The Herald Women's Premier League has lost another high-profile player with former W-League striker and key Broadmeadow Magic signing Adriana Jones out due to changed circumstances.
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Jones, who played W-League for the Jets, Adelaide and Melbourne City, was the WPL leading scorer in 2016 when she last played in Northern NSW Football's top-flight women's competition and was set to be one of the biggest names in the competition this season after joining Magic.
The 24-year-old has since secured employment which includes shift work and told the Newcastle Herald she had made the "emotionally tough" decision not to play but hoped to be back in action next year.
"I'm studying and working full-time now and with that it's hard to commit to football," Jones said. "I can't miss a whole shift of work to play ... I need to support myself, so it was a logical decision."
Jones was originally set to receive match payments from Magic but the club announced last month they would not be not paying players and staff this season due to the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'll happily play for the club again. I didn't leave on bad terms and the club have been really understanding and respectful of my decision," Jones said.
The WPL had already lost Jets W-League players Cassidy Davis, Tara Andrews, Libby Copus-Brown, Gema Simon and Lauren Allan to NSW National Premier League Women's this year. Melbourne City's Rhali Dobson was unsure if she would play in a modified WPL. The league was suspended in March after two rounds. It is set to resume in July and will be played over 14 rounds instead of 21.
Magic have also lost reserve-grade players Tarnee White and Freya Clifton due to changed circumstances but have signed former Adamstown player Taylor Kelly and coach Jake Curley was hoping to pick up one or two others.
"When [Jones] came to us at the start she didn't have a job but now she's got a job and she said she needs to have financial security, which is fair enough," Curley said.
"She said I don't want to do half a season and not play the other half; it's not fair on the other girls. It is a blow. Obviously she's got W-League experience and she scores lots of goals but I think it's lucky that we got Chelsea Lucas and we're going to try Gabby Brodie at nine too because she finishes well. So we're really just looking for some reserve-grade players."
Magic are yet to kick a ball in competition this season after both of their opening matches in March were postponed.
The NSW government announced on Wednesday that senior sporting competition can return from July 1. NNSW Football are in the process of finalising start dates for their premier competitions.
On Wednesday, NNSW Football announced fee concessions across its three premier competitions with total reductions for the 2020 season saving clubs more than $225,000.
Fees for National Premier League NNSW, WPL and Northern League One have been reduced by 24 per cent, 23 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.
NNSW Football chief David Eland said the governing body had a responsibility to help ease the financial strain on premier clubs which were doing it tough due to the coronavirus crisis.
"NNSWF is not immune to the devastating financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the ever-increasing cost of doing business," Eland said. "The Board and management are cautiously monitoring the organisation's financial performance and solvency.
"There is no doubt that our Premier Clubs have taken a massive financial hit. This reduction aims to help clubs remain solvent."
