Jets coach Craig Deans has urged his players to make the most of hosting league heavyweights Melbourne City in their season-opener at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday.
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Newcastle have no big-name players nor any imports this season and have not beaten City in seven previous exchanges.
Their round-one counterparts in comparison will field a host of internationals, including former Jet Emily van Egmond.
"We are under no illusions whatsoever," Deans said. "We know every game is going to be really tough for us. Everyone is talking about team morale ... but team morale doesn't get you a point. You've still got to work hard and earn everything.
"It's time to stop talking and time to start showing people that these girls are good enough to be where they are and I have faith in them or otherwise they wouldn't be here.
"Everyone in their team is pretty much a national team player of Australia or another country. I would hope that all of the young girls are going to look at that as an opportunity to show themselves and the people of Newcastle and everyone else watching that they've got some ability.
"It's up to the players really; it's a great opportunity for them."
Taking their chances when they come against a side like City will be imperative and the Jets will need to be much better in front of goal this season than they were last if they want to achieve success.
"It's a matter of being good enough to defend them when they have their moments, which we're expecting plenty of, they always do," Deans said.
"And we need to be as good as we can be when we've got the ball because we're probably not going to have as many chances as we would in some other games.
"We might only have three or four opportunities in a game to score, so we need to make sure that when we get those chances we don't let them slide."
One player keen to make an impact in attack for the Jets is speedy new recruit Nicki Flannery, who joined the Jets from Canberra United. Deans will start the 20-year-old up front with Tara Andrews and Jenna Kingsley.
"It was a big decision to leave a club I'd played for for five years, so I kind of just want to prove my worth in new colours," Flannery said.
"One of our strengths is definitely our transitional play from defence to attack and we can really hurt teams because we have a lot of pace and a lot of wide players who are good at getting the balls in and Tara is great at holding up the ball, so there's a lot of attacking threat, which is really exciting."
Injured trio Annabel Martin (knee), Sophie Nenadovic (foot) and Renee Pountney (foot) were left out of the Jets squad for the match.
City's squad includes Matildas players Lydia Williams, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter, Emma Checker and van Egmond. Australian teammate Kyah Simon is out with a calf complaint but also in the squad are internationals Claire Emslie (Scotland), Yukari Kinga (Japan) and Milica Mijatovic (Serbia) as well as former Jet and Merewether Herald Women's Premier League player Rhali Dobson.
Deans urged Newcastle supporters "to show some numbers" and turn out in force on Sunday.
"It will make a huge difference and I don't think people realise how much of a difference it makes ... how much importance they can have in changing the sport by getting to the game," he said.
The game kicks off at 6pm.
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