the front of the A-League,’’ coach Phil Stubbins said this week.
‘‘That needs to change, and we have made some decisions on that.’’
This campaign is a write-off.
At best, fans can hope that a win in the F3 derby at Hunter Stadium on Saturday sparks a run of results sufficient to avoid the wooden spoon.
Jets owner Nathan Tinkler, who has fought a battle to hold on to the club, has made it clear that the besieged coach is not going anywhere.
In backing Stubbins, Tinkler said: ‘‘It’s hard to judge a coach when he is forced to take on not just an inherited squad but also an inherited coaching staff.’’
Scenes from the Jets 2008 Grand Final win.
Scenes from the Jets 2008 Grand Final win.
Appointed in May, Stubbins brought in nine new faces and has signed off on the release mid-contract of Connor Chapman, Adam Taggart, Josh Brillante, Ruben Zadkovich, Mitch Oxborrow, Craig Goodwin, Jonny Steele, Mark Birighitti, Marcos Flores, Sam Gallaway, Jeronimo, Kew Jaliens and Joel Griffiths.
David Carney, Billy Celeski and Adrian Madaschi are in the process of finalising exits and will add to a list that also includes support staff Clayton Zane, Neil Young, Michael Bridges and Andrew Packer.
Of the departures, Stubbins was responsible for recruiting Flores, Steele, Jeronimo, Celeski, Madaschi, Young and Packer.
‘‘I have learnt more in the sevens months I have been at the Jets than I have experienced over the course of time anywhere else,’’ Stubbins said this week.’’
Coming to the club in June was ‘‘too late’’ to put a squad together, he said. ‘‘It could be that you need to get players locked in now, certainly Australian players.’’
‘‘You need to get your own team together. In the A-League it needs to be a team akin to the vision and the style of play that you want to bring to the table.
‘‘Kenny Lowe [Perth Glory coach] struggled last year without his team. Now he has turned it around. Josep Gombau, Ernie Merrick ...
‘‘I know the team profile that I want and I know the players I need to fit into that team profile. We need to be more dynamic, that is for sure, and we need to be a lot more effective in the final third.’’
Scenes from the Jets 2008 Grand Final win.
Scenes from the Jets 2008 Grand Final win.
Ben Kennedy, Ben Kantarovski, Jacob Pepper, Scott Neville, Josh Barresi, who has missed the entire campaign due to a knee reconstruction, and Radovan Pavicevic are squad members contracted for next season. Carney also has a contract for next season but is unwanted. Goalkeeper Mark Birighitti has a contract for 2015-16 but is on loan at Italian club Varese.
The others are effectively on audition.
‘‘The way they are going at the moment they are doing themselves no harm,’’ Stubbins said.
Apart from adding Jim Pascoe, Mark Jones and Jess Vanstrattan to the coaching staff, Stubbins’ first step towards the future was the signature of defender Nigel Boogaard on a three-year deal.
He signed Korean defender Lee Ki-je and centre back Daniel Mullen to fill the gaps until the end of the season and has started talking to them about extending their stays.
Serbian winger Enver Alivodic, who makes his club debut against the Mariners, is also contracted to the end of the campaign with a view to the future.
‘‘We are doing things behind the scenes now,’’ Stubbins said.
‘‘Now we have a real base, something we can use as further enticement for further additions to the squad.
"I’m looking forward to our prospects for next year.’’